Introduction

Department of Buildings Eastern Province

Department of Buildings being a Service Department of the Government of Sri Lanka is

authorized to undertake planning, designing, implementation and maintenance of building
projects funded through the Consolidate Fund. The Department of Buildings is in possession of
an in-house professionals comprising of Architects, Engineers (Civil and Electrical) and
technical support staff to accommodate such services.

Vision

To be the technical authority in building works ensuring the public sector organizations possess
safe, economical, sustainable and elegant built environments to deliver high quality services to
the nation.

Mission

To provide excellent services for the development of public sector building works by provision
of architectural design, engineering design, construction, maintenance, project management and
technical assistance ensuring technical accountability, quality, economy, functionality and
soundness for the total satisfaction of the stakeholders by a team of dedicated multidisciplinary
professionals.( To construct, reconstruct, renovate and maintain buildings to the satisfaction of
the state organizations in eastern Province.)

Work/life balance

Work/life balance is about adjusting working patterns, to allow employees to combine work with
their other responsibilities.

Introducing appropriate employment practices to help employees achieve a better work-life

balance brings tangible benefits to a business.

Enabling employees to feel more in control of their working life can lead to increased
productivity, lower absenteeism and a happier, less stressed workforce.

Demographic changes, including an ageing population and smaller family structures, will also
increase the likelihood of employees requesting flexible working arrangements if they haven't
done so already.

Adjusting working patterns gives staff the flexibility to meet their home responsibilities, such as
caring for children or elderly relatives, without jeopardizing their work position

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Recognizing work/life balance problems

As an employer, someone might find it hard to judge whether he is supporting his employees'
need to balance their commitments at work with those at home.

Tell-tale signs of poor work/life balance include:

• employees doing a lot of overtime

• employees taking a lot of time off to deal with 'emergencies' involving children or other
dependants
• high levels of employee stress
• high rates of absenteeism or staff sickness
• high levels of staff turnover

The Workplace Well-being Tool is a free resource designed to help you understand the specific
health and well-being issues within an organization.

The tool is divided into four sections:

• What are my costs? - measure the cost of poor health and well-being
• How do I compare? - compare your absenteeism and turnover rate against those of other
organizations
• How can I improve? - practical ideas to help you reduce health and well-being costs
• What’s the benefit? - estimate the costs and benefits of investing in well-being

If someone is looking to implement a new workplace well-being project, the tool features
powerful diagnostic tools to help you build an informed business case for action. The tool also
provides tailored guidance and best-practice ideas to improve his existing procedures.

Making the working environment more attractive

Improvements to the working environment can boost morale and help you retain valued staff.
Typical techniques include:

• free exercise classes

• a free/subsidized canteen
• company days out
• childcare vouchers
• funding/time-off for learning

Job design

Consider improving the quality of employees' work lives by designing jobs so they provide:

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 • some variety of method, location or skills
• regular feedback on their performance
• discretion in the timing, sequence and pace of work
• opportunity for problem-solving and learning/personal development
• specific responsibilities for achieving tasks or goals
• an understanding of how they contribute to the final product/service

Implementing policies to achieve work/life balance

Achieving a work/life balance is not just a one-off exercise, but a long-term commitment to
operating your business in a way that respects your employees' responsibilities outside work.
Policies designed to help you achieve this need to be tailored to your business and your
employees. Make sure you:

• determine your core business requirements first - what you want to achieve
• ask staff - both managers and other workers - what they want
• consult with trade unions/staff associations
• consult all employees affected and agree upon selected policies, eg flexi-time
• decide which of your employees will be covered by the scheme and ensure the scheme
does not breach employees' rights or unfairly discriminate
• draw up written procedures for implementation and evaluation, including regular
reassessment
• ensure support from management
• take the lead in demonstrating a commitment to work/life balance
• explain any changes to employees and keep them abreast of regulatory changes, eg the
right for parents to request flexible working

You may find it helpful to conduct a trial or pilot scheme to see how effective and workable your
new policies are. Change the programme if this proves necessary and keep track of the progress
of your business and your employees' work/life balance.

But in most of the government departments in Sri Lanka work/life balance is not a big issue.

What should be done in department of buildings?

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Make a decision

"The idea for a defined policy on work/life balance began when a member of staff became
pregnant. After working out a package that would allow her the flexibility she needed, we
decided we wanted to offer the same opportunities to all our staff.

With the flexible working culture, things needed to be formalized. So that we could be absolutely
confident that everyone is happy.

Put ideas into practice

Variety of methods should be used, many of which address the needs of families, but the
flexibility should be available to all. Flexible hours, compressed hours, job sharing and
dependency leave are all part of the mix. Parents can even bring children into the office during
the school holidays if an urgent need arises.

Achieving a better work/life balance is a cultural mindset, not just a set of policies. A key
element is a 'can do' attitude.

Involve people

Organizations’ policies must be explained at induction and hold twice-yearly appraisals that
include a question on work/life balance. Because we're flexible with staff and they feel involved,
they're flexible with us. They often come up with solutions to staffing issues that the
organization will not think possible. Ultimately, customer service will be improved.

Organization’s workforce should be highly motivated and staff turnover should be minimized

Conclusion

WLB as a part of legislation that needs to be complied with; others use them as tools to achieve
organizational aims. WLB problem is fuelled by various global developments and specific
attention to these topics within departments is vital to further develop WLB and ensure that they
bring the best possible results.

Recommendations

12 Month Action Plan for the Implementation of Work-Life Balance Programme in the
Department of buildings

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12MonthActionPlanfortheImplementationof Work-LifeBalanceProgramme

Duration
M M M
Tasks M1 M2 M3 M4 M5 M6 M7 M8 M9 10 11 12 Responsibility
PHASE I
Ensure top management support
Determine core organizational objectives Director buildings
Develo
p
advoca
cy
campa
ign for
key
stakeh
olders Director buildings
Presentation on the current situation and need for WLB Director buildings
Ensure commitment for resources by management deputy director
Management representation at staff meetings Mngmt

Set up a focal point for WLB issues

Define job description Deputy director
Selection of a suitable candidate Deputy director
Role orientation Deputy director

Further analysis on existing WLB practices

Needs assessment on WLB practices Deputy director
Research and analysis against the corporate world Deputy director

Staff communication
Consultation with staff on their needs Deputy director
Identify key communication message Deputy director
Preparation of promotional material Deputy director
Briefing sessions for local / expatriate staff Deputy director
Dissemination of material Deputy director
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Designate staff associations on WLB matters Deputy director