The Minister for Labour Affairs, Tony Killeen, has stressed how important it is for organisations to have in place appropriate policies and practices which can accommodate changing workplaces. The Minister made his comments at an event to mark Work Life Balance Day today.
The National Framework Committee for Work Life Balances Policies held an event today which discussed how work life balance policies can help accommodate diversity and play an important role in the efficient operation of the labour force.
Mr Killeen said that work life balance is of strategic importance to the efficient operation of the labour market and is a key issue for competitiveness.
'The development of work-life balance policies for all workers is essential is we are to successfully increase the rates of overall employment and particularly female participation in the workforce,' he said.
'Appropriate work-life balance policies and practices will help us accommodate diversity, to manage the shift to knowledge-based and service occupations and facilitate lifelong learning and up-skilling,' he added.
61% of companies here now offer flexible working arrangements and the new maternity and adoptive leave legislation that comes into force today is one of the most generous provisions in all of Europe, according to Maria Cronin, IBEC Director of European and Social Policy.
She added that in a study commissioned by the National Centre for Partnership and Performance, 87% of employees said they are satisfied with their current hours of work.
ICTU's Assistant General Secretary Sally Anne Kinahan said that for working parents, paid parental leave is essential if they are ever to achieve work-life balance. She said that repeated studies have shown that many, many people will never be able to afford to take up unpaid leave entitlements, especially with Ireland's cost of living running well ahead of the rest of Europe.
Niall Crowley, CEO of the Equality Authority, said that objectives of high performance, equality and diversity in the workplace underpin the need for flexibilities in the organisation of work.
