Ask any employer what one of their key concerns is, and you will probably hear that it’s the need for skilled workers.  It seems everyone is talking about the serious labour crunch that is coming and that, in many industries, is already here.

Help is very definitely wanted.

Ask employees what their most important issue is, and the answer from many is that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. That juggling things at home, and at work, is tough.

It’s clear that some balance is needed.

What is the answer?  For many employers, they have found that offering a flexible workplace both attracts new employees and keeps them on the job once they are hired.

This is where WorkLife BC can help.  It’s a new province-wide initiative sponsored by the Ministry of Children and Family Development and the Honourable Linda Reid, Minister of State for Childcare.

Its goal is to celebrate, honor and raise awareness of the issue of work-life balance and illustrate how this can help both employers and employees in this unprecedented time of labour shortages and time constraints.

Workplaces in BC from all sectors –- private, public, non-profit, cooperative –- are eligible for nomination.  It’s easy to apply and the only requirement is that the workplace shows that it is making an effort to support employees in harmonizing work and life commitments.

The WorkLife BC Awards are a key component of this program.  I invite you to nominate outstanding employers for first annual WorkLife BCAwards, which will be given to recipients at a special forum in Vancouver on February 8 & 9, 2007.