Introduction to the series by Christina Koutsoukos
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Barbara Holmes
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Juggling work and life
What is work/life balance? According to Barbara Holmes, we’re all searching for a common definition, when in actual fact, it’s a different thing for different people at different times in their lives. Listen to Barbara discussing the impact of flexibility in the workplace with Christina Koutsoukos. Corporate attitudes to work/life balance have changed in the last 10 years; it’s changed from being a nice to have to being an essential element of any workplace. However it now needs to become an investment. (Running time: 18 mins 46 secs; Download: 17.1MB)
Conversation focus 
- Balancing work/life issues in the workplace is not only important to the employee but is crucial to an organisation’s competitive edge.
- The balance must be right for the individual.
- Work/life balance has a bottom-line benefit to a company – it can reduce turnover and absenteeism and have an impact on productivity.
- More organisations are realising that it’s critical to address work/life issues. Keeping good employees is a good investment.
- Organisations should examine the bottom line impact of their strategy – collect data, determine the business case and identify the real issues of the employee
About Barbara Holmes
Managing Director of Managing Work|Life Balance, Barbara Holmes’ expertise stems from over 25 years experience as a human resource consultant. Managing Work|Life Balance is a consulting firm which specialises in organisational change and employee involvement programs. She’s worked with a number of large corporates, facilitating organisational change an implementing staff development initiatives. Her publications have focused on the implementation of flexible work options as well providing informational kits on childcare and eldercare; Barbara has also been instrumental in developing career programs for women in Australia. Barbara is a sought after speaker at work/life events and conferences and has also made appearances on national television and radio. More of the organisation go to: www.worklifebalance.com.au
Useful Resources
“Work/Life Initiatives; The Way Ahead Report on the year 2007 Survey; Executive Summary”
The Work Foundation provides information on best practice
Work-Life Balance in Canadian Workplaces
Original artwork by Nicola Hensel
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