Presentation of the toolkit
Download the executive summary in your language
The TUC, the Employers’ Organisation for Local Government, Bristol City Council and council trade unions, GMB, TGWU and UNISON, worked together on a European Union-sponsored project “The time of our lives”, a project that delivered ‘win-win’ results for staff and managers in a range of services. The projects was set up because the city council was under pressure to deliver better services, improve flexibility, and satisfy employees’ WLB aspirations.
Key to success was the commitment from the start of the council’s political leadership and management to solutions that reflected the views of staff and trade unions.
The project aimed to:
Surveys and focus groups of staff showed that both men and women were interested in trying out different work patterns. Three findings are particularly interesting: a higher proportion of women than men wanted opportunities for education and training, men were more likely than women to say they wanted more family time, the most common reason for wanting change was the desire to work more effectively in an “uninterrupted, focused way”.
Besides, UNISON suggested a pilot flexible working project at the library service, where staff members were demoralised because of recent cuts in the staffing budget. A customer survey had indicated a demand for Sunday opening but staff felt it would be a further incursion on their time. Staff members were surveyed to see who would like to work on a Sunday. It was made clear that participation would be voluntary, that no one would be compelled to continue to work on a Sunday if they volunteered, and that individuals would benefit, through the usual additional Sunday payments. Additional staff members were recruited to work on Sundays alongside volunteers from existing staff, many of who were part-time workers who wanted to increase their hours.
Download the executive summary in your language
Download the framework of actions on gender equality