Employers for Worklife Balance



	Books and Articles Absenteeism Family Friendly Flexible Working Organisational Culture Recruitment & Retention Women Returners Workplace Stress Work-Life Balance Absenteeism Employee Absence: a survey of management policy & practice Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development, 2000 Results of the CIPD's second large scale survey of sickness absence policy and practice undertaken by CIPD in February 2001. Found that the average level of sickness absence is 8.7 working days per employee. The survey gives the level of absence by sector, workforce size and causes of absence. Available from: The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Pulling Together: 2001 absence and labour turnover survey CBI, 2001 Absence levels in the UK have been falling for the last decade and are among the lowest in Europe but the cost to business is still £10bn a year. A survey of absence rates for 2000, providing figures for absence and explanations and employers' views on the causes of absence: absenteeism cost £10billion to UK business as a whole in 2000 Minor illness, home/family responsibilities, workplace stress and personal problems are significant causes of absence. Available from: Confederation of British Industry Family Friendly Family-Friendly Employment: The Business Case Institute for Employment Studies, Research Report No 136, 1999. Examination of family friendly practices to identify their aims, costs, implementation and effects and outline business benefits to obtained by organisations. Also provides practical examples of how SMEs have successfully implemented family-friendly working practices. Available from: Grantham Book Services Family Business Demos, 2000 A recent Demos report that contains contributions from an international range of individuals and that discusses the emerging work-life agenda, assessment of recent policy initiatives and offers practical solutions for the future. Available from: Demos Families and the Labour Market: trends, pressures and policies Family Policy Studies Centre, 1999 Published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, this report examines the stress imposed on family life by the changing nature of work and the working lives of families and how policy makers and researchers have addressed this stress. Available from: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Time Out: the costs and benefits of paid parental leave H Wilkinson, 1997. A detailed study of parental leave in the United Kingdom drawing on a MORI survey of public attitudes to parental leave and a parallel survey of 300 employees. Also includes an extensive analysis of parental leave schemes around the world and detailed cost analysis of a range of parental leave options. Available: from Demos Flexible Working Flexible working and male professionals "Can't change, won't change"? The Industrial Society & The Resource Connection, 2000. A contradiction exists between the hostile perceptions of male professionals to certain aspects of flexible work and their belief that long hours do not improve the effectiveness of their organisation. 82% of respondents believed that their company culture is not conducive to flexible working. Available from: The Industrial Society Balanced Lives: Changing work patterns for men New Ways to Work Draws on the views and experiences of over 100 men who are working reduced and flexible hours, taking career breaks and working from home. Includes 17 case studies which provide many positive role models. Available from: New Ways to Work Successful flexible working in a week Cathy Smith, Fiona McWilliams ISBN: 0 340 71189 2 £7.70 Links the varied experiences of many individuals with current and emerging best practice from organisations and explores a wide range of flexible working arrangements and their impact on individuals and organisations. Available from: Institute of Management Bookshop Time for Change: A guide to flexible work patterns for small and medium sized enterprises New Ways to Work Describes a range of flexible working arrangements which employers have adopted to help employees balance their work and home lives, illustrated by examples and case studies from small and medium-sized enterprises. The case studies illustrate different approaches that companies have taken, linked to their business and staffing needs. Available from: New Ways to Work Organisational Culture Enabling Balance: The Importance of Organisational Culture Roffey Park Management Institute, 1999 Report finds that there is a real need for organisations to address the cultures into which family friendly policies are introduced and suggests areas of action and the business case to drive change. Available from: Roffey Park Management Institute Breaking the long hours culture Institute for Employment Studies, 1998 Employees in the United Kingdom work the longest hours in Europe. This report discusses the reasons for long hours culture and provides information, case studies and suggestions for action to help break the culture of working long hours. Available from: Institute for Employment Studies International Workforce Management Study: Capitalising on the Workplace Revolution Gemini Consulting, 1998 A worldwide survey of workers reports that the ability to balance the needs of work and family or personal life was the most or second most important attribute in a job. Towards Culture Change - Best Practice 1999 Opportunity Now, 1999 Booklet designed to demonstrate how companies in the United Kingdom are progressing towards changing the culture of their workforces. Available from Opportunity Now The Work-Family Challenge(Rethinking Employment) Suzan Lewis, September 1996. This study discusses how to achieve the culture change in organisations which meets the needs of the contemporary workforce as well as the rapidly changing needs of organisations. Available from: Institute for Employment Studies Job insecurity and work intensification: Flexibility and the changing boundaries of work Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 1999 The survey found that employees reported both an extension of working hours and an intensification of their work. Core employees, the report concludes, are shouldering the burden and the pressures of the introduction of new patterns of work and reduction of (full-time permanent) staff. People feel overworked, under constant pressure, and inadequately rewarded for their increased efforts. Available from: Joseph Rowntree Foundation Recruitment & Retention Managing Generation X: How to Bring Out the Best in Young Talent Tulgan, Bruce, 1996. The post-war "Baby Boomers" who dominated the workplace of the 1980s and 1990s are not buying into the conventional work ethic and will seek employers who offer them flexibility and room to grow. Should I Stay or Should I go? David Guest and Jane Sturges, 1999 Organisational issues that impact on the retention of graduate recruits include responding to their need to balance work life with home life. This is one of the findings of research conducted for the Association of Graduate Recruiters that highlights issues which affect the decision of graduates to stay with or leave their employer. Available from: Association of Graduate Recruiters Women Returners Attracting and Retaining Women Returners Institute of Management An introduction in checklist form for organisations seeking to develop best practice in attracting and retaining women returners. Available from: Institute of Management Ending the Mother War: Starting the Workplace Revolution Jayne Buxton, August 1999 The conclusion that a fundamental restructuring of the workplace is needed to negate the need of working women to "cope or juggle more effectively". It argues that coping strategies like better childcare or more new men are no comfort unless there is real change in the culture of work. Benchmarking Report and Index Spring 1998 Opportunity Now, 1998 Report of the findings of the first ever benchmarking exercise with member employers, highlighting the policies and practices organisations have in place to develop women's employment opportunities. Available from: Opportunity Now Workplace Stress Taking the Strain Institute of Management/PPP healthcare, 2000 This study has looked at workplace issues that contribute to managerial stress levels and has found that stress levels reported seven years ago and considered unsustainable at that time have not improved. Four in ten managers always work in excess of their contracted hours. Over four in ten managers are unhappy about their workplace culture even though they are happy with their jobs. 65% of managers estimate that their workloads and responsibilities have increase and 42% feel unable to cope. Available from: Institute of Management Employee Counselling Services, Incomes Data Services, 1999 Provides case study information about implementing an EAP and a detailed list of providers and their services Available from: Incomes Data Services Stress: Big Issue, but what are the problems? IES Report31, 1997. This report investigates whether the increase in reports of stress reflect increased experience of stress, or increased awareness of stress as a concept that can explain features of our everyday life. Available from: Institute for Employment Studies Burnt Out or Burning Bright? The Effect of Stress in the Workplace The Mental Health Foundation, 2001 The first stage of a consultation process with the private sector outlining definitions of workplace stress, organisations concerned with workplace stress and synopses of the different issues for different industry sectors. Available from: The Mental Health Foundation Work-Life Balance Quality of Life in the City: A Report on Work-Life Balance in the City of London Parents at Work, 2001. Sponsored by Goldman Sachs and Simmons & Simmons amongst others, the main aim of this research was to establish whether maintaining personal work-life balance is an issue for City workers and where this is true, to identify the key barriers to better balance and possible solutions. Available from: Parents at Work Managing Work and Family: Nonstandard Work Arrangements Among Managers and Professionals Economic Policy Institute, 1997 Based on the responses of 1,500 production workers at 19 plants, this study found that work-life programmes have a positive impact on workers' perceptions of their families which in turn increase the organisational commitment of workers, reduces their stress on the job and reduces the extent to which stress on the job spills into their home lives. Available from: Economic Policy Institute The Work-Life Manual The Industrial Society, 1999 Developed from a comprehensive review of existing literature and a series of consultations with experienced human resource practitioners and organisations, including members of Employers for Work-Life Balance. It is a practical tool for employers both large and small, offering a step-by-step approach to implementing a work-life strategy. Available from the Industrial Society Work-Life Balance: Whose Move is it Next? Ceridian Performance Partners/Management Today, 2001. The latest annual survey shows that 57 percent of all UK managers believe that government initiatives to improve the balance are failing; 70 percent believe that employers should be responsible for the work/life balance; and 33 percent believe this should be up to the individual. Available from: Ceridian Performance Partners Benefiting from a Balanced Life CIPD, 1999 A survey of 2,000 people management professionals looking at the range of benefits to assist staff in their work/life balance. Available from The CIPD Work-Life Balance: Careers and The Psychological Contract Roffey Park, 2000. This research suggests that work-life balance is an issue that appears to be exerting a growing influence on employee career decisions. Available from: Roffey Park Management Institute Breakpoint/Breakthrough: Work-Life Strategies for the 21st Century National Work-Life Forum, 2000 The second report from the National Work-Life Forum describes the work of the Forum and its 70 stakeholder partners across private, public, education and community sectors. It focuses on strategies for changing organisational culture and includes case studies, key learning points and challenges for government, employers, trade unions, individuals and community organisations. It emphasises the importance of leadership, learning and integrating work-life issues with other policy and organisational priorities. Available from the Industrial Society How to implement work-life balance policies: a practical guide for employers A manual to help employes create a work environment that acknowledges and is supportive of the personal responsibilities of their employees. Available from WRN

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