Decent Work New Zealand
Towards Decent Work - Charting our progress
Objective 3: Activities, Strategies and/or Institutional Arrangements Developed to Address each Critical Success Factor
CSF 16: People are satisfied with their working lives because the organisation of their work supports the need to balance work requirements with societal and family responsibilities.
Activity:
Advice to employers on Work-Life Balance
Description:
Business New Zealand provides advice to employers on Work-Life Balance issues.
Lead Agency:
Business New Zealand
Activity:
Ageing Workforce Programme
Description:
Work Directions is developing a new work stream focusing on the ageing population and older workers issues. This work stream has two objectives, firstly to influence thinking and enhance the quality of debate and policy development. The second objective is to focus and consolidate Work Directions, departmental and potentially cross-Government research and analysis activities on older workers.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Pay and Employment Equity plan of action for the next five years
Description:
The Government is proceeding to implement the action plan for pay and employment equity in the public service, public health and public education sectors. A dedicated unit has been established in Department of Labour which is developing tools and processes to enable agencies to implement the action plan and a tripartite Steering Group has been established to oversee the work of the unit.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Extension of paid parental leave to self-employed parents
Description:
Self-employed parents are now eligible for 14 weeks paid parental leave, bringing greater flexibility and equity to the workplace and additional support for working parents. Both employees and the self-employed are now eligible for a subsequent period of paid parental leave if their expected date of delivery or adoption is at least six months after they return to work from previous leave.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Parental leave evaluation project
Description:
A three-stage research project to measure the success of the parental leave scheme.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
National Advisory Council on the Employment of Women (NACEW)
Description:
NACEW is an advisory body providing advice to the Minister of Labour. NACEW is supported by the Department of Labour through the provision of an Executive Officer and advisory support to assist the development and implementation of their work programme. Currently this is via three subgroups focusing on precarious employment and particularly public contracting, pay and employment equity issues, Maori and Pacific women in enterprise and a joint DOL/NACEW decision-making project on balancing work and caring responsibilities
Lead Agency:
NACEW, Department of Labour
Activity:
Work/Life Balance Project
Description:
The Work/Life Balance project is developing a policy programme to promote a better balance between paid work and life outside of work. A three year work programme is underway which includes a pilot project with workplaces, further policy work on a range of issues, activities to influence change in workplace cultures, and practices and research into work/life balance issues.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Work/Life Balance workplace project
Description:
The project identifies and promotes workplace policies and practices that help people to balance participation in paid work with the other activities that are important to them. An advisory group has been established to advise on proposed communications activities and products flowing on from the Workplace Pilots, identify opportunities for awareness raising around work-life balance and identify champions and influencers.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Better Work Working Better (BWWB)
Description:
BWWB sets out the Government’s aspirations for high quality employment in productive and innovative industries, regions and businesses that drives sustainable economic growth and opportunities for all New Zealanders. Goals under BWWB are high levels of participation in high-quality, well-paid and diversified employment; a diverse, adaptable and highly-skilled workforce; high-quality and productive workplaces within an effective regulatory environment and high-performing sector and regional labour markets.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Choices for Living, Caring, and Working Plan of Action
Description:
This ten-year plan improves support for children and families by increasing the choices available for parents and carers. This will enable people to have real choices about how they balance their caring responsibilities, involvement in paid work, time for leisure and learning, and time to be involved with friends, family and the community.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Working Holiday Scheme
Description:
This programme provides a cultural exchange, strengthens international linkages, brings in temporary labour and contributes positively to the economy.
Lead Agency:
Department of Labour
Activity:
Early Childhood Education
Description:
The Government subsidises early childhood education (ECE) for children aged 0 to 5, and up to 20 hours a week Free ECE for 3 and 4 year olds in teacher-led services, aiming to increase participation in quality ECE services, improve quality of ECE services and promote collaborative relationships.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Education
Activity:
Pacific Women’s Economic Development Plan (PWEDP)
Description:
The PWEDP is a specific economic development action plan for Pacific women. It identifies specific milestones that further contribute to four of the PEAP goals: Education, Workforce Development, Business Development and Leadership.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs
Activity:
Working for Families [external link]
Description:
Working for Families is a package designed to help make it easier to work and raise a family. It pays extra money to many thousands of New Zealand families. Working for Families is made up of three key components: tax credits administered by Inland Revenue and Accommodation Supplement and Childcare Assistance which are administered by Work and Income.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Social Development
Activity:
Action Plan for New Zealand Women
Description:
This Action Plan for New Zealand Women is a whole of government approach to improving the position of New Zealand women. Work under the Action Plan is focussed on three themes: economic independence, work-life balance and wellbeing.
Lead Agency:
Ministry of Women’s Affairs
Activity:
Calling for extension of paid parental leave and family-friendly policies
Description:
The NZCTU monitors the provision, and advocates for extended application, of paid parental leave and breast feeding breaks so that New Zealand can comply with ILO Convention 183 – Maternity Protection, 2000.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Campaigning for improvements to work/life balance
Description:
Unions and the NZCTU campaign for improvements to hours of work, breaks, leave and other conditions through collective bargaining and discussions with the Department of Labour on improvements to the minimum code.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
Activity:
Advocacy and raising awareness on quality flexible work
Description:
The NZCTU conducts research, advocacy and awareness-raising on the issue of quality flexible work. Following the passing of legislation providing the right to request flexible work for those with caring responsibilities, the CTU will monitor its implementation and promote the extension of this right to all workers.
Lead Agency:
New Zealand Council of Trade Unions