Balancing Personal and Professional Life

Good Practice

Equality

Balancing Personal and Professional Life

Local authority staff working working non-standard hours and addressing inequalities and societal changes.

Rennes City Council and Metropolitan Area

France

Local policy

POLICY OBJECTIVE

The main objective is to improve working conditions and make it easier for people to balance work and life.

This measure is aimed in particular at women working atypical hours and bringing up their children alone, who have difficulties securing childcare and sometimes incur significant costs doing so.

This measure is part of ongoing efforts to reduce precarious employment, promote gender equality and reconcile private and professional life.

CONTEXT

Following an emblematic action conducted from 2002 to 2004, which led to the reorganisation of the working hours of maintenance workers (eliminating atypical and fragmented working hours), a study was carried out by the Time Office on the working hours of the employees of the Rennes local authorities (City, Metropolis, CCAS).

Two projects have been set up by the Human Resources Department to improve employees’ work-life balance.

POLICY DESCRIPTION

1) Introduction of a benefit for staff working atypical hours (weekends, public holidays, before 8am and after 6pm), subject to means testing. Delivery of pre-financed vouchers covering up to €5 per hour of care for children 12 and under.

2) Telework trial (regular, occasional or exceptional) from 2015.

KEY ASPECTS

Taking account of employees’ time constraints in the HR policy of the community
Study on staff working hours as part of a gender equality action plan
Establishment of an “equality” working group in the community

RESULTS

Despite the warm reception of this measure among trade unions and staff, few vouchers have been requested and distributed to date. As of November 2021, 598 women and 282 men had requested and received permission to telework.

Several hypotheses can explain this: assistance offered by vouchers is insufficient; limitations on access are too restrictive; human resources face difficulties sharing information with eligible staff; people’s lack autonomy to find cheap childcare, etc.

In 2022-2023, HR will overhaul social benefits and plans to conduct a survey of agents to learn more about these barriers and improve access to this assistance.

The equality working group has developed within HR and services, and a specific committee has been set up with trade unions.

Policy's Website

Hélène

Réveillard

Bureau des temps de Rennes Ville et Métropole

temps@rennesmetropole.fr

Good Practice