Vol. 530 No. 6
241 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which his Department intends to mark the family friendly workplace day on 1 March 2001; the initiatives he has in this area; and the way in which family friendly initiatives are being implemented for the staff in his Department. [4717/01]
As the Deputy is aware, the family friendly policies were established under the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness. The Department of Health and Children is very interested in celebrating family friendly workplace day.
The initiatives which my Department intends to undertake are: to organise a "go home on time" day which will happen on 1 March 2001 and all staff will be advised to leave for home on time; to encourage employees to log on to the family friendly website which is to be launched on the morning of 1 March 2001 by advertising family friendly workplace day on internal e-mail; a suggestion box will be placed at our customer services desk where Department staff may make suggestions for family friendly activities – the suggestions received will be considered by the personnel unit on an individual basis and may be implemented as appropriate; and posters supplied by the Equality Authority were placed on notice boards throughout the Department advertising family friendly workplace day.
I would like to inform the Deputy that every effort will be made by my Department to make this day a success and I will endeavour to continue to progress these family friendly initiatives for the benefit of all staff. As the Deputy is aware, my Department already facilitates a number of family friendly working arrangements such as flexitime, job sharing and term time working.
