Emma Ruffinato Danielle Griffiths

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Emma RuffinatoDanielle Griffiths
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Who are we? Equilibrium is a training programme
based in LJMU School of Social Sciences it was
developed from a research project that found
employees remain unaware of their rights to
access work life balance practices.
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The Initial Findings

• Flexibility can help women to manage full time
  hours and maintain career progression
• Flexibility more likely to negotiated at
  organisational level formally and informally
  rather than legislative led
• Informal workplace cultures can impact upon
  flexible working options
• Long hours culture in UK acts as a barrier to
  work life balance
• Low levels of awareness and take up of flexible
  options

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• Objective 3 aims to improve peoples skills and
  employment prospects by
• Tackling long-term unemployment
• Helping young people and those at risk to find
  work
• Improve training, education and counselling for
  lifelong learning
• Encourage entrepreneurship and adaptability in
  the workplace
• Promoting equal opportunities and improving the
  role of women in the workplace

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What is work life balance?Work life balance
means different things to different people at
different times and stages of their life.
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• What does Work
• Life Balance mean
• to you?

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Work Life Balance is..

• being aware of different demands on time and
  energy
• having the ability to make choices in the
  allocation of time and energy
• knowing what values to apply to choices
• making choices
• (CIPD, 2006)

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Why do I need to know about Work Life Balance?

• The proportion of employees with caring
  responsibilities both child and elder care is
  increasing
• The proportion of female employees is increasing
• The number of employees who are lone parents is
  growing
• The Government is increasing legal rights to
  flexible working for working people with families
  and caring responsibilities

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• Competition for skills and talent amongst
  organisations makes providing attractive work
  environments important
• Nearly half of academics (male and female)
  reported increased difficulties in combining work
  and family responsibilities (Blake, 2000)
• Academic staff have poor work life balance and as
  a result suffer high levels of stress (Kinman
  2004)

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Exercise Time test

• Examine your own Work Life Balance
• Identify the amount of time which is work free

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• Flexible working - why is it so important?
• In the two years to April 2005, 50 of employees
  who reported taking time of work to care for
  someone had done so to care for partners, parents
  and other relatives
• This is nearly 10 of all employees
• Personnel Today magazine, 23rd January 2007

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• Flexible working helps employees handle
  responsibilities such as childcare and caring for
  others while still carrying out their job
  effectively and employers benefit from keeping
  the services of good employees they might
  otherwise lose
• (Rita Donaghy, ACAS Chair)

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Part-time

• PROs
• Most used/respected form of flexible working
• Can reduce the numbers of days/hours worked
• Enhances work life balance

• CONs
• May result in part time pay for full time
  workload
• May miss important developments on days not
  working
• Meetings may be scheduled for days not working

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• The number of people working part time in the UK
• Male 38
• Female 71
• (CIPD, 2006)

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Job share

• PROs
• Sharing responsibility for the same job
• More than one viewpoint

• CONs
• Issues around ownership of job
• Off loading blame for mistakes/errors

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Flexitime

• PROs
• Encourages day to day flexibility
• Allows you to manage your own time

• CONs
• May result in hours to make up
• Being tracked

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Annualised hours

• PROs
• Have a set number of hours to be completed within
  the year
• Be able to plan and organise your work and life
  commitments

• CONs
• May require hours to be completed within a
  concentrated period peaks and troughs
• Not seen as a proper member of staff

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Career breaks

• PROs
• Allows time to pursue interests outside of work
• Allows time for reflection of what actually want

• CONs
• Can be difficult to keep skills current
• May find it difficult getting back into work

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Homeworking

• PROs
• Able to start and finish work when you like
• No commuting time
• Less distractions - more productive

• CONs
• Potentially difficult to manage and monitor
  homeworkers
• Blurring of boundaries
• Not suitable for every type of job
• Communication problems feelings of isolation

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Exercise - Diary

• Consider the issues and constraints facing Lucy
• Comment on how she might overcome these issues

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Thank you