Council helps new and existing employees get a good work life balance

Posted in: Skills and Learning

West Dunbartonshire Council is helping new and existing employees achieve a good work/life balance by offering flexible working and guaranteed interview to carers looking to return to work. 

New employees joining the Council are being given more opportunities to work flexibly as part of its commitment to support employees’ work life balance.  The Council is offering all employees, regardless of their length of service, the opportunity to apply for flexible working up to twice a year which was previously only open to worker who were in post for 26 weeks.

The Council is also offering carers who are returning to work following a period of unemployment to provide care a guaranteed interview to help them get back in to employment.

The Council is offering a guaranteed interview to candidates who meet the job criteria following a break from work to look after loved ones.

Returning to work can be a daunting experience with the belief that time spent caring, carers have lost skills, confidence and experience and the divide is too great to retrain and readjust to a working life.  

By offering flexible working to all new employees, I am confident we are increasing access to job opportunities for everyone, regardless of their current responsibilities.

Councillor Iain McLaren Depute Convener of Corporate Services

The Council, which was recently named the Best Public Sector Employer in the UK for its flexible and family-friendly policies, is highlighting the support it provides for employees as it marks work-life balance week starting on 2 to 6 October.

New positions with the authority are being advertised as suitable for flexible working, and prospective candidates can indicate their preferred flexible working pattern on their application form.

Options open to employees include working part time; job share; shift working; home-working; flexible hours; staggered hours and compressed hours

The Council, has also signed up to the Family Friendly Working Scotland campaign “Happy to Talk Flexible Working.”

Councillor Ian Dickson Convener of Corporate Services, said: “As a Council we are continually looking at ways to attract the best calibre of workers in Scotland to join the Council and we are delighted to offer a range of flexible working practices. By law, employees with 26 weeks continuous service can apply to work flexibly but we have gone beyond this and extended the offer to all of our employees,  making working for the Council more attractive to people with caring responsibilities and  helping our employees achieve the right balance between their home and work life.”  

Councillor Iain McLaren, Depute Convener of Corporate Services, added: “We know we have many parents and carers who want to work but need a job that fits around their child’s school hours or their caring responsibilities.