A consortium of universities, led by Professor Suzan
Lewis (Department of Leadership, Work and Organisations) and Dr Nicky Payne
(Department of Psychology) at Middlesex, along with the charity Working
Families, are addressing one of the current challenges of the workplace through
a series of ESRC funded seminars, ‘Work Life Balance in the Recession and
Beyond’. The series examines the work-life balance challenges for employees,
employers and policy-makers posed by economic recession and austerity measures.
The first of seven events was hosted at Middlesex on
Friday 17th January and was attended by academics from across Europe, as well
as representatives from policy-makers such as the International Labour
Organization, the Department for Work and Pensions, the Local Government Association
and ACAS, and representatives from industry leaders such as Ford and Barclays.
The seminar focused on the impact of economic pressures
on work-life balance policies, practices and discourse, and the implications
for individuals, families, organisations, policy-makers and the wider
community. Professor Lewis opened proceedings with a forth-coming paper,
co-authored with Dr Payne and colleagues, entitled ‘Public sector austerity
cuts and the work-life balance agenda: under threat or a burning platform for
change?’
Discussions focused on key issues faced by those present.
Issues raised included the advantages of and limitations to organizational
work-life balance practices under austerity, the provision of the right to
request flexible working and upcoming changes to legislation; the impact on
work life balance of unpaid care for children and elderly relatives provided by
parents and grandparents; individualism and collectivism in formulating and
implementing work-life balance policies and practices at both government and
workplace levels; and the variety of policies and practices across countries
and across different workplaces and different types of workers and work. Future
seminars will focus more specifically on how issues and dilemmas may be taken
forward and addressed.
Presentations and findings from each seminar and details
of forthcoming seminars will be disseminated on the website www.esrc-work-life-seminars.org
. For further information or if you are interested in attending future seminars
please visit the website or contact Professor Lewis and Dr Payne at worklifeseminars@mdx.ac.uk .
The next seminar 'Work-life balance (WLB), fairness and
social justice during recession and austerity' is on April 11th 2014 at the
University of Manchester.
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