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