ORGANISATIONS WOULD benefit from an improved talent pool and higher staff retention, productivity and quality of work if core business hours could be set from 10am to 3pm in order to accommodate the early starts and late finishes of workers’ demanding lifestyles
ORGANISATIONS WOULD benefit from an improved talent pool and higher staff retention, productivity and quality of work if core business hours could be set from 10am to 3pm in order to accommodate the early starts and late finishes of workers’demanding lifestyles.
So says a recent Access Economics/Australian Computer Society (ACS) policy report, which calls on employers to adopt more flexible approaches to work in the face of looming skills shortages and longer working hours.
The report also recommends that employers support teleworking, where appropriate, for up to two days per week and encourages job sharing, part-time work and the implementation of parental leave arrangements.
“A simple definition of ‘work/life balance’ is achieving a better balance between the requirements of employees and achievement of organisational goals,” said ACS national president Edward Mandla.
Challenges women face with young families are also an issue for men in the workforce, and he said the policy report’s recommendations are designed to address the needs of employees of many different ages and stages of their working career.
“The IT sector has been at the leading edge of the technology revolution in the workplace, and at the forefront of innovative working environments,” he said.
“But the experience of our industry highlights the importance of balanced attitudes – and not just the right technology – to create happy and productive employees.”
The report also calls on the Federal Government to use part of the current identified budget surplus to support options allowing workers access to paid parental leave.
It recommends the Government provide favourable tax arrangements to encourage employees to salary sacrifice a portion of income that can be used to fund parental leave, or alternatively introduce arrangements to allow employees who invest more in superannuation to be able to draw down on this investment (at a favourable tax rate) prior to the current retirement age to fund parental leave.
The report also urges the Government to provide tax deductions for child care arrangements for working parents and to remove the FBT on gym and other recreational club memberships funded by employers or salary sacrificed by employees.
