Changing Times News * Number 95 * 30 May 2008

Changing Times News is the TUC's fortnightly online bulletin on work-life balance issues. Visit the website at http://www.tuc.org.uk/changingtimes

Edited by Rory O'Neill of Hazards magazine. Comments to Jo Morris. To unsubscribe or subscribe to this bulletin, click here. Past issues are available

CONTENTS

Union news: Greater flexibility makes economic sense * Equality reps are a union priority * Usdaw campaign spotlight on carers * Lecturers are stressed and insecure

Other news: Flexible working to be extended * Broad welcome for flexible work plans * Agency workers to get equal rights * Mums need good work * Women opting to be their own boss * Bosses refuse home work requests * News in brief

Events: Getting on top of long hours seminar, London, 5 June * Equality law conference, London, 9 June

Resources: Social dialogue improves working conditions

International news: Australia: Paid maternity leave 'could save millions' * Europe: Campaign challenges corporate abuses * Japan: Toyota acts on deadly overwork * USA: Lagging behind on flexible work * Global round-up

UNION NEWS

Greater flexibility makes economic sense

The current economic downturn should be a catalyst for more flexible working, rather than an excuse to retreat from innovative working practices, the TUC has said. Speaking at the annual Work Wise UK summit on 21 May, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said despite impressive progress in the availability of flexible working in recent years, there are worrying signs that long hours are enjoying a 'cultural renaissance', along with unpaid overtime and wasteful commuting time. Recent TUC reports on work-life balance have found that in the last year alone, the ten-year decline in long hours working has stalled and then started to rise again, with 175,000 more people working more than 48 hours per week in 2007, compared to 2006. The number of employees who commute for more than an hour a day has increased by 40 per cent in the last decade. TUC's Brendan Barber told the conference: 'Real progress has been made in persuading more employers to offer innovative flexible working practices. Those employers that take the plunge report back benefits to their business, including improved productivity, reduced costs, and better staff recruitment, retention and motivation. What a shame then that all we ever seem to hear from the business lobby is continued negativity towards flexible working.' He added that in the current economic uncertainty 'the need for increased productivity is greater than ever, which makes this the perfect time for companies to introduce smarter working practices. Those employers who are keen to make flexible working work for their business and staff will find willing accomplices in trade unions.'

TUC news release. Work Wise UK news release.

Equality reps are a union priority

Unions have made considerable progress mainstreaming equal pay and incorporating flexible working into their bargaining priorities, a Wales TUC report has concluded. The report, commissioned by the union body's 'Equal at Work' project and undertaken by the Bevan Foundation, goes on to say that unions and employers should prioritise equality reps, who it says have the potential to make a major contribution to achieving equality in the workplace. The report calls for improvements in joint working, particularly between trade unions and equality bodies including the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Chair of the Wales TUC's equality committee, Andrea Jones, commented: 'This report is the first and only research of its type undertaken specifically for trade unions in Wales and could not have come at a more crucial time for equalities in Wales. Its value in providing solid evidence to support us when working in partnership with employers, government and stakeholders, should not be underestimated.' She added: 'The findings and recommendations set out our priorities and provide a clear direction for the union movement, in continuing to improve the lives and conditions for workers in Wales and create more equal workplaces.'

TUC news release. Equal at work website and research report.

Usdaw campaign spotlight on carers

This year is an important one for working carers who often struggle to make their voices heard, according to retail union Usdaw. The union's equalities officer Jo Bird, writing online, notes: 'Carers play a vital role but all too often this either isn't recognised or properly rewarded. At last change is on the horizon. This government has listened to carers and promised to improve the support and financial help carers receive.' She says changes to be introduced by the government 'could put more money in members' pockets to help them cope with the high costs of caring for someone who is elderly or disabled.' To push the union case, Usdaw has designated Wednesday 11 June 2008 as its 'carers spotlight day.' Jo Bird commented: 'The aim of the day is to raise awareness of the difficult job carers do, juggling paid work with caring for someone. We also want to let as many of our members as possible know about the work Usdaw is doing to try to win a better deal for carers.'

Usdaw news release and parents and carers campaign.

Usdaw resource: Maternity and parental rights - a guide for Usdaw reps, designed to help union representatives assist and represent pregnant women and new mothers at work.

Lecturers are stressed and insecure

An independent report on college staff satisfaction has revealed a dedicated workforce that is deeply dissatisfied and facing stress, bullying and insecurity. 'FE colleges, the frontline under pressure?' found that while students are happy with college staff, the staff are far from happy with their jobs. UCU believes low pay, mounting work pressures and deep dissatisfaction pose a recruitment and retention challenge in the sector. The report, produced for UCU by the Learning and Skills Network, found half of UCU members in colleges do not feel valued by their employers, the same proportion reporting they can't achieve a good work-life balance. And only 31 per cent of teaching staff feel secure - compared to the UK average for all jobs of 57 per cent. UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said the sector 'can't survive on their exploitation.' She added: 'Learners are very satisfied with their college lecturers. Lecturers deserve the satisfaction that comes from fair treatment, respect and just rewards.' The union warned the sector could face a recruitment crisis unless the quality of working life improves.

• UCU news release and full report, FE colleges, the frontline under pressure?, UCU/LSN [pdf]. Personnel Today.

OTHER NEWS

Flexible working to be extended

The right to request flexible working is to be extended to about 4.5 million parents of children aged up to 16. Under the current rules the opportunity is limited to parents whose children are under six or disabled. Following the May recommendations of the independent government-convened Walsh review, business secretary John Hutton said the move would give a 'big boost' to busy parents. 'It is important that employers retain control over deciding whether it suits their business to allow people to work flexibly, but extending the right to request to parents of older children will allow families to take priority when decisions are made,' he said. He added that the government will now consult on implementing the proposals. Women and equalities minister Harriet Harman said: 'Families are the framework of our lives. Parents want both to earn a living and do the best they can in bringing up their children, but need more flexibility at work. We've already built a strong foundation of support for families, with the right to request flexible working for parents of children up to the age of six, as well as improved maternity and paternity rights. But, as any parent knows, the demands of parental responsibility don't end at the age of six, which is why we are going to extend the right to request flexible work to parents with older children.'

BERR news release. Right to request flexible working: a review of how to extend the right to request flexible working to parents of older children [pdf]. BBC News Online.

Broad welcome for flexible work plans

Unions and employment and parents' rights groups have welcomed the government's decision to extend the right to request flexible working to the parents of children up to age 16. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said, however, that while the move was a positive development, 'unions will continue to campaign for everyone to have the right to request flexible working as it benefits both employees and employers if all staff can find a proper balance between work and the rest of their lives.' Diana Holland, Unite assistant general secretary, said: 'This is the first time it is being recognised in law that older children need support from their families too. The chance for parents and carers to work more flexibly to support their older children at demanding times is vital.' John Hannett, general secretary of the retail union Usdaw, said: 'This extended right to request flexible working is good news both for working parents and their employers. For business, offering flexible hours significantly increases the pool of talent they can recruit from and helps retain staff when their home circumstances change.' The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) said its research showed flexible working made employees happier and therefore likely to be more productive. Working Families chief executive Sarah Jackson said: 'Any extension of the right to request flexible working is a much-needed step forward for parents.' And Alison Garnham, joint chief executive of Daycare Trust, said: 'The teenage years are some of the toughest for parents, and flexible working is essential so parents of older children can strike the right balance between time at work and time with their children.' She added that 'flexible working isn't just for mums. Extending flexible working means that more men could reduce their working hours, delivering more time for children with both parents. It only remains for men to take up this option.'

TUC news release. Unite news release. Usdaw news release. Daycare Trust news release. CIPD news release.

Agency workers to get equal rights

Temporary and agency workers will receive the same rights as permanent staff after 12 weeks under an agreement between the government, the CBI and the TUC. The business secretary, John Hutton, said the deal, which is the culmination of a lengthy dispute between employers and unions, would achieve the government's twin objectives of 'flexibility for British employers and fairness for workers.' After 12 weeks in work, temporary and agency workers will qualify for the same pro-rata pay and conditions as full-time workers. The TUC said the deal represented a breakthrough after six years of deadlock and paves the way for a European Directive to deliver equal treatment rights for agency workers after the qualifying period. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said the agreement, announced on 20 May, 'is a victory for union campaigning. The issue of agency workers has been crying out for attention for far too long. Too many agency workers in the UK face unfair treatment and injustice. The agreement now opens the door to the much stronger legal protection that agency workers deserve, as our Commission on Vulnerable Employment so graphically highlighted.' Construction union UCATT cautioned that some workers in the industry will still miss out, as a result of 'bogus self-employment.' UCATT general secretary Alan Ritchie said: 'Despite the proposed new legislation construction will remain the most casualised industry in Britain.' He called on the government to extend the Gangmasters Licensing Act to construction and to abolish the Construction Industry Scheme (CIS), the legal loophole allowing self-employed status for workers who are effectively employees but without requiring employers to provide the related employment rights.

BERR news release. TUC news release. UCATT news release. UNISON news release. GMB news release. Usdaw news release. CWU news release. Community news release. CBI news release. The Guardian. BBC News Online.

Mums need good work

A new national campaign is seeking to expose the links between women's poverty and child poverty. The 'Keeping mum' campaign is being run by the women's rights group the Fawcett Society in partnership with the union Unite and Oxfam. Fawcett says previously unpublished statistics reveal the extent to which child poverty is caused by the gender income gap and the lack of opportunities for mothers in the labour market. It says mothers are at greater risk of poverty in the UK than in any other western European country, and adds that 30,000 women every year lose their jobs as a result of becoming pregnant. After having a child, many more women move into low-paid and insecure work as cleaners, carers, temps and homeworkers, which do not keep them above the poverty line. The Fawcett Society is calling on the government to tackle mother's poverty by banning the dismissal of pregnant women, increasing maternity and paternity entitlements to the same level as the minimum wage, making gender pay audits compulsory for all organisations, and increasing the number of hours mothers can work without losing their benefits from four to sixteen. It also wants new measures to encourage fathers to be more involved in children's upbringing. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber commented: 'This report shows how the whole family suffers when women are under-paid and their work is under-valued. The government cannot hope to meet its commitment of ending child poverty unless serious inroads are made into closing both the full-time and part-time gender pay gaps.'

Fawcett Society news release. Keeping mum campaign webpage.

Women opting to be their own boss

Women are voting with their feet and setting up their own businesses to get more flexibility between work and family life, according to a survey of female entrepreneurs commissioned by minister for women and equality Harriet Harman. The research found the biggest motivation for going it alone - 70 per cent of those polled - was to be able to work more flexibly, with threequarters (75 per cent) saying work family life balance is better when you run your own business, rather than being an employee. Over half of respondents (52 per cent) said a desire to achieve a better work-life balance was a motivating factor in setting up their own business. The government says there are now more than one million self-employed women - a 17 per cent rise since 2000. However, women still only constitute 27 per cent of the total self-employed. Ms Harman said: 'Women want to call the shots by running their own business. They're recognising that being their own boss gives them control and allows them to balance their work and family life. Mothers often tear their hair out trying to balance earning a living with bringing up their children, and need more flexibility from their work. Setting up their own business can be the solution.'

Government Equalities Office news release.

Bosses refuse home work requests

Most employers turn down requests from their staff to work from home, new research has found. The latest quarterly Labour Market Outlooksurvey of 735 UK employers, by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) with accounting firm KPMG, found that 69 per cent 'never or occasionally' grant home working requests. A fifth of organisations (19 per cent) say that they are more likely to accept requests from managers or professionals. The report concludes that the much-heralded revolution in home working is yet to take place, although a quarter of employers say that home working will increase in their organisation in the next year. CIPD policy adviser Gerwyn Davies commented: 'The slow increase in the take-up of home working defies the evidence. While the cost of home working has gone down, the cost of commuting has shot up. While a substantial majority of employers report having recruitment difficulties, a substantial minority accept requests from their workers to work from home. Inflexible approaches to home working risk restricting the competitiveness and growth of UK organisations if employer and managerial mindsets do not change.'

CIPD news release. Personnel Today. Shropshire Star.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Go slow: Forget the frantic work pace; working slowly is the way to go. Geir Bethelsen, creator of the World Institute of Slowness, cites the following '10 commandments for workplace slow': speak to people, smile, call people by name, be friendly and helpful, be sincere, be really interested in people, be generous with praise, be careful with the feelings of others, respect their opinions and always be ready to help - you may start your go slow now, you lovely readers, but please don't feel you have to, if that's OK with you. The Guardian. New York Times. World Institute of Slowness.

Not houseworking: The unequal distribution of housework between men and women contributes to the UK gender wage gap, according to new research. The Institute for Social and Economic Research (ISER) study also found the type and timing of different household tasks - cooking and laundry versus gardening and repairs - are as important as the total time devoted to housework. ISER news release.

Get out: Job prospects and long-term career success are increasingly being influenced by individuals' willingness to mix their working lives with time spent studying. Figures published by the Chartered Management Institute show that employers are attracted to staff who show commitment to their own professional development, because of the knock-on effect this has on business. CMI news release.

Mind-numbing: Boring jobs turn our mind on to autopilot, say scientists - and this means we can seriously mess up some simple tasks. Monotonous duties switch our brain to 'rest mode,' whether we like it or not, the researchers report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Tom Eichele and others. Prediction of human errors by maladaptive changes in event-related brain networks, PNAS, volume 105, number 16, pages 6173-6178, April 2008 [abstract]. New York Times. CBS News. The Telegraph. BBC News Online.

Community day: The TUC marked the 30th anniversary of the creation of the May Day holiday - the last bank holiday to be introduced in the UK - by calling for a new autumn break. Along with leading voluntary organisations, it wants a new Community Day bank holiday in late October to celebrate and encourage volunteering and community activity. TUC news release. Community Day campaign.

Generation Y: Teenagers and young adults - the so-called Generation Y - have watched with horror as their parents worked punishing hours in their scramble for money and status. A study of more than 2,500 people born after the early Eighties found that they were rebelling against their parents' values and were determined not to lead lives that revolved so heavily around work - instead, they were ready to resign if their jobs were not fulfilling and fun, with decent holidays and the opportunity to take long stretches off for charity work or travel. Telesmoothie news release. The Observer.

Public service: Almost one in two public sector workers does regular unpaid overtime - equivalent to the contribution of hundreds of thousands of extra staff - according to researchers, who claim they have found the first hard evidence of a public service ethos. Workers employed by public bodies or charities are much more likely to exceed their paid hours than are those doing the same kinds of jobs in commercial organisations, they say. How important is pro-social behaviour in the delivery of public services? Centre for Market and Public Organisation, University of Bristol [pdf]. The Guardian.

Asda flex: Supermarket giant Asda has launched a new flexible working scheme for its employees to improve their work-life balance. 'Asda Flex' contains six flexible working programmes to encourage all 165,000 staff - whether hourly paid or salaried, or working in stores or depots - to work flexible hours according to what suits them, and enables people to take up to three years' unpaid career break, up to five days' paid leave for female staff going through IVF treatment, time off to donate blood, and up to 12 weeks' paid leave for organ donation. Personnel Today.

Equality act: The TUC has welcomed the government's commitment to a new a Single Equality Bill, announced in its May draft legislative programme. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'The TUC welcomes the government's commitment to a Single Equality Bill and looks forward to seeing the detail,' adding: 'In particular, the Bill must make it easier to tackle systemic inequality at work and in society.' TUC news release. The Times.

Friday feeling: Food giant Kellogg's is sticking with a popular five year old flexible working scheme that lets workers take Fridays off through the summer. Under the 'Summer hours' scheme, as long as workers have completed a full week's hours by 1pm on Fridays, they can take the rest of the afternoon off. Personnel Today.

Working parents: The number of stay-at-home parents has fallen by a fifth to its lowest level in 15 years, a YouGov poll has found. Now, 2.2 million parents stay at home, down from 2.8 million in 1993, with many of those surveyed citing the rising cost of living as the main reason for returning to work. BBC News Online.

Paternity left: The introduction of two weeks of paid paternity leave was intended to make taking time off easier for new dads, but the new rules are not all they were cracked up to be: not everyone qualifies for paternity pay and, even when they do, the benefit is so low that many fathers don't bother to claim. Adrienne Burgess, research manager at the Fatherhood Institute, said: 'Paternity pay is so low that many men can't afford to take paternity leave.' The Observer. Fatherhood Institute.

Career fear: People are not taking up their right to request flexible working for fear it will damage their career prospects, research for the charity Working Families has found. The Flexible Working and Performance study of 3,500 employees found 71 per cent had made informal flexible working arrangements rather than using the formal right to request, with many employees believing that operating remotely or on reduced hours meant being excluded from promotion opportunities. Cranfield School of Management news release. Personnel Today.

Good workend? A study by Dulux Paint has found that many of us regard Saturday and Sunday as nothing more than an extension of the working week, with 6 million Britons putting in a six-hour day at the weekend, using that time to deal with cleaning, laundry, bills, DIY and grocery shopping. The survey also found unsurprisingly that 62 per cent of us would welcome more time at weekends to relax. The Guardian.

Vulnerable protected: A groundbreaking TUC-run project is providing vulnerable workers in London's East End with badly needed employment advice. TUC general Secretary Brendan Barber said the Vulnerable Workers Project (VWP) 'has heard from workers in London who are working excessively long hours, have no contract of employment, are receiving low pay or are not being paid for all the hours they work, and are not getting any health and safety training,' adding: 'Unions are keen to help workers stop rogue employers from using an ignorance of UK employment law or a poor grasp of English or as an excuse to treat people badly.' TUC news release and Commission on Vulnerable Employment. TUC Vulnerable Workers Project.

Vulnerable abused: Two million workers in Britain are 'trapped in a continual round of low-paid and insecure work where mistreatment is the norm.' A TUC-convened commission including employers and independent experts as well as trade unionists found some employees being paid £1 an hour, some working 70 hours a week and others facing sexual abuse and hazardous workplaces. TUC news releases on the CoVE report, vulnerable female workers, bogus self-employment in the construction industry and the shortage of employment rights advice. BBC News Online. The Observer. Commission on Vulnerable Employment (CoVE).

EVENTS

Getting on top of long hours seminar, London, 5 June

How do we tackle the health and social damage caused by long working hours? 'Tired? Getting on top of long hours', a 5 June afternoon seminar organised by the Institute of Employment Rights (IER), aims to answer this question. IER says inadequate enforcement mechanisms and too many opt-outs undermine the existing working times regulations, so the law should be strengthened. It says this can be achieved by challenging bad employment practices in the courts or by winning parliamentary changes to the law. But it says to succeed with either approach 'you need information on the strengths and weaknesses of the Regulations.' The IER seminar will examine: The original purpose of the directive and the rights it provides; the impact the UK Working Time Regulations have had on Britain's long hours culture; and what improvements can be made to the current regulations.

'Tired? Getting on top of long hours', Thursday 5 June 2008, 1.30pm to 4.15pm at the UCU Conference Centre, Britannia Street, London WC1. Cost: IER subscribers and members £45; trade unions £60; commercial £120.00. Further information: phone 0151 702 6925, online or email.

Equality law conference, London, 9 June

The TUC and the Equality and Diversity Forum are hosting a one-day conference to provide trade unionists, NGOs and discrimination law advisers with an update on the Discrimination Law Review consultation and to discuss the key issues to be addressed in the forthcoming Equality Bill. The conference will hear from leading discrimination law practitioners and experts about the benefits of a single equality act and the plans for harmonising the existing laws. It will look at what new opportunities might be created for positive action, what a single public sector equality duty might look like, how procurement and contract compliance could be used to promote equality in the private sector, and how cases of multiple discrimination could be addressed within a single framework. The secretary of state for women and equalities, Harriet Harman, will give the keynote speech.

'A new Equality Bill: Equality law fit for the 21st century', Monday 9 June, 9.30am to 4.30 pm, TUC, Congress Hall, Congress House, Great Russell Street, London. £30. Further details and booking form [pdf].

RESOURCES

Social dialogue improves working conditions

Social dialogue is good for working conditions in Europe, according to a new report from the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Eurofound). The Dublin-based thinktank says social dialogue is shown to have a positive impact on a range of workplace aspects, leading to reduced working time, more working time flexibility to suit employees' needs, access to and participation in training, and the formulation of equal opportunities policies. The first section of the report maps existing research and official reports, highlighting the findings of quantitative and qualitative surveys that have identified a link between social dialogue and working conditions. The second section looks at examples of social dialogue drawn from case studies that have had an impact on working conditions. The report also identifies potential lessons for the future in terms of factors that contribute to the success or failure of social dialogue. Case histories cover issues including working time and flexibility and equal opportunities.

Working conditions and social dialogue, Eurofound, 2008 [pdf].

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Australia: Paid maternity leave 'could save millions'

A universal paid maternity leave scheme could save employers millions of dollars in staff turnover and retraining costs, Australian national union federation ACTU has said. ACTU told the government's Productivity Commission, which is currently hearing submissions on the issue of parental leave, that Australia lags behind most of its trading partners in the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and can no longer afford not to have the leave. The union call came after Sex Discrimination Commissioner Elizabeth Broderick told a commission hearing that government-funded 14 weeks' paid leave on the minimum wage should be expanded after two years to a full year, with four weeks available as an option if the woman's partner wanted to take paid leave. ACTU, along with employer representatives, the Australian Industry Group, and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, are campaigning for 14 weeks of paid maternity leave as the national minimum standard. ACTU president Sharan Burrow said employers were far more likely to retain valued employees if they provided maternity leave, saving millions in retraining and recruitment costs. The union body wants the government to pay mothers maternity pay at the minimum wage, with employers topping this up to the normal wage level. It also wants stay-at-home dads to get paid paternity leave if their child's mum returns to work early.

ACTU news release and Productivity Commission submission [pdf]. CPSU news release. LHMU news release. Herald Sun. The Age. The Australian. ABC News. The Canberra Times.

Europe: Campaign challenges corporate abuses

Victims of human rights and environmental abuses by European companies around the world could find justice in European courts under proposals unveiled this week at an international conference at the European Parliament. The European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ) - a leading network of over 250 civil society organisations around Europe, including unions, charities, academic institutions and campaign groups - revealed policy proposals developed by a team of legal experts which if adopted by the European Union would guarantee the legal responsibility of companies based in Europe, and their directors, for human rights violations committed by their subsidiaries or subcontractors anywhere in the world. ECCJ said the legal structure of companies and weak accountability mechanisms all too often result in ethical mismanagement by companies. The ECCJ report is calling on the European Union to accept three proposals. ECCJ wants the extension of the direct liability of parent companies of multinational enterprises operating in Europe; a mandatory duty of care for parent companies in Europe to prevent human rights abuses by persons under their economic influence, all the way along the supply chain; and a mandatory system for large companies to report on their social and environmental risks and impacts. 'ECCJ believes that these proposals would lead to a coherent and harmonised approach to business regulation, putting an end to the unfair competition caused by companies who profit from human rights and environmental abuses,' said ECCJ coordinator Ruth Casals.

ECCJ news release, including links to the full report, Fair law: Legal proposals to improve corporate accountability for environmental and human rights abuses, ECCJ report, 29 May 2008, executive summary [pdf]. Smart regulation: Legislative opportunities for the EU to improve corporate accountability, ECCJ conference, 29 May 2008. European Coalition for Corporate Justice.

Japan: Toyota acts on deadly overwork

Toyota is taking steps to deal with a corporate culture that been linked to deaths from overwork. From June, the company is to pay workers overtime for attending out-of-hours 'kaizen' or quality control (QC) circle meetings. It previously only allowed workers to claim two hours' overtime a month for such 'voluntary' activities. The company has about 40,000 production workers in 5,000 QC circle groups. Toyota's decision to have more of the kaizen group meetings in paid work time follows a court ruling in November 2007 that a 30-year-old Toyota worker who collapsed at one of its plants had died of overwork. It emerged that the man had worked 106 hours of overtime in his final month, most of it unpaid. Death from overwork, known as 'karoshi' in Japan, has steadily increased since the government first recognised it in 1987. Overwork-related suicide - karojisatsu - is also an officially recognised and compensated work-related condition in Japan. In 1993, the widow of a Toyota Motor Corp employee who took his own life as a result of overwork was told by a High Court in Japan she was entitled to compensation. The judge said the 35-year-old's suicide was triggered by excessive hours and workload. Unions in North America particularly have been sharply critical of these Japanese management techniques, which they believe are designed to rack up productivity while eroding the role the unions.

Asahi Shimbun. BBC News Online. More on karoshi and karojisatsu

USA: Lagging behind on flexible work

The US is lagging behind other high income countries when it comes to flexible working, a study has found. A new report by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) and the Center for WorkLife Law concludes that, in the context of US demographic and economic changes, an explicit right to request flexible work could play an important role in preparing the US economy for the future. The findings are based on a review of statutory employment rights in 21 high-income countries, including the UK and the US, aimed at increasing workers' ability to change their working hours and arrangements to balance work and family, and facilitate lifelong learning and gradual retirement. It says high-quality flexible work arrangements are still the exception in the US. 'In the US, the choice tends to be either to work full-time all the time, or work reduced hours, with low pay, no benefits, and little opportunity for advancement. Faced with that choice, and the high cost of child care and elder care, many women are forced to leave the labour market,' said Barbara Gault, IWPR director of research. Ariane Hegewisch, scholar-in-residence at IWPR and a co-author of the report, said where these statutory rights had been introduced, initial concerns quickly evaporated. 'Most flexible work statutes try to find solutions that are workable for both employer and employee. While employers might have protested before the laws were introduced, once implemented most found them workable,' she said. Janet Gornick, professor of political science and sociology at the City University of New York (CUNY), also a co-author of the report, concluded: 'There is a big incentive for policymakers to support flexible work. When more people work, more people contribute to taxes and social insurance and thus provide for those who can no longer work.'

IWPR news release [pdf]. Statutory routes to workplace flexibility in cross-national perspective, report by Ariane Hegewisch and Janet Gornick, IWPR, May 2008 [pdf].

GLOBAL ROUND-UP

Birth wait: With no US laws requiring paid leave, more mothers stay on the job longer, saving time off until after the baby arrives. Eighty per cent of pregnant women who work remained on the job until one month or less before their child's birth, according to newly released US Census data for 2003; in 1965 that figure was 35 per cent. Christian Science Monitor.

Boy's club: A quarter of Australia's working women say females are not treated equally in the workplace - and one in five of their male colleagues agree. Research commissioned by the federal government's Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency found widespread concern about the way Australian bosses were handing out promotions, with more than a third of women believing females had to 'work a lot harder to prove themselves' and that their male colleagues were often promoted more quickly. News.com.au.

Dads too: Researchers have told Australia's Productivity Commission inquiry into paid parental leave that workplace practices need to change so fathers feel good about taking time off for their child. 'This is a key issue that hasn't been tacked onto the discussions,' said fatherhood expert Richard Fletcher, from Australia's University of Newcastle. News.com.au.

Paternity leave: Men should get four weeks' paid leave when they becomes fathers to better reflect changing social values, the Australian construction union CFMEU has said. John Sutton, the union's national construction secretary said: 'The males do want to be involved, particularly in those early weeks where the woman is under tremendous pressure.' The Age.

Finnish fathers: New fathers in Finland are taking paternity leave more frequently, according to the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). It says the number of men who stay home to care for their children has risen by one-quarter over the past ten years, with six per cent of paid parental leave days now taken by dads. YLE News.

Czech pressure: Seven out of ten Czech workers (71.2 per cent) report having to work to tight deadlines or at very high speed at least one quarter of their working time, the third highest levels in Europe behind Finland (73.6 per cent) and Sweden (71.7 per cent). Latest figures from Eurofound also show the pace of work in Czech workplaces is determined by the boss and direct demands from customers. Eurofound news release.

Global equality: Closing the gender pay gap will require union negotiating teams with at least 40 per cent women members and training for all union negotiators on gender issues, UNI-Europa women's conference has decided. The measures are part of the union body's 10-point plan to tackle Europe's persistent pay gap between men and women, with the conference also calling for an Equal Pay Day every year and affirmative action to improve work-life balance. UNI news report.

Olympic shame: As the clock ticks down to the Beijing Olympics, workers producing for the international sportswear companies that spend millions on Olympic and athletic sponsorship deals are still working excessive hours in exchange for poverty wages. 'Clearing the hurdles,' a damning report from the labour rights coalition Play Fair 2008 (PF08) and based on interviews with over 300 sportswear workers in China, India, Thailand and Indonesia, reveals violations of worker rights is still the sportswear industry norm. ITUC news release. Play Fair 2008 webpage and full report, Clearing the hurdles: Steps to improving working conditions in the global sportswear industry', Play Fair 2008 (PF08) [pdf].

Newsletter (6,200 words) issued 2 Jun 2008