Do not seek jobs for life, but jobs that allow life - Cherie Blair
Employers who make it possible for their employees to have a proper work-life balance end up attracting the best people and having a high staff retention rate, Cherie Blair, the wife of the former British Prime Minister said today.
Speaking at a conference on Balancing Family and Career, held at the Hotel Phoenicia, the barrister, judge and mother of four said her advice to young committed workers was: “Do not seek a job for life, but a job that allows you life.”
“Firms which show flexibility are attracting the best people. This is not a case of altruism, because they benefit as much as their workers,” she said. “Staff retention means a better trained workforce, high morale and lower stress levels.”
Mrs Blair noted the fact that the female participation rate in the workforce in Malta is the lowest in the EU, but acknowledged that the government is working to improve it. It was good to see, she said, that the plane she flew on for her fourth visit to Malta was captained by a woman with a male co-pilot.
There was no magic answer to equality and work-life balance, she said. Her own life was like a juggler of plates, with the plates always about to crash down.
However, it was important - and it made good economic sense - for every country to use the potential of all its people. It was not sensible to ignore half the world, in this case, women.
This was not about women replacing men, but about engaging everyone.
Mrs Blair said she was not advocating that all women should work and adopt the same career patterns as men, but that mothers as well as fathers should be supported if they wanted to stay at home, but those who wished, or needed to have a career should be able to do so.
A proper work-life balance was not only about taking care of children, but also about taking care of the elderly and people with disabilities and having a more rounded life.
Mrs Blair insisted that women should not be written off in their thirties, which was a difficult age for them, and they should be given every opportunity to return to work when they were older.
She admitted that in her case, she did not take much maternity leave, so as to prove that she could beat the men at their own game. But that, she said, was foolish, as it reinforced the obstacles which women faced. Maternity, she said, was special, and required special measures.
She regretted that there was still a reluctance in some quarters to acknowledge that work could be done from home. Outdated practices needed to be reviewed, she said.
It benefited society to harness everyone’s talents, and therefore, it should act accordingly.
The activity was hosted by Kate Gonzi, the Prime Minister’s wife.
In the afternoon, Mrs Blair visited Villa Chelsea where she had a chat with the residents and staff before making her way to the airport for her flight back home.
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D. Zammit
Apr 1st 2009, 20:31
What a pity Mrs Blair did not make her speech in certain Govt organizations where bureaucracy makes it almost impossible for mothers to return to work or maintain their current position.
Regretfully, although the Govt. preaches that working mothers should be encouraged especially, returning mothers from maternity, this is surely not the case in those uniformed Govt organizations where equality and flexible hours for mothers at certain levels are considered "unacceptable" and are refused.
Maybe the Govt Cabinet of Ministers should look into the matter where the organizations' superiors feel themselves above the country's legislation !!!
Charity begins at home . . . so dear Minister please see into it.
Paul Smith
Apr 1st 2009, 20:18
yep, all fine for cherie
having milked the British cow for over a decade.
Her husbands hands are all over UK house price inflation that has driven the UK to the wall whilst she wallows in her 12 million pound mansion and her vested interests in the UK property market - sadly for her houses are falling at £75 a day and have fallen about £25,000 in the last year alone.
Jos Vella
Apr 1st 2009, 20:01
Does Cherie know that jobs in Malta are scarce; what Cherie stated applies to the UK where there are more job opportunities (or so it was before the global crisis hit the world); I have several friends of mine who live in London who resigned from one job and took another job within days from termination of their 1st job. Try that in Malta
John spiteri, Information Secretary, AN
Apr 1st 2009, 19:41
"Mrs Blair said she was not advocating that all women should work and adopt the same career patterns as men, but that mothers as well as fathers should be supported if they wanted to stay at home, but those who wished, or needed to have a career should be able to do so."
This is exactly what AN has been saying from the beginning and, would you believe it Mrs.Blair, it was rubbished by a female columnist, of all people, for saying so and accused of wanting to keep women at the kitchen sink.
malcolm seychell
Apr 1st 2009, 18:57
If there is a family in the UK who cannot speak about family measures is the Blair Family.
Her husband destroyed
1) Uk finances
2) Uk Culture
3) Uk Security
4) His country was attacked by terrorists
5) Entered a useless was in Iraq
6) Introduced some parts of Sharia Law in Uk( Truly a healthy family measure)
7) Uncontrolled illegal immigration
8 )Created the most unsustainable welfare state in the world
9) Have almost a weekly murder of committed by teenagers
10) Is responsible that 400000 UK Citizens leave the country each year
11) Inflation
12) Closed child adoption centers who are not ready to give children to homosexual couples.
etc etc
So please Mrs Blair, you are the last person on earth who can give lessons about family and career. Thanks to your husband many employers are leaving your country.
Who is our next guest. Fidel Castro's wife?
Joe Fenech
Apr 1st 2009, 18:12
Dear Cherie, many working mothers work because they have to! I lived for years in a very posh part in the SE of the UK and believe me, NO MOTHER WORKED!!! It's because their husbands were earning £60K + . They could AFFORD not to work and to spend their time going to health clubs and getting pampered! However, the reality of most people was that THEY HAD to work because that was the only way for them to survive. All that nonsense about female work-force being low is rubbish. Thanks goodness that Malta CAN AFFORD having only 1 parent working. All that women's rights thing is outdated hippy nonsense!! We have created a society where no one has a defined function - well, look at the chaos out there and you'll understand....
Joe Fenech
Apr 1st 2009, 17:45
Oh yes, you're the right person to talk. First you created havoc in the UK with your non-regulated capitalism and then you come and preach to us about jobs. Give us a break Cherie!
Brian Maloret
Apr 1st 2009, 15:20
You are right Anthony Magri, Cherie Blair and her husband Teflon Tony don't come cheaply when uttering their "words of wisdom" to us mere mortals.
Anthony Magri
Apr 1st 2009, 14:29
Was the cost of this conference justified. Only the presence of a personality enhanced the garthering otherwise what was said could had been told by any resonable good speaker. Nothing out of the ordinary. This might be the position of any conference except for the cost, as was said in previous blogs.
MS G HOARE
Apr 1st 2009, 14:01
HOW TRUE THESE FEW WORDS MAKE IN ANYBODY'S LIFE
THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I ENJOYED GETTING UP IN THE MORNING GETTING READY FOR WORK , TO HAVE A JOB THAT YOU REALLY LOVE AND KNOW THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU ARE APPRECIATED BY YOUR EMPLOYER, BUT IS IT THE CASE THESE DAY EVERYBODY IS JUST AN NUMBER IN A WORK PLACE , THE STRESS THESE DAY IS WHAT IS RUINING RELATIONSHIPS IN THE HOUSEHOLD ,SOME EMPLOYERS KEEPING ON THREATENING BEHAVIOUR THAT THERE IS OTHER PEOPLE THAT WANT 'S YOUR JOB , PRACTICALLY THEY MAKE YOU A DOOR MAT .
A HAPPY WORKER IS A GOOD WORKER
MAYBE WE NEED TO START NAMING THE BEST PLACE OF WORK and the WORST
Maria Muscat
Apr 1st 2009, 13:32
I can't help but agree 100% with Cherie Blair and speak out loud re the right of women to have a proper balanced life at work to be able to raise kids. I feel strongly that women in this country should speak out without fear like I do, as it is absolutely ridiculous that till this day, mothers find it so hard to find an employer that allows them to raise kids in the proper way. As Cherie Blair said, employers that make it possible for workers to have a proper life balance at work attract the best employers. Well said Mrs Blair and thank you for focusing on this subject that so many are scared or not interested to talk about.
J. Buhagiar
Apr 1st 2009, 13:10
Quote: “ It was not sensible to ignore half the world, in this case, women.” Agreed!
But we need to be slightly more analytical: Half the world can at least be divided into Working Mothers and Single women.
Ever since the country made a drive to move all mothers to go help the economy of the country and themselves; School hours (8am-to-2pm) automatically became absolutely out of conformance with the norm. Women work 8 to 5pm too.
So if “ it made good economic sense – for the country” it should also make sense for the country and the Government to change the school/teachers working hours too.
As long as school hours (8am-to-2pm) remain out of conformance with emerging needs and these continue to send our children home at 2pm; someone always pay the price of elements of non-conformance.
The price could be paying a baby sitter if the earnings are lucrative enough.
Or Grandma, Grandpa’s time if possible, sometimes.
Or! ...............Women and children whose life is, Quote: “like a juggler of plates, with the plates always about to crash down.”
Mrs. Gonzi, please show us all that you can make a significant contribution.
Seek to turn this around!
Please choose the reason of your report below: