Arthur Morgan (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 414: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work undertaken by the National Framework Committee for Work-Life Balance in 2007; and the way the group has supported and facilitated the development of family friendly policies in the workplace. [3517/08]

Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

That National Framework Committee for Work-Life Balance, which has its origins in Social Partnership, comprises representatives from IBEC, ICTU, the Equality Authority and various Government Departments and is chaired by my Department. During 2007 it continued its remit as set out in Towards 2016 and the Programme for Government where it is charged with supporting and facilitating the development of family friendly policies aimed at assisting in the reconciliation of work and family life at the level of the enterprise. The Committee had a budget of €278,000 in 2007, of which just under €220,000 was spent.

Work Life Balance Day, an annual initiative first developed by the Committee in 2001, fell on March 1st. In the lead up to the day the Committee ran a national media campaign in press and radio to raise awareness of the whole issue of work life balance with employers and employees alike. It also distributed posters and leaflets to over 15,000 employers/organisations all across Ireland for use in the work place. A seminar was hosted by the Committee on the day when the then Minister for Labour Affairs formally launched the booklet A Planned and Systematic Approach to Work Life Balance, which was developed by the Committee to assist employers to successfully introduce or enhance work life balance arrangements in the workplace.

In 2007, the Committee also established a Panel of Consultants to assist employers in the development of that planned and systematic approach to work life balance at enterprise level. Under the scheme an experienced consultant can be made available to work with small to medium sized enterprises in developing and implementing work life balance policies and arrangements. For successful applicants to the scheme, the Committee will fund up to a maximum of 5 days consultancy. I formally launched the initiative in November, 2007.

The Committee continued to host and update the website www.worklifebalance.ie. The Committee secretariat also dealt with a wide range of queries from employers and employees — these queries varied between phone, letter and via the work life balance website.

In 2007, the Committee also began planning for Work Life Balance Day 2008, which falls on Friday February 29th.