WORK-LIFE BALANCE

The Hon. CARMEL ZOLLO (15:21): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. Can the minister provide the chamber with details of the launch of the quality part-time work project, which is being led by SafeWork SA?

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister for State/Local Government Relations) (15:21): I thank the honourable member for her very important question. I also acknowledge the many years of interest the honourable member has had in relation to this sort of issue.

Recent data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics has highlighted the changing nature of the Australian family. No longer is the two-parent family the most common type of household. An ageing population, rising divorce rates and fewer marriages are changing the shape of a typical family structure.

The changing nature of the modern Australian family has meant a greater emphasis on flexible working arrangements to enable South Australians to meet the competing demands of work and life. Part-time work is the most widely-used flexible working arrangement in South Australia, with one-third of the workforce working part time.

One of the major projects of my ministerial advisory committee on work-life balance is the quality part-time work project, which is examining how the quality of part-time work in South Australia can be improved. Quality part-time work is associated with a range of workplace benefits that increase productivity and enable workers to effectively balance work with other life goals and responsibilities.

Initially focused on the South Australian retail industry, the project, which is being led by SafeWork SA, has worked with employers to support the implementation and evaluation of employers' actions to promote best practice in providing part-time arrangements in the private sector.

Quality part-time work ensures that an employee's skills continue to be developed and that they have the same access to training and career development opportunities as full-time workers. Quality part-time work can also be a key tool that assists people through major life transitions, such as moving from full-time study to work, returning to work from maternity leave and moving into retirement.

The project has resulted in the development of a publication called 'Quality part-time work in the retail sector'. The publication is available on the SafeWork SA website, www.safework.sa.gov.au., and I commend the publication to all employers and workers as a useful guide to providing quality part-time work arrangements in the retail sector.