Transcript Document

Changing Times –
The role the Irish National Framework Committee for Work /Life Balance,
2000 - 2009
Paul Cullen, Chairman, National Committee
ICTU Seminar for Centre for
Partnership and Equality in
Romania
15/07/2009
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Committee
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Introduction to Presentation
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Purpose: To review the focus of activity of the
the National Framework Committee since 2000.
Current Challenge: How WLB policies and
the rationale & values underlying consensual
flexible working arrangements can be best
articulated in the current economic crisis?
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Role of National Committee under
successive Social Partnership
Agreements
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Committee first established in 2000 by Social
Partners and continued under two subsequent
Social Partner Agreements.
Remit to support work - life balance policies at
the level of the enterprise that:
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Enhance the opportunity to reconcile work and life
outside of work, and
Contribute to the effective and efficient operation
of the enterprise
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Membership of the National Committee
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ICTU
IBEC
Equality Authority
Depts of Taoiseach; Finance, Social &
Family Affairs; Justice, Equality & Law
Reform; Enterprise, Trade & Employment
Chair and secretariat provided by the Dept.
of Enterprise, Trade and Employment
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Work Programme Themes, 2000 -‘09
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Programme has evolved through a series of strands:
• Research
• Development of training
tools/assisted interventions
• Promotion/dissemination of
information
• Awareness raising
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Support for Research
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“Off the Treadmill” - research into availability
and take up of Work Life Balance working
arrangements
Review of Work-life Balance Policies and
Practices Across the Original EU15 Member
States
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Training Tools /Interventions
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Support for projects undertaken by IBEC
and ICTU: Research into how practices could be applied
in a shiftworking environment
 Workplace tools and guidelines for both
memberships
Assistance to organisations by providing access
to Panel of Consultants for up to 5 days free
advice
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Promotion & Awareness-Raising
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Annual “Work Life Balance Day” since 2001
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www.worklifebalance.ie website
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Newsletters and Information Brochures and
Leaflets
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Seminars – regional and national
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Work Life Balance Day
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th
27
Feb 2009
e-poster designed for Work Life Balance Day
2009 to highlight scope for changing work
routines
Publicity highlighted availability of the
consultancy scheme
Limited resources prioritised to support
organisations interested in exploring
alternative working arrangements for their
employees in response to deteriorating
economic conditions.
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Breaking The Sound Barrier
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Déjà vue : Talk of work-life balance
virtually ebbed away with last recession in
1980s! - the stark choice is assumed to lie
between holding on to a job or becoming
redundant!
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Current Challenge: How to ensure that
WLB & mutuially agreed flexible work
options are not viewed only as a business
cost?
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Pact for Stabilisation, Solidarity
and Economic Renewal
The Government and Social Partners agree that
urgent and radical action is required to restore
stability to the public finances, to maximise
short-term economic activity and employment
and to improve competitiveness.
..designing a flexicurity approach appropriate
to Irish conditions which keeps people working
where feasible and equips people to return to
employment as quickly as possible
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Sign of the Times – Transport
Policy to favour people not cars!
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"e-working" is to be a cornerstone
of the new transport plan
The unsustainably high volume of
daily commute journeys by car is to
be reduced
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Alternatives to
Redundancy are being
explored
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Irish Life & Permanent –
assisted career breaks
Bausch & Lomb – short-term
hours agreed in exchange for
no job losses
KPMG International – staff opt
for sabbaticals or four day
week
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But how to dispel the constant
“One size fits all” thinking ?
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Flexible working can open up opportunities for
everyone - not just parents - to balance their
commitments at different stages of their working
lives.
Flexible working also has to be seen in its broadest
sense. It can mean opting for annualised
hours, part-time work, short-term
working, working from home, or
changing working hours, or job sharing.
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How can we learn from our own
recent experience?
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What broad lessons can be drawn from
experience of completed projects?
Do outcomes of new flexible work
arrangements confirm WLB objectives of
employer and employees?
Can the Committee capture and evaluate the
overall qualitative outcome of the completed
projects?
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Lessons to be Learnt ….
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What barriers are encountered in marketing
the consultancy support scheme and
attracting interest among HR managers?
Are possible IR implications a constraining
factor?
Is there scope to develop better synergies
and mutual learning vis-à-vis Workplace
Innovation Strategy initiatives of other State
programmes and the social partners
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Moving on
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Re-affirm commitment of stakeholders to the
key principles under-pinning the programme
Link with positive role of European Social
Dialogue – e.g.new parental leave agreement
Review operational effectiveness of scheme
Extend mutual learning to embrace relevant
initiatives of other State programmes and
social partners
Explore new opportunities to highlight practical
value of flexible working initiatives local level
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