Funding to promote flexible working has more than doubled, the Acting Minister for Children Fiona McLeod has announced.
The Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership, a coalition of organisations which encourage and help businesses become family friendly workplaces, will receive £250,000 – up from £100,000 funding last year.
Ms McLeod visited Badenoch & Clark, winners of Best Small Employer at the Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards 2015, to meet employees who benefit from flexible work arrangements.
She said: “We know many parents and carers have to juggle work with family commitments and this can be challenging. This government is committed to promoting flexible working across both public and private sector employers. That is why we fund the Family Friendly Working Scotland Partnership and I’m pleased we have been able to more than double the funding this year.
“We want more organisations to embrace flexible working arrangements for parents and carers as it benefits both employers and employees. It can boost productivity and performance, improve morale and wellbeing, as well as enhancing staff retention and recruitment.
“Badenoch & Clark is an excellent example of a business accommodating its employees’ needs for flexible working patterns and as a result, retaining talented and loyal staff. It is also proof that it’s not just large employers who can do so. I hope to see more businesses across Scotland develop similar approaches to flexible working.”
Bonnie Clarke, Director of Badenoch & Clark, said: “At Badenoch & Clark, we are fully committed to a family friendly working environment and were delighted to be recognised for our progressive policies by winning one of the inaugural Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards.
“We believe that working environments that help employees find a good work-life balance are the most productive and high performing and it’s great to see that the Scottish Government also recognises this through its increased funding for the Family Friendly Working Scotland partnership.”
Nikki Slowey, Programme co-ordinator for the Family Friendly Working Scotland (FFWS) programme said: “We are delighted to receive continued funding for the FFWS programme. FFWS supports employers to embed family friendly working practices, which have proven benefits for employees, employers and wider society.
“The Scottish Top Employers for Working Families Awards recognise best practice in this field and we are delighted that Ms McLeod will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from one of our inaugural award winners about how creating a family friendly workplace has benefitted employees and has been good for business. We hope to work with as many Scottish employers as possible during the coming year to make a real difference to working families across Scotland.”
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