Commission européenne

Avec le concours duFonds Social Européen

Work life balancein the building industry in France

« Women in the building industry : it’s possible »

Summary

A favourable legal context designed to promote Equal professional Opportunities between men and women

A voluntarist policy from the Federations of employers (FFB) in the building branch :

Practical measures set up by big firms : The example of VINCI The Equal Opportunities Label

1- Labour regulations

Art.R234-6 : load limit Art.R234-9 et 10 : forbidden jobs Art.R232-2 à R232-2-7 : bathroom

installations Art. L132-1 : «no sex mention» in job

advertisements L122-25 : « To be pregnant » can not be used

as an argument to refuse a woman applicationfor a job

2- legal context 9/05/01 : The Equal professional

Opportunities Act 06/02/02 : Draft for women’s access in the

building sector (FFB/Departments) 01/03/04 : National framework agreement for

professional mix and equal opportunities between men and women

04/05/04 : long life vocational training Act 13/07/04 : National agreement in

implementing long life vocational training in the building industry

3- Public measures Child care center (crèche)

Family allowance : state allowance paid to families with dependent children

Extended maternity or paternity leave

Commission européenne

Avec le concours duFonds Social Européen

The initiatives of the French Federation of the building industry

National publicity campains, local leadership women groups …

1- National publicity campains

To sensibilise enterprises to recruit women

To attract women in the sector

To mobilize Professionals in the sector to implement « good practices »

2- Local leadership women groups Origin : to give a professional recognition

(for instance to be put on the payroll) to the wife who worked with her husband

6 meetings per year to exchange good practices

A program in 3 parts :1. To meet institutional partners2. To follow a vocational training per year 3. To contribute to implement the FBB’s

policy

Commission européenne

Avec le concours duFonds Social Européen

A fine example of professional mix : Vinci group

An agreement on professional mix, publicity campains, a child

care center proposal…

1- Origin approachTo answer to the lack of skilled labour,

building firms, and notably Vinci decided to implement innovative measures :

To attract, to recruit, To promote And to keep

The women in the building industry

2-The current initiatives An agreement on professional mix in

the process of being validated Publicity campains : a video,

publications… A child care center project A sociological study, led by a temping

agency (ADECCO)

3- The main measures of the agreement on professional mix

1. Recruitment and Communication2. Training and involvement in

professional network3. Working conditions and careers

management4. Maternity and paternity5. Payment6. Work-life balance

Commission européenne

Avec le concours duFonds Social Européen

Conclusion and Prospect

The Equal Opportunities Label, the study visit in France proposal…

The Equal Opportunities Label To reward firms for setting up exemplary

practices To put these firms into light to show their

involvement to their employees It’s an accompanying tool : it overshoot

the legal commitments It’s a social justice tool : It promotes

the social responsability of thes firms

Study visit in France Proposal

To organize some meetings with involved people in the building sector : The leader of the women group in the

French Federation of the building industry The general secretary of « the Vinci Foundation », who is in

charge notably of the child care center project….

To meet women working in some building sites …

To meet a firm in another sector, for instance Peugeot, that has been rewarded by the Equal opportunities Label