Project Project Balance of professional and Balance of professional and personal and family life in personal and family life in

Spain and in NorwaySpain and in Norway

I. What do we understand by work-life balance?

II. Steps taken from the initial contact with KS until the project’s consolidation

III. The project: objectives, phases, and outcomes

IV. Main lessons learnt from the Spanish perspective

Presentation Structure

1.

Domestic and family care

Private sphere Having rest, training, leisure,

politics and social participation

Work-life balance, indispensable for a real equality

Work and professional life

Women and men equality is an individual right that will not come true until the three life spheres are shared by both sexes. This is what is called individual co-responsibility.

Work-life balance is one of the challenges for Spain in the 21st Century which pursues, among its strategic pillars, women and men equality.

How to move forward to the work-life balance?

Favoring individual co-responsibility among women and men and promoting social co-responsibility where the State, Public administrations, enterprises, trade unions

and social organizations have a particular role.

2.

Steps taken from the initial contact with KS until the project’s approval

INITIAL CONTACT KS AND WOMEN’S INSTITUTE:

In 2005

FIRST PROJECT DRAFT PRESENTED TO THE EEA OFFICE, THROUGH SPANISH FOCAL POINT:

In 2006

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT:

Women institute.

KS.

Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP)

ASSOCIATIVE AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED AND PROJECT APPROVAL BY THE EEA:

In 2008

KICK OFF MEETING OF THE PROJECT

In January 2009

3.

Main purpose: To improve Local public policies and achieve more and better work-life balance conditions for citizens.

Addressed to: Municipal public organisations from Spain and Norway.

Specific objectives and phases:

Phase I: Producing a good practices guide on work-life balance for local bodies, based on observation and analysis of successful experiences in both countries.

Phase II: Reinforcing local bodies schedules, designing and starting up work-life balance plans in 10 Spanish city councils.

Project: Work, family and personal balance in Spain and Norway

Outputs Phase I:

Guide of Good Practices - 62 good practices (55 from Spain and 7 from Norway).

Guide of 21 illustrative experiences

Available on the project’s website (Spanish-English): www.balancequilibrio.net

Outputs Phase II: Work life balance plans in ten Spanish city councils:

For each city council: 2 diagnostics (internal with their personnel, and external for citizens).

For each city council: 2 plans (internal addressed to their personnel, and external addressed to citizens).

4.

Norwegian work-life balance policies linked to the demographic and economic growth and development, as well as, to the widening of democracy.

Spanish work-life balance policies linked to social rights and to gender equality.

Work-life balance is closely linked to quality life, time flexibility, self-responsibility and social co-responsibility in the Norwegian Case

Presentiality culture in the Spanish case, less work-flexibility and more control.

The economic assessment of work in Norway, salary gender gap, social classes or professions, is not as high as in Spain.

Part-time work is being questioning as a good solution for work-life balance and equality in both countries.

Social co-responsibility is an essential way to achieve equality and work-life balance.

Other solutions: Work in order to overcome the sex segregation in feminised occupations, and to favour women’s empowerment in public and private dimensions.

Main lessons learnt from the Spanish perspective

5.