This year’s International Day of Families highlights the need for work-family balance. The aim is to help workers everywhere provide for their families financially and emotionally, while also contributing to the socio-economic development of their societies.
This was stated by UN Secretary-General issued this message on the International Day of Families which is observed on the 15th of May every year.
The day was first proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 and reflects the importance the international community attaches to families.
The international day provides an opportunity to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families. The theme of this day this year is ‘Ensuring work-family balance’.
The message issued by the UN secretary general read that current trends underscore the growing importance of work-family policies and include greater participation by women in the labour market, growing urbanisation and mobility in search for jobs.
As families become smaller and generations live apart, extended kin are less available to offer care and employed parents face rising challenges. Millions of people around the world lack decent working conditions and the social support to care for their families. Affordable, quality childcare is rarely available in developing countries, where many parents are forced to leave their preschool children home alone.
Many young children are also left in the care of older siblings who, in turn, are pulled from school. A number of countries offer generous leave provisions for mothers and fathers.
Many more, however, extend few comprehensive benefits in line with international standards. Paternity leave provisions are still rare in the majority of developing countries.
Flexible working arrangements, including staggered working hours, compressed work schedules or telecommuting, are becoming more widely available but with room for improvement.
The UN message emphasised the importance of responding to the ever-changing complexities of work and family life.
The statement added that family-friendly workplaces are critical to enhancing the work-family balance and can also lead to better working conditions, greater employee health and productivity, and a more concerted focus on gender equality.
Work-family balance policies demonstrate both a government’s commitment to the well-being of families and the private sector’s commitment to social responsibility.