Communiqué April 2006
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In this issue:
Previous issues of Communiqué
Director’s diary
Making work more attractive
Against the background of the Lisbon strategy goals of increasing employment rates, the Foundation carried out a company survey on working time arrangements and work–life balance in late 2004 and early 2005. This comprehensive, pan-European survey of 21,000 workplaces set out to explore what types of working time arrangements companies put in place for their employees. At EU policy level, the priority is the need to make work more attractive, in particular for women and elderly workers, and to implement policies which make it possible to combine work with other aspects of life.
At a briefing to members of the European Parliament on 18 March, the Foundation presented the first findings of the survey. According to the findings, flexible working time arrangements are viewed as beneficial by both the employer and the employee, with more than half the workplaces in the survey reporting a higher degree of job satisfaction among workers, and a better arrangement of working hours to match the workload. About one third of the companies also reported reduction of paid overtime and lower absenteeism.
This joint positive approach to flexi-time arrangements is good news for job creation in Europe.
In the coming month, the Foundation’s Annual Report 2005 will be published. The Foundation will also share its expertise at an Austrian EU Presidency conference on social services of general interest and visit government and social partner representatives in the United Kingdom as part of its roadshow initiative.
Jorma Karppinen
Director