Progressive Democrats Candidate in Kildare North, Councillor Kate Walsh, today called on employers and employer’s representatives to examine the use of more flexible work practices. She said: "It is time for employers and employer groups to embrace methods of improving the quality of life of workers, through more family friendly work practices."
Kate Walsh said while many people were financially better off because of the current economic boom, their family and social lives were suffering because of increased work pressures and less free time. "Many couples who commute to work find they are in effect ‘owned’ by their job from seven in the morning to seven at night, five or six days a week, and this places intolerable strain on family life," she said.
"In addition to not being able to spend quality time with their children, parents have to meet the increasing costs of commuting and childcare," she added.
"There is no reason why working parents shouldn’t have the option to engage in teleworking where possible, or condense their working week into less than a five day week. Imagine the immediate improvement in the quality of family life, as a result of such a change," she said.
"I believe the introduction of more family friendly working practices would help to maintain the growth in the economy, while delivering an immeasurable increase in the quality of thousands of workers lives."