29th October, 2009
All the latest stories from the world of work
45 per cent of new fathers do not take paternity leave according to new research from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Men who took part in the study claimed they did not take up the entitlement because they could not afford to.
Despite men saying they would like to spend more time with their children, few are achieving the work life balance they would like. The research by the EHRC surveyed 4,500 men with children under the age of 16.
The report also found that men were reluctant to request flexible working. Two in five men fear that requesting flexible working arrangements will damage their career prospects or chances of promotion.
Andrea Murray of the EHRC said: “It is clear that today’s families require a modern approach to balancing work and childcare commitments. Fathers are telling us they are not spending enough time with their families and want to take a more active role in shaping the lives of their children.
“Two-thirds of fathers see flexible working as an important benefit when looking for a new job. This highlights an opportunity for British businesses to use flexible working as an incentive for attracting and retaining the most talented of employees. Some companies which have adopted forward thinking policies towards families are reporting increased productivity, reduction in staff turnover, reduced training costs and an ability to respond better to customer requirements.”
The report – Working better- Fathers, family and work can be downloaded at
http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/uploaded_files/research/fathers_family_and_work.pdf
Workers at the drinks manufacturer’s Scottish plants are due to be balloted on whether to take industrial action to fight the proposed closures and consequent job losses.
Diageo are planning to close their Johnnie Walker bottling plant at Kilmarnock and the Port Dundas grain distillery at Glasgow, resulting in the loss of approximately 900 jobs.
Last month the Scottish government put forward a set of proposals outlining the business case for keeping the plants open, but Diageo said they were not commercially viable.
The ballot is due to run until 30th October.
Small business and local partnerships will be able to bid for money to fund innovative projects to improve the health and wellbeing of their workforce.
The 4 million pound Health Work and Wellbeing Challenge Fund was launched by work and pensions minister Lord McKenzie, and will run until March 2011. It will aim to support projects that reduce stress and improve other mental health conditions, provide healthy activities, ensure work-life balance and encourage supportive management.
In the 12 months to 30 June 2009, the average level of sickness absence was 8.5 days per staff year.
