Work Life Balance

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work life balance20:20 Series | A Hudson initiative to help businesses compete and succeed in the future The Case for Work/Life Balance: Closing the Gap Between Policy and Practice Table of Contents 1: Introduction 2: What is ‘Work/Life Balance’? 3: Public and Organisational Policy 4: An Imperative for Business 5: The Gap Between Policy and Practice 6: How Does Your Organisation Stand Up? 7: Recommendations Appendices Appendix 1: Diagnostic Quiz Appendix 2: Notes Appendix 3: References 2 3 6 9 15 20 23 26 28 30 1: Introduction Australian and New Zealand organisations are increasingly considering the benefits of ensuring their employees achieve ‘work/life balance’. The subject of how work/life balance can be achieved and enhanced has received significant attention from employers, workers, politicians, academics and the media. The concept, dubbed a ‘barbecue-stopper’ by Australian Prime Minister John Howard, has been described as the “biggest policy issue we have”.1 In an election year in New Zealand, the Labour Government similarly acknowledges that “work/life balance and having enough time for family is fundamental to the New Zealand way of life”.2 However, it is in the context of both Australia’s and New Zealand’s current skill shortages and the prospect of an ageing workforce that it is now imperative for organisations to embrace work/life balance practices to attract and retain talent, not only from traditional sources but also from untapped and diverse social groups. These are social groups whose lifestyles can often demand greater attention to work/life balance: working mothers, mature workers and some minority groups. For future commercial sustainability, organisations need to ensure they not just encourage but mandate a practical and workable work/life balance policy, benefiting and meeting the needs of both the organisation and its

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