A project of the European Training Network (ETN) as part of a programme set up between the EU-Directorate General for Employment, Social Affairs and Equality and ARBEIT UND LEBEN, CESEP (Belgium) and Leo Lagrange (France).

Even if many organisations, associations and federations in civil society, as well as companies and State bodies, welcome equal opportunity initiatives and strategies, their implementation tends to remain half-hearted. The reasons for this are diverse. They range from the lack of readiness of management and employee representatives to specifically promote the work-life balance for men to the protection of privileges and of firmly anchored allocations to completely reasonable fears about the loss of promotion opportunities and incomes.

That is why the focus is on the development, testing and dissemination of a tool to promote balance in all areas of life through the GENDER CHECK awareness raising and training questionnaire. After the current pre-test-phase, the questionnaire should be made available electronically.

Target groups: Employee representatives, Personnel department staff and managers in organisations, associations and federations of civil society as well as private and public companies and firms

We would first of all like to ask you about your personal experience of reconciling working life and private life. We will do our best to do so without being indiscreet or interfering in your private life. In a way this balance marks the limit between the public and private spheres, and that is exactly where the differences lie between men and women!

We will not make in comments in this part of the "Questionnaire". Your answers are yours and it is not up to us to judge them. The aim is simply to take stock of your specific day to day organisation and, if applicable, the way in which you distribute the responsibilities. Even if you live alone and have no children, there are still many life areas that need to be reconciled!

If you have children (take children to school, look after them, help them with homework, drive them to extracurricular activities, put them to bed, etc.):

My spouse/partner looks after the children.
We take care of the children alternately.
I use childcare facilities (childminder, crèche, nursery, babysitter, domestic staff).
I have found a family member (sisters/brothers, grandparents.).
Other

4. Do you believe that solutions to balance working life and private life are to be found essentially

in individual arrangements made by the employee, both women and men, according to their personal decisions and their circumstances?
in an explicit “policy” operated by the organisation (e.g. in the form of models, internal agreement, etc.)?
Don’t know.

Comment on question 4.:
If answer 1:
It is true that employees often have no other choice but to bow to the constraints of the company. However these arrangements, which need to be renegotiated each time are time consuming and can also be quite a burden – and, most of the time, women are the ones that have to cope with these arrangements in order to fetch a child, to care for an infirm older person. That is not necessarily the best solution! As you continue the GENDER CHECK you may change your mind.

If answer 2, or 3:
The GENDER CHECK is a tool that will allow you to develop or negotiate a “time policy” that applies to both women and men. In this questionnaire, you will find ideas and tips that will help you along and, at the end, a complete diagnosis tool (the CESEP questionnaire – working title).

The situation in your organisation

Let us begin by taking a look at the current “as is” situation in your organisation, independently of whether you are a member of the works council or personnel committee, are a shop steward, a member of management or an employee without a particular function.

Is there a gender report in your organisation (containing an analysis, for example, of the male/female ratio on the various hierarchical levels, of working time organisation from a gender point of view, of wage differences, of models or resource management)? Yes - No - Don't know

if yes, have you already taken a look at it?
Yes No

Comment
Evaluation of the first two questions:
If answer = NO to the two questions 1 and 2: Today, in France the equal opportunity law makes it compulsory on all employers to present a different social corporate responsibility report for each gender. In Germany, this is governed for the public service by the equal opportunity laws of the Federation and the individual Länder. In the case of private employers, this is still based on the principle of voluntarism.
If answer = YES to both questions + YES to question 3: Comment = Great, let’s continue.
If one YES and one NO: Well, it’s a start. And naturally you also know that in France the equal opportunity law makes it compulsory on all employers to present a different social corporate responsibility report for each gender. In Germany, this is governed for the public service by the equal opportunity laws of the Federation and the individual Länder. In the case of private employers, this is still based on the principle of voluntarism.

Comment
If answer 1: That is exactly the situation throughout Europe. According to the equality report of the Commission, an average 31% of all management executives are female. In Germany, this figure stands at 28%.
If answer 2: You are in rather an unusual situation. In fact, generally speaking, only few women are represented in the decision-making committees.
If answer 3: Great! That is not generally the case. In fact, generally speaking, only very few women are represented in the decision-making committees.

Is your organisation working on measures to facilitate the work-life balance of its employees?
No support is given to the issue of work-life balance.
The work-life balance of female employees is facilitated.
The organisation gives due consideration to the issue of work-life balance and the policy is applicable to both male and female employees.
Don’t know.

Comment

If answer 1: Fortunately, there is now a string of exemplary measures that make it possible to facilitate reconciliation: INFORMATION!!! These could, we hope, serve as incentives to put your organisation on the right track.
If answer 2: Without a doubt, this can facilitate the balance. However, for the sake of equality and to encourage their increased involvement in everyday tasks, more attention should be granted to men.

If answer 3: Further down in the questionnaire, we will deal with concrete implementation.

If answer 4: And yet, there is now a string of exemplary measures that make it possible to facilitate reconciliation: INFORMATION!!! These could, we hope, serve as incentives to put your organisation on the right track.

Law, regulations, agreements and implementation

You have just gained an insight into the foundations of a reconciliation policy. We now want to deal with the issue of laws, rules and agreements.

A whole arsenal of measures allows a better time organisation for work-life balance. Do you feel that you are well informed about

Parental leave? Yes No
Leave to look after an ill child? Yes No
Leave for palliative care/for medical care? Yes No
Training and qualification Yes No
Leave rules for honorary posts Yes No

Comment
If 3 to 4 : YES/Did you also know that to get the most of parental leave in Germany, you need the participation of both genders?
If 1 to 2 YES: You still have gaps in your information. Read up on your rights if you want a better work-life balance!
If 0 YES: It’s about time you found out about them!

2. Are issues of work-life balance covered in the wage agreements by the responsible trade union(s) or in works agreements?

I am not aware of any wage agreement or an internal agreement on that topic.
I am not familiar enough with the contents of these wage agreements or internal agreements.
There are wage agreements/internal agreements, but which are not applied in practice.

Comment
In your organisation, is it true that the question of work-life balance tends to be settled by individual arrangements? However this solution, which is improvised time and time again is time consuming and a burden and, most of the time, women are the ones that have to cope with these arrangements. Contracts and agreements have the advantage of defining a framework for demands and of thus facilitating balance.

3. How are the employees informed by management, the personnel department or the Works Council/Personnel Committee about the promotion of work-life balance (law, regulations, wage agreements)?

No information is given about these possibilities.
The information changes on a case to case basis.
The information is disseminated at request.
A regular information channel has been set up. The relevant documents are drawn up in such a way that they are targeted at both men and women.

Comment
on 1 to 3: The situation is unsatisfactory! You should look into the communication possibilities on this topic. There are several options, for example, Newsletters, Intranet, blackboards, works and department meetings, but also personal discussion. The aim should be to provide all employees – both men and women - with regular and comprehensive information.

on 4: Great, let’s move on

4 How are the measures that are laid down in laws, in wage agreements or works agreements exploited (various forms of leave, organisation of working time, etc.)?

The possibilities are not or insufficiently exploited.
The possibilities are exploited, mainly by women.
The possibilities are exploited, mainly by men.
The possibilities are exploited, by men and women alike.

Comment
on 2: The situation in your organisation reflects the situation in Europe. Part time work and parental leave are exploited less by men. For women that make use of these instruments, this often has negative consequences on their position in the company and their financial independence.

on 3: That is extremely rare as far as European practice is concerned.

on 4. Great, let’s continue

Work and time organisation

We have reached the last but one section of the Questionnaire! Congratulations on making it this far! Now we will ask you questions about work organisation and working time. In order to facilitate work-life balance, we need to tackle work organisation and working time and give active and targeted consideration to new methods and instruments.

As regards work and time organisation in your company:

There are no particular models that promote balance.
The needs of the employees for better balance are taken into consideration above all when planning holiday leave.
There are work and time organisation models (for example flexible working time, job sharing, home work), that set out to make balance easier.

Comment

on 1: The issues of work and time organisation have a key role in facilitating balance. But are we right in saying that there are already various work and time organisations in your company that do not take into account concerns about work-life balance?

on 2: We believe this to be very important – we recommend however that further facilitation possibilities be examined.

on 3: All the critical interests as regards these measures that target work-life balance should be weighed up by the organisation and employees.

How are the models in force in your organisation implemented and evaluated?

They are introduced individually and can lead to the isolation of the employee in question.
The models introduced serve above all the interests of the organisation without affecting the needs and demands of the employees.
The models lead to a splintering of everyday procedures and to irregular working times that are a burden on the employees.
The models are planned and developed in agreement with the employees. They allow a satisfactory balance between working life and private life.
Don’t know.

It concerns women more than men.
It is a targeted decision of the employees, which allows them to combine working life and private life.
It serves the interests of the organisation or the securing of jobs and must be accepted by the employees.
Part time employees are treated equally in terms of education and training, promotion, working time adjustment.

Comment
It is a fact that more women work part time than men. They have to put up more often with career breaks and precarious working conditions. In certain fields and professions (retail, cashiers, cleaning personnel), explicit part time posts are offered to women. They often force women to juggle several jobs.

F- Perspectives

We are nearing the finishing line of our Questionnaire! We hope that you have learnt a hoard of facts on the theme of work-life balance from a European perspective. To see the development of an appropriate organisation culture, we consider the personnel policy to be central, as are specific, future-looking measures that support and promote this balance

Which measures do you consider to be useful in order to allow a better balance? (several answers are possible)
Adjust working times and meeting times (meeting charter).

Find alternatives to part time work for men/women.
Do away with atypical or shifts in working times (late evening, early morning, Saturdays, nights).
Set up a crèche in the firm or develop care facilities close to the home.
Part time to adjust to school closing times and the school holidays.
Free organisation of working time through the setting up of working time accounts.
Organise a company mobility plan: adjust the timetable and frequency of local transport, avoid rush hours, consider school or crèche times.
Carry out Job sharing (Partner-part time).
Offer service checks or caretaking services through the company (private services offered in the company).
Encourage men and fathers to take an active part in the equality initiatives through personnel policy measures.

The situation in your organisation

if yes, have you already taken a look at it? Yes No

Law, regulations, agreements and implementation

Work and time organisation

F- Perspectives

if yes, have you already taken a look at it?
Yes No