Living and Working: Issues for Women in

Ancillary WorkPresentation by Judith Martin, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour

Critical to Care: Women and Ancillary Work in Health Care

Toronto, February 8-10, 2006

Slides intended to be accompanied by verbal presentation

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour

The overall objective of this unit is capacity building. This approach involves providing support, motivation, knowledge, and skill development to key stakeholders within the province: business, labour, community, and government, so that they can independently foster family-responsive workplaces.

The Work and Family Unit co-ordinates the Government of Saskatchewan’s activities aimed at lessening the negative personal and corporate consequences arising from employees’ inability to balance their work and family responsibilities.

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Most single parent

families in labour force

SASK: 67% of mothers of pre-school children in labour force

Ageing Population Ageing Workforce

Most families

dual-earner

Today’sSociety

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Dominance of Internet Time

Fiscal Pressure

Shortages of Skilled Staff

Work: compressed/more dense Public: High Expectations

Old Work Culture/New Expectations

New Technologies

Shorter RetentionToday’s

Workplace

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Lifelong training / learning

Home / Yard

Children

Community Activities HobbiesAgeing

Parents / Relatives

Keeping Fit

Children’s lessons/ sports

Today’sEmployee

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Individual vs. Societal approach

Fix the Employee

Fitness

Nutrition

Stress-management skills

Time management skills

Crisis counselling

Change the Structure & Culture of Workplace

Structure: where, when and how much one works

Capacity to interrupt work on a short term/long term basis (design of work; work organization)

Culture: beliefs, attitudes; values; taken for granted – assumptions embodied in management/ supervisors / co-workers

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Research + Citizen ActionPolicy

Formation

Research very useful

Voice outside and inside government needs to be broad

Relationships critical

Government is crisis-oriented

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

IssuesLack of research & popular understanding of work-family reality of ancillary employees

The home front also a big issue

Impact of speed-up on relationships with co-workers and supervisors

Managers/supervisors outsource many work-family needs

Supervisor/Manager is key

Popular work-family solutions less effective for mother-employees

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Research on more than 1220 Saskatchewan full-time employees (with partners and at least one child five years or younger) found that Saskatchewan employees with supportive supervisors, flexible work and the capacity to take paid days to care for ill children (defined as employees with a family-friendly workplace for this specific research) reported less overload and work-family interference.

However, even in this type of workplace, many mother-employees still reported ‘high overload’ (too much to do). See next slide.

Some Family-Friendly Strategies Not as Effective for Mother-Employees

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Data on these 1220 employees show that a family-friendly workplace appears to have an impact on the percentage of employees who

report high work-family conflict (overload; work to family interference)

0

1020

30

40

5060

70

80

% Mothers with HighW-F interference

% Fathers with HighW-F interference

% Mothers with highoverload

% Fathers with highoverload

Has a F-F Workplace Does not have a F-F Workplace

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Public Policy is Essential

Lower union density

Unionized employees often seen as ‘privileged’

To make privatization cost

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Some Practical Policy Priorities*

Family Responsibility Leave

Breastfeeding/pumping breaks

Pro-rated benefits for part-time workers

Employee initiated flexibility

Reduce inequities re: maternity-related leave & benefits

Family-friendly ‘hours of work’ exemption policy

Reduced length of work during some stages in life cycle

*see Saskatchewan submission to the Federal Labour Standards Review Commission, “Towards Improving Work and Family Balance – A challenge that calls for non-legislative and legislative considerations by the Federal Labour Standards Review Commission.”

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Federally funded Pan-Canadian non-legislative

programs*

Federal funding is needed to support research, partnerships, pilot projects, recognition of best practices

*see Saskatchewan submission to the Federal Labour Standards Review Commission, “Towards Improving Work and Family Balance – A challenge that calls for non-legislative and legislative considerations by the Federal Labour Standards Review Commission.”

J. Martin, Work and Family Unit, Saskatchewan Labour, 2006

Thank You