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Work Life Balance

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Work Life Balance
Directorate of Human Resources and the Business School

Centre for Diversity Policy Research

Work-Life Balance
An audit of staff experience at Oxford Brookes University
By Simonetta Manfredi and Michelle Holliday

The Centre for Diversity Policy Research, Oxford Brookes University

Work-Life Balance: An audit of staff experience at Oxford Brookes University ISBN 1 873576 70 6

Published by The Centre for Diversity Policy Research, Oxford Brookes University Wheatley Campus Oxon. OX33 1HX http://www.brookes.ac.uk/business/research/cdpr DiversityCentre@brookes.ac.uk

All rights reserved. Except for the quotation of short passages for the purposes of criticism and review, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data. A catalogue record of this publication is available from the British Library.

Printed in Great Britain 2004.

Authors: Simonetta Manfredi Co-Director, The Centre for Diversity Policy Research, Oxford Brookes University Michelle Holliday Equal Opportunities & Diversity Co-Ordinator, Oxford Brookes University

Work-Life Balance: An audit of staff experience at Oxford Brookes University
Page no.

Contents Acknowledgements Executive Summary
1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 2 2.1 2.2 2.3 3 3.1 3.2 Introduction: Purpose of the report What is work-life balance? Why does work-life balance matter to employers?

1

2

2 5

6

Why is work-life balance important to Oxford Brookes University? 9 Section two: The Audit Results of the Questionnaires Results of the Focus Groups Section three: Conclusions The Implications for Oxford Brookes University of further developing work-life balance policies and flexible working arrangements 52 55 57 58 60 13 13 15 33 46

3.3 3.4

Recommendations The way forward

Appendixes



Bibliography: Brannen, J. (2000) Mothers and Fathers in the Workplace: the United Kingdom, in Haas l., Hwang P. and Russell G. (eds.) Organisational Change and Gender Equity, London: Sage Department for Education and Employment (2000) Changing Patterns in a Changing World, London: DfEE Publications Department for Education and Employment (2000) A Good Practice Guide, London: DfEE Publications Department for Trade and Industry (2001) The Business Case,London: DTI Publications Dex, S. and Smith, C. (2002), The Nature and Pattern of Family-Friendly Employment in Britain, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Bristol: The Policy Press Doherty, L., Manfredi, S., Rollin, H. (2000) The Family-Friendly Workplace? British and European Perspectives, in Dark, J., Ledwith S., Woods, R. (eds.), Women and the City, New York: Palgrave Equal Opportunity Commission (2003) Facts about Women and Men in Great Britain Eurostat (2001) The Social Situation in Europe, Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities Graduates Look for Work-Life Balance, Personnel Today, 16 April 2002 Improving Equality of Opportunities and Diversity at Oxford Brookes University 2003-2006 Ledwith, S. and Manfredi, S. (2000) Balancing Gender in HE. A Study of the Experience of Senior Women in a ‘New’ UK University, The European Journal of Women’s Studies, Vol. 7, pp. 7-33, London: Sage Lewis, S. (2000) Workplace Programmes and Policies in the United Kingdom, in Haas l., Hwang P. and Russell G. (eds.) Organisational Change and Gender Equity, London: Sage MacRae, S. and Daniel WW. (1991) Maternity Rights. The Experience of Women and Employers, London: Policy Studies Institute Manfredi, S. (2001) Good Practice: A Comparative Research between the Province of Bologna and the Region of Oxfordshire, in Harmonisation of Family and Work, Bologna: Provincia di Bologna Assessorato alle Pari Opportunita` Publications Scott, J. (2002) Flexible Employment Options: Audit of Current Practice and example of Best Practice in the HE Sector, HEFCE Flexible Employment Options Project 60 Willmott, B. (2002) Line Managers Hold Key to Staff’s Flexible Hours, Personnel Today , 4 September UCEA (2003) Balancing Work and Family Life-Guidance for Higher Education institutions 61 ISBN 1-873576-70-6 9 781873 576700

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