Flexible Work Bill apt homage to Suffrage Day

“It is fitting that my Flexible Working Hours Private Members Bill will go through its committee stages in Parliament on Suffrage Day tomorrow,” Green Party Spokesperson on Women’s Affairs Sue Kedgley says.

“My Bill will help thousands of New Zealand women who are struggling to cope with the competing demands of paid work and raising a family.

“Giving employees the right to have more say over the hours, time and place of work will help reduce the chronic stress many women feel as they struggle to cope with paid work and raising a family.

“The reality is that many women are doing two full time jobs – one in paid work and one at home raising the family, and are feeling, as a consequence, under constant stress. Women in this country have higher rates of participation than men in all categories of unpaid work.

“Long and inflexible working hours are contributing to this stress and making it even more difficult for women to combine these virtually full time jobs.

“They are having a debilitating effect on women as well as their families and contributing to significant social problems that my Bill may help address.

“In so doing, it will relieve the stress on many New Zealand women and their families. Flexible hours stand to benefit employers, employees and families.

“The massive struggle of the suffragists to gain the vote for women in New Zealand must never be forgotten. One way to honour them is to continuously push for improvements in living and working conditions for the women of today and in the future,” Ms Kedgley says.