Work Life Balance

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Conference
2005 National Women's Conference
Date
12 February 2005
Decision
Carried

Conference welcomes campaigning materials produced by the National Women’s Committee on work life balance and flexible working.

Unfortunately, Conference must also note that the application and interpretation of work life balance has been very different between and within organisations, to the detriment of women.

Conference recognises that many employers do not encourage job sharing, or part-time working, nor the flexibility that may be needed when managing young children in the family, or the caring needs of elderly relatives. Some employers covertly create invisible barriers to returning to work on less than a full time basis.

Conference calls upon the National Women’s Committee to campaign vigorously for the development of job sharing, flexible working and part-time working in all types of occupations covered by UNISON agreements, to ensure that all women have access to career opportunities, less than full time working, and the development of work/home balance.

Conference calls upon the National Women’s Committee to:

1)audit how work life balance has been applied in different environments and different workplaces;

2)audit how effective it has been in benefiting women rather than providing benefits to employers;

3)identify best practice on flexible working, career progression schemes, job sharing and part-time working from across regions, to highlight some of the good practice there is across the union developed and negotiated at local level;

4)

4)continue its good work in bringing to the fore that the reconciliation of work/home balance is about the development of good working practices in employment;

5)report back findings and progress to National Women’s Conference 2006.