Work-life standards set by National Work-Life Balance award winners
The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, and the Special Adviser on Work and Family Balance and Pay Equity, Senator Jacinta Collins, this week congratulated the winners, special commendation recipients and finalists of the 2009-10 National Work-Life Balance Awards. The Awards recognise businesses and government and community organisations that are leading the way in delivering policies, practices and initiatives that help people balance their work, life and family commitments.
The Awards, announced at a special ceremony held in Canberra, recognise family-friendly practices like flexible working hours, options for working from home, paid parental leave, job sharing, on-site carer's facilities and study assistance.
Nareen Young, DCA's CEO and Chair of the judging panel for the Awards says the winners are outstanding examples of workplaces where flexibility is highly valued:
"National winner Probuild Constructions operates in an industry where complex construction projects need to be delivered safely, on time and within budget. The company sees its Work and Life Balance Programme as a key to its success.
"Educated employers understand that flexible working arrangements help them retain valuable staff, minimise turnover costs and boost productivity, staff morale and customer satisfaction. The challenge is to make flexibility work in a way that optimises productivity and takes advantage of Australia's diverse talent.
"Probuild also has a wonderful company motto that states 'It's okay to talk about work-life balance'. Australia needs more workplaces that recognise the everyday reality of people's lives and how these realities can enhance and contribute to their lives at work," says Nareen.
2009-10 winnersProbuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd (VIC) (National Winner)
Minter Ellison Perth (WA)
Playgroup Association of Queensland Inc. (QLD)
Norwest Child Care Centre Pty Ltd (NSW)
Landgate (WA)
Take A Break Away Pty Ltd (ACT)
Special commendationsDisability Attendant Support Service Inc. (DASSI) (VIC)
Transport Accident Commission (VIC)
Woodside Energy Ltd (WA)
The Wrigley Company (NSW)
SageCo Pty Ltd (NSW)
This year's National Work-Life Balance Awards winners were selected by a Judging Panel that included DCA's CEO Nareen Young and representatives from the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Centre for Work + Life (University of South Australia).
For more details of the winners and finalists, visit
http://www.deewr.gov.au/worklife.
DCA's work-life & diversity researchDCA is conducting a national survey of employees designed to measure work-life balance and other diversity demographics such as employment conditions, employee engagement and well-being, productivity and workforce capacity. Called
Working for the Future, the survey has been developed in partnership with international experts in the field including the U.S. Families and Work Institute. For more information on the research click
here.