Media Release
August 6 2009
Work/life balance: What Aussies can learn from the US
A
visiting US Professor will discuss US federal and state policies to
improve work/life balance at a free public presentation this coming
Wednesday (August 12).
Professor Eileen Appelbaum, Director of the Center for Women and Work at Rutgers University, will discuss new actions set in motion by President Obama’s White House Task Force on Working Families, with a focus on access to family leave and sick leave in the United States.
The seminar, jointly presented by the Hawke Centre, the Centre for Work + Life and the School of Management at UniSA, will discuss how productivity and health outcomes are affected by access to leave.
Data shows that the US ranks close to the bottom among countries in terms of worker’s access to unpaid and paid leave for child birth and bonding, to recover from an illness, or to care for a seriously ill family member.
While much is known about the harmful effects on workers as a result of not granting sick leave, less is known about the negative effects that this has on businesses and the public health system.
Director for the Centre for Work + Life, Professor Barbara Pocock, says that this presentation is extremely relevant to Australia given changes in access to leave for increasing numbers of casual workers and it also links to the Australian debate about parental leave.
“As in the US, some Australian workers – especially those in casual employment – hate taking sick leave. Some do not get further employment if they cannot take a shift.” she says.
“When the absence of sick leave affects businesses and the public health system, it is evident that we need to change things – both for individuals and the economy.”
Hawke Centre Director, Elizabeth Ho, says that the presentation is an invaluable leap towards improving work/life balance at a time when this topic is coming under the microscope.
“Prof Appelbaum’s visit offers us exclusive access to measures that are unfolding in the US and continues to stimulate the debate about what is ‘fair’ when it comes to balancing work and life,” she says.
“This presentation will offer immediately actionable strategies we can consider towards creating such balance.”
Event details:
Work/Life Balance Policies in a Declining Economy: are they still
win-win?
Wednesday 12 August
6.00pm for a 6.15pm start, Allan Scott Auditorium, Hawke Building, UniSA
City West campus
Register online at
unisa.edu.au/hawkecentre
Contact for interview
-
Louise Carnell office (08) 8302 0371 mobile 0401 693 312 email
louise.carnell@unisa.edu.au
Media contact
- Heather Leggett office (08) 8302 0096 mobile 0434 078 819 email heather.leggett@unisa.edu.au