Reconciling work and family responsibilities: Practical ideas from global experience

Conflict between work and family responsibilities has become a burning social and political issue in many countries during the latter part of the twentieth century. A major response of the International Community to the policy challenge occurred in 1981 when the international Labour Organization (ILO) adopted the Workers with Family Responsibilities Convention (No. 156). Family responsibilities were already addressed by the basic ILO standards concerning maternity protection and hours of work adopted in 1919. However, Convention No. 156 took a much broader perspective, seeking to combat the Labour market discrimination resulting from family responsibilities and to promote policies to reduce work-family conflict. Since 1981, families where both members of the couple work outside the home have become increasingly common, as have single parent families. The struggle to earn a decent living for the family while ensuring care for dependants is often posing insurmountable problems. Low-come families are particularly affected since incompatibilities between work and family responsibilities add to their difficulties and decrease their chances of being able to work their way out of poverty.In order to mark the tenth anniversary of the Year of the Family in 2004 and to promote measures for reconciling work and family, ILO has used this occasion to look at and synthesize the experience of governments, employers and trade unions in various countries. By presenting practical examples, it is hope that this book provides useful idea on measure that can be taken by governments, employer’s and workers’ Organizations as well as concerned Civil Society Organizations.As noted in the Report of the Director-General of the ILO on the World Commission on the Social Dimension of Globalization (ILO),2004a,P5), “the liveli hoods of many families throughout the world are under serious stress and social policies must respond to their needs and aspirations, and to changes in gender roles and responsibilities.” The problem of reconciling work and family is one area where social policies have often been slow to take into account new needs of families and changing gender roles. It is hoped that this book will contribute to greater awareness of the problem and increased action to address it.