WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Government provides £1.5 million to help companies improve profitability through work-life policies
Work-life balance — the next step on from family-friendly policies — has now received the official backing of Government and employers. Employers for Work-Life Balance is a year-long campaign, chaired by Peter Ellwood, chief executive of Lloyds TSB.
The campaign will encourage employers to introduce flexible-working practices which will enable their employees to achieve a better balance between work and the rest of their lives. It is backed by 22 companies, including small and medium-sized organisations as well as blue-chip businesses, with a combined workforce of around 500,000 people (see below).
Said Mr Ellwood: "The one thing we have in common is that we believe that our organisations have benefited from the introduction of work-life polices and that the principles of such polices are key to our success. By putting work-life balance at the heart of our corporate culture, we have, for instance, been able to improve morale and reduce absenteeism and employee turnover."
The Government’s contribution to the campaign is a "challenge fund" worth £1.5 million over two years, to which companies can apply for advice on improving profitability while giving employees greater flexibility.
Key quotes
"We welcome the launch of Employers for Work-Life Balance. Millions of people across the UK would like to benefit from more flexible ways of working. At the same time the best businesses are showing that a better balance between work and life does not have to come at the expense of profits and competitiveness." — Rt hon Tony Blair MP, prime minister.
"Many forward-thinking employers are already reaping the benefits of work-life balance for themselves. But we want more employers to develop working practices that will reward their business and their employees. Working together, we can fulfil our vision of enhancing our economic performance and at the same time improve the work-life balance for individuals. This is about imagination, not legislation." — Rt hon David Blunkett MP, education and employment secretary.
"Other employers may also find that looking at these policies can help their organisations but it can be difficult to know where to go for information and advice. We have therefore established Employers for Work-Life Balance. This employer alliance aims to share the experiences we have had and to provide a one-stop shop for employers interested in finding out more about this issue." — Peter Ellwood, chair, Employers for Work-Life Balance and group chief executive, Lloyds TSB.
Document extract
What is work-life balance? Our principles
Work-life balance means different things to different people. The organisations involved in Employers for Work-Life Balance are committed to the following principles:
Statement of principle
UK employers operate in an increasingly competitive environment in which flexibility is key to meeting customer demands. At the same time, employees need to be able to balance work with their other interests. Employees are more productive if they are able to balance their work and personal lives effectively, thereby facilitating enhanced delivery of organisational objectives. An organisation committed to work-life balance:
recognises that effective practices to promote work-life balance will benefit the organisation and its employees
acknowledges that individuals at all stages of their lives work best when they are able to achieve an appropriate balance between work and all other aspects of their lives
highlights the employer's and employee's joint responsibility to discuss workable solutions and encourages a partnership between individuals and their line managers
develops appropriate policies and practical responses that meet the specific needs of the organisation and its employees
communicates its commitment to work-life strategies to its employees
demonstrates leadership from the top of the organisation and encourages managers to lead by example.
Source: Employers for Work-Life Balance.
The organisations of the Employers for Work-life Balance are:
Asda Stores Ltd
BBC
BMW Group
British Telecommunications plc
Classic Cleaners
Druid
Eli Lily & Company
Heygate & Sons
HSBC Bank plc
J Sainsbury plc
KPMG
Littlewoods Organisation plc
Lloyds TSB Group plc
Marks and Spencer
Nationwide Building Society
NatWest Group
Northern Foods plc
Prudential plc
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Shell Companies in the UK
Unilever
Xerox (UK) Ltd.
Want to know more?
An official web site has been launched, providing information on objectives, research, case studies, a calendar of events and links to relevant organisations that can provide advice on implementing work-life polices. Jump to . . . www.employersforwork-lifebalance.org.uk