Firm in its belief that the family is the very cornerstone of society, the main thrust of the Cana Movement’s efforts during the past year has been to create an awareness of the importance of strengthening the Maltese family. One of the factors which encourage a better quality of family life, is without a doubt, the balance between work and family responsibilities. This is a great challenge which calls for commitment on the part of the family members themselves, together with the setting up of structures, services and favourable policies at the work place and by the State.

Unfortunately, in society, the ideal worker is sometimes perceived as the person who commits himself wholeheartedly to work without thinking about his personal needs and those of his family; traditionally this is the man, whose wife remains home to rear the family. However, this perception of family/work roles needs to change, especially when both partners are employed outside the home. Many innovative measures such as reduced hours, parental leave and teleworking all contribute towards the overcoming of the myth that the ideal worker is the one who is committed solely to his work. Ideally, family-friendly policies at the work place should be available to both women and men: failing that, the man’s participation on the home front will remain limited, to the detriment of the entire family.

Another factor which contributes to lack of harmony within the home is work-related stress. Employees who manage a good work-family balance are less stressed on the whole. Not only do they perform better, but also they are absent from the work place relatively less than other workers. Employers who offer flexible work arrangements stand at an advantage – particularly in the case of females, who feel encouraged to stay on at work even after they take on maternal responsibilities. As a result, the employer does not lose their work experience.

It is of paramount importance that the employee is afforded his proper dignity at the work place: each one according to his own particular needs. Unfortunately, some employers still regard adapting the work place to employees’ needs as problematic to the firm. Because of this, the employee tends to be viewed as part of a crowd, with the result that his identity becomes enmeshed within the wider community. This can have a negative impact on his self-esteem, which in turn, could compromise his behaviour and attitude within the home environment.

In the above light, Trade Unions and Employers’ Unions are to encourage the promotion of these positive attitudes as well as actively support their members’ efforts to integrate work and life responsibilities through the inclusion of family-friendly measures for all employees in their collective bargaining processes. In view of this social reality, the Cana Movement cordially invites you to participate in a discussion on Thursday 5 March, at Sala Mons Gonzi, Catholic Institute, Floriana, at 7.00pm. Our three guests, Tony Zarb, Gejtu Vella and Joseph Farrugia, will introduce and discuss some concrete proposals aimed at creating a better balance between work and family.