National Work-Life Balance Awards announced - Julia Gillard

Monday, 15 March 2010 16:38

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Julia Gillard, and the Special Adviser on Work and Family Balance and Pay Equity, Senator Jacinta Collins, today congratulated the winners, special commendation recipients and finalists of the 2009–10 National Work–Life Balance Awards.

The Awards recognise businesses and government and community organisations that are leading the way in delivering policies, practices and initiatives that help people balance their work and family commitments.

As promised at the last election, the Rudd Government has delivered a new fair and balanced workplace relations system for a modern Australian economy.

Part of this is a commitment to make Australian workplaces more flexible and family friendly, and through that, more productive.

The Awards, announced at Old Parliament House in Canberra, recognise family friendly practices like flexible working hours, options for working from home, paid parental leave, job sharing, onsite carer’s facilities and study assistance.

This initiative is one of the measures under the Government’s Fresh Ideas for Work and Family policy commitment.

Research shows that flexible working arrangements help businesses retain valuable staff, minimise turnover costs and boost productivity, staff morale and customer satisfaction.

The new Fair Work system provides a range of entitlements to help balance work and family life, including:

• 12 months unpaid parental leave guaranteed under the 10 National Employment Standards; and
• the right to request flexible working arrangements such as an additional 12 months unpaid parental leave and returning to work part-time.

Unlike Work Choices’ AWAs which allowed basic pay and conditions be ripped away under the guise of ‘flexibility’, individual flexibility arrangements must not disadvantage an employee.

Further assistance for small businesses to implement family-friendly work practices is available through grants of up to $15 000 under the Fresh Ideas for Work and Family program.

This year’s National Work–Life Balance Awards winners were selected by a Judging Panel that included representatives from Diversity Council Australia, the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the  Centre for Work + Life (University of South Australia).

For more details and pictures of the winners and finalists, visit http://www.deewr.gov.au/worklife.

2009–10 winners:

Probuild Constructions (Aust) Pty Ltd (VIC) (National Winner) 
Minter Ellison Perth (WA)
Playgroup Association of Queensland Inc. (QLD)
Norwest Child Care Centre Pty Ltd (NSW)
Landgate (WA)
Take A Break Away Pty Ltd (ACT)

Special Commendations:

Disability Attendant Support Service Inc. (DASSI) (VIC)
Transport Accident Commission (VIC)
Woodside Energy Ltd (WA)
The Wrigley Company (NSW)
SageCo Pty Ltd (NSW)