A Work-Life Balance Standard: Helping Employers Distinguish Themselves

Human resources specialists (and corporate social human resources specialists, as Elaine Cohen prefers), take note!  Earlier this month, the government of Québec introduced a new program – apparently the first of its kind in the world – to certify employers that implement work-life balance initiatives.

The foundation of the program is a new reference guide, developed by the provincial standard-setting Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ), in consultation with employers, employee representatives, academics, and government representatives, that specifies mandatory requirements and best practice elements of an employer’s work-life balance initiative. The work-life balance standard, or “la norme Conciliation travail-famille” (BNQ 9700-820), can be applied to any organization in the public or private sector, regardless of size or type of business.

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Celesa Horvath is a consultant, with 20 years of experience in corporate responsibility, sustainability, and environmental assessment. Her blog,Making Sense of Responsibility, aims to engage and support those who would further the art and science of corporate responsibility  and business sustainability, whether as a practitioner, a consumer, or an advocate.