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Work / Life Balance

Work / Life Balance. A Business Issue or another HR fad? City Forum 19 September 2002 Sue Young, Innova Partnership Limited. Outline of Session. Background Research and Summary of Findings to Date Projecting Ahead…where is WLB headed Introducing an organisational diagnostic framework

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Work / Life Balance

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  1. Work / Life Balance A Business Issue or another HR fad? City Forum 19 September 2002 Sue Young, Innova Partnership Limited

  2. Outline of Session • Background • Research and Summary of Findings to Date • Projecting Ahead…where is WLB headed • Introducing an organisational diagnostic framework • Discussion

  3. Our Research Approach to Date Research based approach: • In depth interviews with sample of 20 companies - SMEs, large corporations • Professional organisations - IOD, CIPD, CBI, Industrial Society • Government bodies and research groups - DfEE; IER; DTI; Employers for Work/ life Balance; Work / Life Balance Research Centre

  4. Key Research Areas • Drivers for attention to WLB • What companies are doing • Implementation issues • Benefits and Gaps

  5. Drivers for Attention to Work / Life STRATEGIC/ PROACTIVE BUSINESS NEEDS AND ISSUES VALUES / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY COMPLIANCE STAFF WELFARE REACTIVE / PROCEDEURAL ORGANISATION NEEDS DRIVE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS DRIVE

  6. Drivers: Compliance • Maternity provision and right to return • Paternity leave • Equal employment rights for part time workers • ‘Right to request’ part time working arrangements • EU Working Time Directive

  7. Drivers: Welfare Issues • Increased number of women in workplace • Demand for increased flexibility in working patterns • Demand for extended leave options. • Value to people of benefits other than financial • No ‘one size fits all’ solutions

  8. Drivers: Business Issues • Competition to attract and retain staff • Need to improve return rates • Cost of recruitment • Shortage of skills / knowledge • Business pressures for productivity/flexibility • Technology • Globalisation - 24 hour working day

  9. Drivers: Values / Social Responsibility • Changing values of individuals • Increasing pace and complexity - reliance on greater self direction • Desire / need to engage people more • Employees as important stakeholders

  10. Range of Measures on Work / Life STRATEGIC/ PROACTIVE BUSINESS NEED LED VALUES / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LED COMPLIANCE LED STAFF WELFARE LED REACTIVE / PROCEDEURAL ORGANISATION NEEDS DRIVE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS DRIVE

  11. Measures Led by Compliance Needs Driven by legal minimum requirements. Currently: • Maternity provision and right to return • Paternity leave • Equal employment rights for part time workers • ‘Right to request’ part time working arrangements • EU Working Time Directive Looking ahead: • Further regulation / legislation

  12. Measures Led by Welfare Needs • A range of flexible working measures - time / remote working • Extended leave options for maternity / paternity • Extended work breaks - sabbaticals, study leave, career breaks • Flexible benefits packages - some tailoring for individual needs • Support for home-based working - technology, equipment • Variety of staff welfare benefits - medical, counselling, concierge services, gym • Individual counselling available • Information / support through intranet / other communication channels • Work / Life champion in HR department

  13. Measures Led by Business Need • Education for managers • Flexible working arrangement linked to business need / benefit • Work / Life measures linked clearly to business strategy • Performance measurement - Outputs rather than Inputs • Overt senior management support • Sharing / communicating ‘best practice’ cases • Greater emphasis on personal development as core to developing skills / attributes needed in business

  14. Measures Led by Values / Culture • Attention to Work / Life issues seen as integral to creation of desired corporate culture • Support for career and personal development seen as worthwhile objective in its own right • People encouraged to take part in corporate /community initiatives as part of their personal development • Developing an ‘Employer Brand’

  15. Typical Benefits Companies Experience • Improved staff return rates, retention and attraction of right skills • Improved productivity and performance • Improved morale and motivation In addition: • Improved services to customers • More attention to assessment of performance / contribution • Questioning of established work processes - more creativity • Individuals prepared to put in more in return for flexibility

  16. Issues in Making it Happen • Organisational culture - habits of hierarchy, command and control • Work / life issues not yet seen as part of normal people management practice • Covers a wide range of issues - can easily ‘fall between the cracks’ • Lack of integration with business needs / strategies • Flexible and remote working requires attention to performance measurement • Different quality of dialogue needed between individual and organisation

  17. Critical Success Factors Critical Success Factors • Work / Life policies closely linked to business objectives • Support from top • Shared responsibility business / individual • Supportive of desire for flexibility if reasonable case is made • Involvement and ownership by line management • A package of HR policies that can be tailored • Focus on outputs, rather than inputs

  18. Opportunities • Greater linkage between business values / vision and strategies on work / life • Individually tailored packages of remuneration and benefits • More effective performance measurement will aid flexibility • Culture change - move towards more involvement, empowerment, self direction • Full integration of Work / Life measures • People development

  19. Implementation Framework STRATEGIC/ PROACTIVE BUSINESS LED VALUES / SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY LED COMPLIANCE LED STAFF WELFARE LED REACTIVE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS DRIVE ORGANISATION NEEDS DRIVE

  20. Strategic Review • Work / Life issue getting too big to be ad hoc • A major policy area • Covers a wide range of business / HR policy areas • The need to benchmark

  21. The Work / Life Scorecard • To enable a company to benchmark itself against range of measures that can be taken as part of a Work / Life Strategy • HR policies and procedures • Links to Business Strategy • Role of Senior Management • Measures • Communication • Physical working environment • Development and training • Career management • Performance management

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