SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTION

• Do existing policies in the judiciary support work-life balance, including at most senior levels and across different occupational groups and jurisdictions?
  
  
• Do family-friendly policies and practices encourage equality between men and women by including incentives for men to take available care leave and flexible work entitlements?

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?

Difficulties with balancing work and private life can impede women from filling more senior positions within the judiciary. The judiciary places high demands on the hours that judges work, and office hours can be inflexible due to lengthy court sessions. While this can pose a serious barrier for judges with family responsibilities, women are more likely than men to resort to part-time work. It is important to include men in the discussion of a health work-life balance. Research shows that “a holistic approach is more likely to mobilize workplace support (and effect wider organizational change than policies aimed solely at women or those with childcare responsibilities "(Gregory and Milner, 2009: 3, 11).

ACTIONS TO CONSIDER

Over the years the need for balancing work and private life has led most judiciaries to implement leave policies, measures related to work time and organization and care services. Should they not yet be in place, they need to implemented:

Leave policies promoting a work-life balance: Maternity, paternity, parental leave; leave for health risks during pregnancy or breastfeeding; adoption leave; long-care leave;
Measures related to work time and organization: flexible hours and/or teleworking; ability to reduce hours temporarily; career breaks; time off for pre- and postnatal care; paid breastfeeding breaks.

In addition, the following measures could be considered:

• Make the perception of work-life balance part of the discussion.
• Present measures to promote a healthy work–life balance as an opportunity for the judicial organization to learn about the benefits of new ways of working
• Develop a business case for measures that promote a positive work-life balance
• Collect and disseminate data on how better work life arrangements increase job satisfaction and productivity
• Make work-life arrangements part of the annual evaluation interview with judicial staff;
• Ensure that work-life balance initiatives remain relevant by regularly review the needs of staff and the courts to reflect changes in staff circumstances and adapt work-life balance measures;

Cover a wide range of employee needs – including most senior positions - and situations within work-life balance policies;

• Widely disseminate available range of work-life balance options to that staff is aware of what is available; including at the most senior judicial posts;
• Work to adapt the organisational culture to encourage take-up of available work-life balance measures within the judiciary; including at the most senior judicial posts;
• Consider setting work-life balance performance expectations for court managers;
• Provide incentives for men to make us of available work-life balance arrangements; and encourage a more equal sharing of paid and unpaid work (household responsibilities) between men and women.

PITFALLS TO AVOID

• An exclusive focus on women judges. Men judges also struggle with work-life balance and equal arrangements for men and for women “normalize” the gender discussion;
• Exclusively focus on formal policies aimed at creating a healthy work-life balance thereby not seeing how organizational structures or organizational culture might undermine formal policies.