Getting the Balance Right for New Zealand Families
15 May: Families Day 2012
The Families Commission says Families Day provides a day to celebrate families but also to recognise the need for
workers to have time with their family in between work commitments.
Chief Commissioner, Carl Davidson, says this year’s theme for Families Day of ‘ensuring work family balance’ is highly
relevant for all New Zealanders because everyone has a family. Meeting family responsibilities can come into tension with the need for someone in the family to earn a
living.
“During tough economic times, the extra pressure to perform and retain a job, means that many families experience a
‘time squeeze’ as they struggle to balance work responsibilities with family priorities,” he said.
“Our research ‘Finding Time’ found that the impacts on working longer hours at the workplace impacts on the quality of
family life, the quality of couple’s relationships, and the quality of parenting. It also shows how, as one person in
the relationship works longer hours, this overloads the other with household and childcare duties and, potentially,
fatigue and health problems.
The Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 has, since July 2008, provided employees
with caring responsibilities (that meet an eligibility criteria) with a statutory right to request flexible working
arrangements
“Employers who show a willingness to recognise the importance of family life to their staff, gain gratitude from staff
that is likely to lead to more productivity not less, greater work satisfaction and a willingness to go the extra mile
when the boss needs it.
“My message today is to urge employers to consider whether they can be open to offering more flexible working
arrangements to staff that they know are juggling work with family commitments and may be under stress. Staff may not
have the courage to ask for it in the current economic circumstances,” Carl Davidson said.
ENDS