Work-Life Balance – a Québec Initiative

It goes without saying that balancing family while working for a “big-law” firm can be a challenge. I am reminded of that on a weekly basis. Other jobs are just as demanding (if not more). It has become de rigueur for employers (especially law firms) to tout their approach to promise a positive work-life balance. However, there are few ways to confirm that an employer’s advertising confirms with their employees’ reality.

In response to this issue, the Quebec government has launched a unique program: a corporate certification regarding work-family balance. The certification is for all businesses, regardless of their size. It will allow the companies who qualify for certification to be seen as employers of “choice” because of their efforts to promote work-family balance. The Québec Minister for the Family, Yolande James, believes that it will even be a competitive recruitment advantage for certified companies. Indeed, the certified companies can also use the certification symbol of the Bureau de Normalisation du Québec (“BNQ”) for promotional purposes.

The BNQ’s information pamphlet can be downloaded for free and contains several examples of measures that companies can take to promote a better work-life balance. Examples include offering services such as child care in the workplace, the granting of additional leave for family reasons, a compressed work week, a flexible schedule and creating opportunities for employees to telecommute.

Would you be more willing to work for a company with BNQ certification (or another provincial equivalent)?

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