Communiqué, issue 6, 2004
Special Foundation Forum 2004
- Time to re-think work-life balance: Second Foundation Forum debates key issues
- Do we need to work longer hours?
- Time and flexibility
- Investing in work-life balance – a win-win situation?
- Work and care - payback for the elderly or investment in a new generation?
- Keynote round-up
- An economy or a society: where do we live and work?
Articles
- Focusing firmly on the year ahead
- Foundation forges closer ties with the EP
- Disability and social exclusion: Reversing the trend
- Europe ‘not losing jobs’ due to outsourcing of ICT services
Previous issues of Communiqué
Margit Wallstén, Director of STRATEMA, with Jeannine Rupp, Director of Personal and Professional Life Integration, and Lord Bill Brett, ILO.
A number of interesting questions were raised on the second day of the Foundation Forum, in a discussion chaired by journalist and broadcaster John Bowman.
Director of the ILO London office, Lord Brett, acknowledged the difficulties of balancing career and family life, citing his own personal experience; however he also asked the question whether politicians and others participating in the work-life debate were being realistic enough about the issue.
‘This is a privileged discussion in a privileged part of the world by privileged people,’ he said.
Also taking part in the discussion was Director of an American law firm, Jeannine Rupp, who questioned the policy-oriented nature of many of the discussions, adding that ‘although policies provide a wonderful framework, they won’t be implemented, unless society supports the notion that there should be a sensible work-life balance, at both a societal and organisational level.’
Supporting her point, Lord Brett said that one of the most practical things that governments can do to improve life-balance is to provide affordable childcare.
He also exhorted the audience to escape the mindset that says people have one employer or type of job for most of their lives.