Living and Working: Issues for Women in Ancillary Work
description
Transcript of Living and Working: Issues for Women in Ancillary Work
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