The Working Families Council

This Working Families Council advises the Victorian Government on how to assist employers to create family friendly workplaces for working families.

The Working Families Council is made up of representatives from industry, unions and academia and meets quarterly.

The mission of the Working Families Council

Victorian working families are facing increasing pressures both in the home and at work. Changes in family structure and in labour market participation rates, as well as longer hours of work, mean that Victorian families are finding it more difficult to balance their work and family commitments.

The Victorian Government believes in the principles of fairness and equity for all workers. In this context it strongly supports productive family friendly workplaces and aims to promote cooperative workplaces through generating partnerships in the workplace.

That is why in August 2007 Victoria became the first State to set up a Working Families Council.

Working Families Council terms of reference

The Working Families Council:

Champions the issues facing Victoria’s Working Families
Promotes employers who have successfully implemented arrangements to assist working families and use these as model employers
Advises the Minister for Industrial Relations on the implementation of the Government’s Working Families Program
Advises the Minister for Industrial Relations on the further development of pay equity strategies and initiatives
Reports to the Minister for Industrial Relations on an annual basis on the activities of the Working Families Council
Undertakes other activities as referred by the Minister for Industrial Relations.

Council members

Chair: Ms Ilona Charles
Group General Manager - People & Culture, Medibank

Dr Anne Bardoel
President, Work/Life Association

Dr Sara Charlesworth
Senior Research Fellow, Center for Applied Social Research RMIT

Ms Gael Cracknell
Member, Small Business Advisory Council

Ms Lisa Fitzpatrick
Victorian Branch Secretary, ANF Victorian Branch

Ms Ingrid Stitt
Secretary, Australian Services Union, Victorian Private Sector Branch

Ms Alexandra Marriott
Manager, Workplace Relations Policy,VECCI

For information about the Council contact:

Libby O'Connor
Senior Policy Adviser
Working Families Program
Workforce Victoria
Department of Innovation, Industry and Regional Development
Ph: 03 9651 9490
Email: libby.o'connor@diird.vic.gov.au