Getting the Balance Right for New Zealand Families

15 May: Families Day 2012

The Families Commission says Families Day provides a day to celebrate families but also to recognise the need for workers to have time with their family in between work commitments. 
 
Chief Commissioner, Carl Davidson, says this year’s theme for Families Day of ‘ensuring work family balance’ is highly relevant for all New Zealanders because everyone has a family.   Meeting family responsibilities can come into tension with the need for someone in the family to earn a living.
 
“During tough economic times, the extra pressure to perform and retain a job, means that many families experience a ‘time squeeze’ as they struggle to balance work responsibilities with family priorities,” he said.
 
“Our research ‘Finding Time’ found that the impacts on working longer hours at the workplace impacts on the quality of family life, the quality of couple’s relationships, and the quality of parenting. It also shows how, as one person in the relationship works longer hours, this overloads the other with household and childcare duties and, potentially, fatigue and health problems.
 
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 has, since July 2008, provided employees with caring responsibilities (that meet an eligibility criteria) with a statutory right to request flexible working arrangements
 
 “Employers who show a  willingness to recognise the importance of family life to their staff, gain gratitude from staff that is likely to lead to more productivity not less, greater work satisfaction and a willingness to go the extra mile when the boss needs it.
 
“My message today is to urge employers to consider whether they can be open to offering more flexible working arrangements to staff that they know are juggling work with family commitments and may be under stress.  Staff may not have the courage to ask for it in the current economic circumstances,” Carl Davidson said.
 
ENDS

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