Introduction

Since the 1930s economic thinking has been strongly dominated by growth theory and
the idea that economics is primarily about maximizing production. However the last 20
years have seen a growing belief that production, while important, is by no means the
only issue, and other dimensions of the economy also deserve attention. In particular it is
now widely accepted that workers do not simply give up their time in order to acquire
cash incomes, but rather that work is an important part of their lives and the quality of
their working life has real significance for them. Thus, if productivity and cash incomes
rise but at the expense of less happiness in the workplace, there could be a trade-off in
which the gains from greater earnings are partially or even totally offset by rising
personal costs
Work is not only important as a source of income; it is also an end in itself (Saunders,
2002). It is demoralizing if those who would like to work are unable to find anything
suitable, and failure to find work is associated with health problems (Martin, 1994). Work
gives people a sense of belonging (Phelps, 1997), a sense of identity (Barrett and
Spoonley, 2001) and a sense of self-worth in addition to the financial rewards (Lane,
.(1991; Freeman and Soete, 1994). People need to be needed (Layard, 2006
Since work matters to people it is not surprising that the quality of their working life
(QWL) matters (Birch and Paul, 2003). “QWL is found to significantly reduce
absenteeism, minor accidents, grievances, and quits” (Havlovic, 1991), and several life-
satisfaction studies have found that non-financial aspects of workplace satisfaction,
especially the climate of workplace trust, can have substantial income-equivalent effects
.((Firth et alia, 2004; Helliwell, 2005; James, 1992
Quality of work-life has attracted a lot of interest in the last decade. Measurement of
work-life satisfaction, stress at work, and psychological health at work has become a part
of a healthy human resources management. More recently, the notion of psychosocial
risks has begun to be introduced in the field of prevention of mental health problems at
.work
In 1995, the INSERM had proposed a definition of psychosocial factors: The
psychosocial factors at work referred to a large set of variables that are at the crossroad of
individual, collective and organisational dimensions of the professional activity. It
encompassed three types of factors. The first type are factors associated to work demand
and control: organisational and technical constraints, overwhelming hierarchical control,
low individual latitude, lack of opportunities to take work break during the day, lack of
clear directives, ambiguous attitude from the direction. The second type covers factors
link to social support : dynamic of the interpersonal relations on which the cooperation
and mutual help between colleagues and from the direction are based. The symptoms of
stress at work constitute the third type. They are personal indicators of adaptation to work
constraints, whatever they are. In order to shift from a curative paradigm to a preventive
one, we have to consider the psychosocial risk factors similarly to classical risk factors at
work such as those responsible for work injuries, intoxication, etc. We should be able to
adequately measure these risks in order to implement preventive strategy and prevent
.organisational crisis as well as burn out and mental health problem at work
QUALITY OF LIFE AT WORK
“Quality of Work Life, at a given time, corresponds to a
condition experienced by the individual in his or her dynamic
pursue workers of his or her hierarchically organized goals
within work domains where the reduction of the gap separating
the individual from these goals is reflected by a positive impact
on the individual’s general quality of life, organizational
performance, and consequently the overall functioning of
society. (p.22)”

The fundamental assumption of this definition is that humans are goal directed behaviour
organisms and as such, all their behaviours are oriented toward reducing the gap that
exists between their present living condition in different life domains and their objectives
in these domains. This assumption find it roots in the systemic approach applied to
biological organisms by Bertalanffy (1973), Ashby (1956), Weiner (1948) and Powers
(1973). In this model, the pursuit of goals is based on the Aristotelician’s view of
happiness. Our behaviours are oriented toward goals and certain goals are subordinate to
others but the ultimate one is the pursuit of happiness. The notion of happiness connotes
here not the search for pleasure or hedonistic satisfaction but a relatively stable condition
.over time, influenced by the individual’s adaptability and a minimum of material goods
From these premises Dupuis et al. (1989) developed a new theoretical framework based
on the concepts of goal, control, positive and negative feedback loops and hierarchical
.organization of goals in different domains of life to define the notion of quality of life
:Thus, according to Dupuis et al. (2000), general QOL is defined as follows

Quality of life, at a given time, is a state that corresponds to the level attained by a‘‘
person in the pursuit of her hierarchically organized goals’’ (page 107). This general
2
framework has been extended by Martel and Dupuis (2006) to the definition of quality of
.work life
Quality of Working Life is a term that had been used to describe the broader job-related
experience an individual has.
Whilst there has, for many years, been much research into job satisfaction (1), and, more
recently, an interest has arisen into the broader concepts of stress and subjective well-
being (2), the precise nature of the relationship between these concepts has still been little
explored. Stress at work is often considered in isolation, wherein it is assessed on the
basis that attention to an individual’s stress management skills or the sources of stress
will prove to provide a good enough basis for effective intervention. Alternatively, job
satisfaction may be assessed, so that action can be taken which will enhance an
individual’s performance. Somewhere in all this, there is often an awareness of the
greater context, whereupon the home-work context is considered, for example, and other
factors, such as an individual’s personal characteristics, and the broader economic or
cultural climate, might be seen as relevant. In this context, subjective well-being is seen
as drawing upon both work and non-work aspects of life.
However, more complex models of an individuals experience in the workplace often
appear to be set aside in an endeavor to simplify the process of trying to measuring
“stress” or some similarly apparently discrete entity. It may be, however, that the
consideration of the bigger, more complex picture is essential, if targeted, effective action
is to be taken to address quality of working life or any of it’s sub-components.
In such a way as to produce real benefits, are they for the individual or the organisation.
Quality of working life has been differentiated from the broader concept of Quality of
Life. To some degree, this may be overly simplistic, as Elizur and Shye,(1990)(3)
concluded that quality of work performance is affected by Quality of Life as well as
Quality of working life. However, it will be argued here that the specific attention to
work-related aspects of quality of life is valid.
Whilst Quality of Life has been more widely studied (4), Quality of working life, remains
relatively unexplored and unexplained. A review of the literature reveals relatively little
on quality of working life. Where quality of working life has been explored, writers differ
in their views on its’ core constituents.
It is argued that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts as regards Quality of
working Life, and, therefore, the failure to attend to the bigger picture may lead to the
failure of interventions which tackle only one aspect. A clearer understanding of the
inter-relationship of the various facets of quality of working life offers the opportunity for
improved analysis of cause and effect in the workplace.

3
This consideration of Quality of working Life as the greater context for various factors in
the workplace, such as job satisfaction and stress, may offer opportunity for more cost-
effective interventions in the workplace. The effective targeting of stress reduction, for
example, may otherwise prove a hopeless task for employers pressured to take action to
meet governmental requirements.

Theories about Quality of Working Life

Various authors and researchers have proposed models of Quality of working life which
include a wide range of factors. Selected models are reviewed below.
(1) Hackman and Oldham (1976) (5) drew attention to what they described as
psychological growth needs as relevant to the consideration of Quality of working
life. Several such needs were identified; Skill variety, Task Identity, Task
significance, Autonomy and Feedback. They suggested that such needs have to be
addressed if employees are to experience high quality of working life.
(2) Taylor (1979)(6) more pragmatically identified the essential components
of Quality of working life as; basic extrinsic job factors of wages, hours and
working conditions, and the intrinsic job notions of the nature of the work itself.
He suggested that a number of other aspects could be added, including; individual
power, employee participation in the management, fairness and equity, social
support, use of one’s present skills, self development, a meaningful future at
work, social relevance of the work or product, effect on extra work activities.
Taylor suggested that relevant Quality of working life concepts may vary
according to organisation and employee group.

(3) Warr and colleagues (1979)(7), in an investigation of Quality of working

life, considered a range of apparently relevant factors, including work
involvement, intrinsic job motivation, higher order need strength, perceived
intrinsic job characteristics, job satisfaction, life satisfaction, happiness, and self-
rated anxiety. They discussed a range of correlations derived from their work,
such as those between work involvement and job satisfaction, intrinsic job
motivation and job satisfaction, and perceived intrinsic job characteristics and job
satisfaction.
(4) Mirvis and Lawler (1984)(8) suggested that Quality of working life was
associated with satisfaction with wages, hours and working conditions, describing
the “basic elements of a good quality of work life” as; safe work environment,
4
equitable wages, equal employment opportunities and opportunities for
advancement.
(5) Baba and Jamal (1991)(9) listed what they described as typical indicators
of quality of working life, including: job satisfaction, job involvement, work role
ambiguity, work role conflict, work role overload, job stress, organizational
commitment and turn-over intentions. Baba and Jamal also explored routinisation
of job content, suggesting that this facet should be investigated as part of the
concept of quality of working life. Some have argued that quality of working life
might vary between groups of workers. For example, Ellis and Pompli (2002)(10)
identified a number of factors contributing to job dissatisfaction and quality of
working life in nurses, including: Poor working environments, Resident
aggression, Workload, Unable to deliver quality of care preferred, Balance of
work and family, Shift work, Lack of involvement in decision making,
Professional isolation, Lack of recognition, Poor relationships with
supervisor/peers, Role conflict, Lack of opportunity to learn new skills.

(6) Sirgy et al.; (2001)(11) suggested that the key factors in quality of
working life are: Need satisfaction based on job requirements, Need satisfaction
based on Work environment, Need satisfaction based on Supervisory behaviour,
Need satisfaction based on Ancillary programmes, Organizational commitment.
They defined quality of working life as satisfaction of these key needs through
resources, activities, and outcomes stemming from participation in the workplace.
Maslow’s needs were seen as relevant in underpinning this model, covering
Health & safety, Economic and family, Social, Esteem, Actualisation, Knowledge
and Aesthetics, although the relevance of non-work aspects is play down as
attention is focussed on quality of work life rather than the broader concept of
quality of life.These attempts at defining quality of working life have included
theoretical approaches, lists of identified factors, correlational analyses, with
opinions varying as to whether such definitions and explanations can be both
global, or need to be specific to each work setting.

(7) Bearfield, (2003)(12) used 16 questions to examine quality of working

life, and distinguished between causes of dissatisfaction in professionals,
intermediate clerical, sales and service workers, indicating that different concerns
might have to be addressed for different groups. The distinction made between job
satisfaction and dissatisfaction in quality of working life reflects the influence of

5
 job satisfaction theories. Herzberg at al., (1959)(13) used “Hygiene factors” and
“Motivator factors” to distinguish between the separate causes of job satisfaction
and job dissatisfaction. It has been suggested that Motivator factors are intrinsic to
the job, that is; job content, the work itself, responsibility and advancement. The
Hygiene factors or dissatisfaction-avoidance factors include aspects of the job
environment such as interpersonal relationships, salary, working conditions and
security. Of these latter, the most common cause of job dissatisfaction can be
company policy and administration, whilst achievement can be the greatest source
of extreme satisfaction. An individual’s experience of satisfaction or
dissatisfaction can be substantially rooted in their perception, rather than simply
reflecting their “real world”. Further, an individual’s perception can be affected
by relative comparison – am I paid as much as that person - and comparisons of
internalised ideals, aspirations, and expectations, for example, with the
individual’s current state (Lawler and Porter, 1966) (1).
In summary, where it has been considered, authors differ in their views on the core
constituents of Quality of Working Life (e.g. Sirgy, Efraty, Siegel & Lee, 2001 (11) and
Warr, Cook & Wall, 1979)(7).
It has generally been agreed however that Quality of Working Life is conceptually similar
to well-being of employees but differs from job satisfaction which solely represents the
workplace domain (Lawler, 1982)(15).
Quality of Working Life is not a unitary concept, but has been seen as incorporating a
hierarchy of perspectives that not only include work-based factors such as job
satisfaction, satisfaction with pay and relationships with work colleagues, but also factors
that broadly reflect life satisfaction and general feelings of well-being (Danna & Griffin,
1999)(16). More recently, work-related stress and the relationship between work and non-
work life domains (Loscocco & Roschelle, 1991)(17) have also been identified as factors
that should conceptually be included in Quality of Working Life.
3. Constructs of Quality of Work Life
The selected constructs of QWL that we use in this in this report are derived from the
European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Condition (EWON)
(2002) who have used the dimensions widely in their QWL studies. These factors are
believed to be appropriate and reliable in the context of Asia generally and Malaysia
specifically because some of the factors were used separately by researchers in Japan
(Fujigaki, Asakura and Haratani, 1993), Singapore (Lau et al., 2001) and Malaysia 2001)
and Malaysia are health and well-being, job security, job satisfaction, competence
development and the balance between work with non-work life. The following section
6
discusses each of the constructs of QWL from the perspectives of professionals in Kot
Addu Power Company Limited.
3.1. Health and well-being
Health and well-being of QWL refer to physical and psychological aspects of an
individual in any working environment. Asakura and Fujigaki (1993) examined the direct
and indirect effect of computerization and equipment base work on workers health and
well-being. Their results were similar to the study of Iacovides, Fountoulakis and Kaprins
(2003) that higher job demand leads to higher strain work environment, hence; it affects
their health and well being. An unstrained work environment ensures good health and
psychological conditions which enable the employees to perform job and non-work
related functions without inhibitions. Thus, it leads to an unstressful work environment
providing comfortable work life.
There are many definitions of stress as it is deemed as a subjective phenomenon of QWL.
Chan et al. (2000) define stress as a response to the perceived relationship between the
demands on individuals and the ability to adjust to their work environment. Carayon,
Smith and Haims (2001) revealed that stress arises in the process of interaction between a
person and the work environment that threatens the individual’s physical, psychological
and physiological homeostasis. Physical illness and psychological disorders increase
when pressure at work increases. Stress causes problems to the muscular system and
circulation thus, increasing the risk of myocardial infarction which is well documented in
psychosomatic studies. They further reported that employees who have been exposed
over two years in high strain work environment are associated with higher systolic blood
pressure.
The nature of engineering professions reflect a similar situation that continuously
demanding and monotonous work environment that affects the brains resulting in
exhaustion and decreasing in some of professionals’cognitive abilities.
Depression and anxiety are also another form of stress that contributes towards the
deterioration of health. Employees develop various symptoms of stress that can harm job
performance, health and even threaten the ability to cope with the environment. In the
past few decades, impressive developments of information technologies have taken place
in workplace. Apart from the positive effects of IT there are also potential adverse effects
that must not be overlooked.
Korunka et al. (1997) identified automated office proponents to subjectively experience
stress and dissatisfaction at work. Technical work related jobs have been associated with
repetitive strain as well as problems related to excessive exposure to video display
terminals (Ng and Munro-Kua, 1994; Duxbury, Higgins and Johnson, 1999). Routine
7
work, badly designed instruments such as computers and furniture in IT work
environment have significantly increased work related disorders (Blatter and Bongers,
2002) such as musculoskeletal problems (Cardosa and Wan Fauziah, 1994).

Jobs in Technical work environment have become a critical factor because they involve a
new set of stressors that are also physically demanding. Many researchers highlight
Techno-stress concept when discussing stress that is related to IT (Bradley, 2001).
Techno-stress includes the pressure of mastering the IT revolution, the daily frustrations
and sudden interruptions of software bugs or system crashes, resulting in work
intensification and workplace stress. The symptoms of techno stress are related to
physical and psychological conditions such as backache, uncertain tempers, ulcers, acne,
insomnia, low morale and job-hopping. On the other hand, resistance to learn and keep up
with IT or rejection of the technology due to individual ambivalence, reluctance or fear of
IT also causes stress particularly among seasoned IT professionals.
There are substantial literatures linking computerization and health and well being in
Occupational industry. Cardosa and Wan Fauziah (1994) had highlighted the alarming
situation of health and safety among the computer users in various occupational offices
Workers. They suggested for a serious policy initiatives on computer users because they
argued that the workers’ health should not be sacrificed for the sake of greater
productivity and efficiency in the industry. A recent research conducted by Blatter and
Bongers (2002) on the duration of computer and mouse use in relation to musculoskeletal
disorders of neck or upper limb, indicates that the duration and the frequency of computer
use have substantially increased the health risk of the users.
The majority of these studies showed substantial increase in neck, shoulder and hand or
wrist problem among those working for longer hours with poor ergonomic practices
while working on a computer and other office equipment. Several large cross-sectional
and longitudinal studies have focused on job components such as demands, control,
rewards and support. The results indicate that the combination of high demands and low
control at work have impact on health and well being. The European Agency for Safety
and Health at Work (2000) examined the number of European employees that are
exposed to risks or that have experienced illness.

They observed that the main indicators for Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) risks
are the work pace which is determined by a high prevalence of repetitive movements and
high-speed work. This finding is parallel to the earlier research by Ng and Kua (1994) on
the health hazards among techno- professionals. The research signifies that a substantial

8
number of Technical professionals experienced OSH outcomes such as musculoskeletal
disorders, stress and work-related sick leave. Although, the health and well-being of
workforce has improved due to the disappearance of harsh and hazardous work in the last
century, workforce are again at risk because of the nature of contemporary work
especially in Tecnical industries is psychologically demanding. Therefore, job demands
that cause strain can be detrimental to individual health, thus leading to psychological
distress andhealth complaints (Karasek and Theorell, 1991; Cheng et al., 2000; De Jonge
et al., 2000). As a concluding remark, Tecnical workplace should focus on prevention
strategies from poor health and wellbeing in order to provide a good QWL. Factors that
lead to physical and psychological disorders should be nipped in its bud in order to
provide a good QWL among the fastest growing Techno-professional workforce.
Stress Management techniques and complementary medicine may have some positive
benefits as short-term relief of strains, but they cannot eradicate the problem completely.
The prevention strategies should focus on the relationship between the individual job
context, working conditions and the changes in the workplace. The prevention strategies
must be healthy and humanistic nature in order to enable Techno-professionals to work
comfortably. An unstressful workplace is not merely from the financial reimbursement or
other benefits that matter. It is a feeling of fulfillment and gratification that the employees
experience from working, thus it eventually provides a good health and well being.

3.2. Job security

A dramatic change of workforce in contemporary work environment has revealed a

significant amount of organization change (Watson et al., 2003). Organization change
such as downsizing, rightsizing and outsourcing have adversely affected employees’
loyalty, morale, motivation and perceived job security. Organization of Economic
Cooperation and Development (OECD) (1996) highlighted that job security is the most
controversial issue in contemporary work environment. Job security, the central aspect of
QWL represents strength of the organizations to provide permanent and stable
employment regardless of the changes in work environment. Hence, providing a sense of
security is important especially in the work environment where many facets of jobs can
be outsourced.
The increase in industry wide unemployment and outsourcing trends have made it evident
that job security cannot be taken for granted (Probst, 2003). Jobs in industries such as
computer programming, software development, system analysis in power generation
companies are highly paid but the chance to extend the contract is uncertain. Therefore, it

9
is observed that Technical work industry has practiced high employment rate but low job
security which has led to the intrinsic insecure work environments that lead to poor
QWL.
This move has prompted some critics to view that employers are adopting an active
policy of creating a division between the core of highly protected workers, with long-
term career perspectives and a periphery of project based technical professionals where
employer can leverage scarce and high value talents that tend to be terminated at the end
of every project. The increase in project based working arrangements is often regarded as
employees’ choice, although the desire has come from the employer to increase the part
timers or contract workers and long work culture (Cooper, 1998).
The emergence of outsourcing and IT automation concept also has significantly fuelled
the sense of job insecurity among Technical and working at professionals. As a
conclusion, the unstable work nature and the way working culture are being diversified,
point to a considerable impact on the job security among the Technical and working at
professionals.
The ability of organization to provide better QWL to retain their Technical professionals
has been a critical factor in the effort to achieve strategic business goal. The exit of
Technical professionals who seem to know a project in detail can ultimately contribute to
the lost of business opportunities. Not long ago, Fortune magazine reported that quitting a
job in the technology profession has become an annual event, as the average job tenure in
IT shrank to about 13 months, down from about 18 months in 1998 (Daniels and Vinzant,
2000). Changing employers may be an effective career strategy for some Technical
professionals. On the other hand, most organizations strive to retain the valued Technical
professionals by various means. This is one of the realities of QWL among the Technical
professionals even though the organization provides secured job environment that is
expected to provide better QWL.

3.3. Job Satisfaction

As Technical professionals become vital in leapfrogging a country such as Pakistan into a
developed nation, the stable transformation of the existing workforce towards knowledge
workers emphasizes the importance of having satisfied employees. Traut, Larsen and
Feimen (2000) suggested that a better understanding of job satisfaction will ensure a
sustainable development of Technical workforce. Although, job satisfaction has been
studied ever since the emergence of concept of job (Lamond and Spector, 2000),
It remains as one of the most heavily studied topics in the human resource management
especially among the industry like IT which experiencing high turnover culture.

10
Typically job satisfaction is defined as an employee’s level of positive effect towards job
or job situation that enhances quality of work life. The definition, however, evolves as the
changes take place in work environment. Later, cognitive and behavioural components
were added to this definition. The cognitive aspect represents an employee’s belief about
his job or job situation.
This means an employee may believe that his or her job is interesting, stimulating, or
otherwise. The behavioural component represents an employee’s behavioural tendencies
toward his or her job. The action of attending work regularly, working hard and intending
to stay in the organization for long period of time shows the positive behaviour which
indicates job satisfaction. In contrast, negative behavioural outcomes reveal
dissatisfaction in job. Job satisfaction of an employee differs in meaning and importance
in relations to the facets of work. Some may feel pay and fringe benefits that meet his
expectations to be extremely important; another, it may be essential to have a job that
provides an opportunity for challenging assignment.
The results of previous studies indicate that many different aspects of the job, such as
pay, promotions, supervision, fringe benefits, one’s co-workers support, and excessive
working hours (Watson et al,. 2003) are associated with levels of satisfaction. Martinsons
and Cheung (2001) reported that Techno- professional’s insufficient compensation and
poor promotion prospects were key sources of dissatisfaction. For example, offering
compensation and rewards significantly lower compared to the competitors for the same
type of work can trigger employees’ dissatisfaction that will create intention among them
to leave the organization. Therefore, it is important to know whether the employees are
satisfied. It is also widely expressed that job satisfaction appears to stem from the
interaction between the employee, the job itself and the organizational context within
which the job is carried out. In summary, the scope of job satisfaction varies with the
industries however, general concepts such as
physical conditions that allow the utilization of the ability of employees, proud of
working in an organization and a sense of belonging that leads to job satisfaction are
among the items adopted in any study on QWL

3.4. Competency Development

There was a strong consensus that technical professionals would need to continuously
enhance their skill sets in order to remain employable in the Technical industry Work
associated with greater task variety, task discretion and skill development opportunities
foster the competency development among the workforce (Javernpaa and Eloranthay,
2001). There are types of work, which are intrinsically interesting and provide

11
opportunities for competency development. The nature of Technology related jobs are
expected to stimulate growth in skills and knowledge. This is seen as an important aspect
of competency development that enhances QWL. Therefore competency development is
operationalized as the nature of the job that provides opportunities and stimulates growth
in skills and knowledge either for career or organizational development. Career
development opportunity will provide essential training that will help the individual
employees to equip with the new skills to spearhead in their career.
Most contemporary organizations do not limit themselves to just training an employee
for a job, but they go beyond to furnish them with a support system that encourages
workplace learning. Empirical research portrays that Technical profession is associated
with higher skill levels, greater employee responsibility and greater task complexity that
lead to higher utilization of individual capabilities. Hence, individuals in such work
scenario, which use more advanced technological infrastructures, are exposed to greater
competency development (Wall, Cordery and Clegg, 2002).
Learning opportunities and skill discretion have also proven to have a positive effect on
job satisfaction and reduced job stress that will lead to better QWL. The opportunity to
develop and the use of skills is associated with learning mechanisms. This applies
especially when the job requires employees to deploy cognitive skills. With respect to
learning, greater autonomy on job enhances the acquisition and utilization of knowledge
whilst greater participation is held to promote cognitive
growth via increased knowledge transfer among employees (Scully, Kirkpatrick and
Locke 1995). Such a job environment expands knowledge base, leads to a better
understanding of how the job is related to other organizational practices and a greater
ability to solve problems. In such a situation, employees gain the cognitive and
behavioural repertoire to predict, control or cope with uncertain demands thus reducing
the likelihood of poor QWL. In contrast, high job demands with inadequate control
reduce the ability and opportunities to develop new skills and knowledge and thus
enforce negative attitudes and anxiety which deteriorate QWL. Martinsons and Cheung
(2001) further reported that technical skills were perceived to be the most important skill
for new technical professionals.
Meanwhile the most important skills for experienced professionals were project
management, interpersonal skills and business knowledge. Technical skills are important
because they are related to creativity, flexibility and the ability to work as part of a team
(Jarvenpaa and Eloranta, 2001). Therefore, lack of career progression and professionals
development in such a working environment may cause Technical professionals to
experience poor QWL.

12
Thus, understanding the constructs of QWL in terms of job environment that provides
essential competencies for the Technical professionals to excel in their careers will ensure
good QWL.
3.5. Work and non-work life balance
A major component of QWL, which is important for both the employees and the
employers, is the relationship between work and home life. In an increasing competitive
environment, it is difficult to separate home and work life. Employees today are more
likely to express a strong desire to have a harmonious balance among career, family life
and leisure activities. This has been suggested at the international level the need for
national policies in many countries. An ILO convention that was adopted in 1981, states
that it is necessary for organizations to help employees to balance their work and non-
work demands (Lewis, 1997). The advantage of being able to work anywhere and at
anytime has blurred the boundaries of work and leisure hours. Ironically, with Technical
revolution and intensified virtual communications, workload and working hours among
the workforce have increased. The extended function of IT as a communication tool
necessitates employees to distinguish between significant and insignificant information.
This could increase the intensity of work because the information overload through e-
mail consumes a considerable amount of time. Therefore, Technical professionals to
some extent are required to work long hours; hence compromising their personal time
will lead to an imbalance between work with non-work life.
The threat of imbalance in work and non-work life has implications not only on the
employees but also on organizations, governments and society (Grzywacz and Marks,
2000; Swanson, Power and Simpson, 1998). This relationship is bi-directional because
previous studies have indicated that less conducive environments in the workplace have a
greater impact on home life than vice versa.
Another important factor that creates an imbalance work condition was a commitment to
the work activities. The IT work environment is widely assumed to be a high-
commitment workplace that forces the Technical professionals to sacrifice their personal
leisure hours to meet their work demand. The flexible scheduling of work hours which
supposedly contribute to balance work and family relationship, which may create a
conflict. Such a work arrangement demands the Technical professionals to be committed
with work whenever possible and hijack them from joining non work related activities. A
meta-analysis has confirmed that conflict between work and non-work life is associated
with impaired psychological well-being and other negative outcomes (Allen et al., 2000).
Work family conflict is a form of inter-role conflict in which the general demand of time
devoted to the job interferes with the involvement of family related responsibilities. The

13
study carried out by Aminah (2002) supports that inter-role family conflict occurs when
the cumulative demands of multiple roles at home and at work become too great to
manage comfortably.
Allen et al. (2000) emphasized that problems associated with family responsibilities are
additional sources that may diminish QWL among technical professionals. They
additionally assert that when an employee has higher work responsibility there will be
more spillover of negative work outcomes on family life. The demands of managing
higher responsibility at work and home are also a potential source of stress because it
allows a spillover to family life thus creating an imbalance working environment. Burke
(1998) proposed three hypotheses to explain the work-family relationship.
The first is spillover, where the events of one environment affect the other; the second is
compensation, where the individuals attempt to compensate in one environment for what
is lacking in the other and the third is where the environments can be described as
independent. Accordingly, Technical based employers that have been slow to respond to
the continuing pressures have contributed to a growing incidence of work-life conflict
among their employees.
The spillovers between work and personal life have serious implications on employees’
QWL. It has also been argued that the conflict related to work and personal demands can
lead to negative health outcomes for employees, may decrease organizational
commitment, job satisfaction and increase burnout, which will eventually lead to poor
QWL. Traditional human resource policy practices that require the Technical
professionals to work long hours at the expense of personal time is believed to generate
poor work family relationship. Working long hours consistently reflect poor health both
physically and psychologically. Most studies on hours of work and health re-affirm that
consistent long hours at work do reflect itself in employees’ ill health, both physical and
psychological. As the Technical work environment imposes its employees to work
extended hours either at office or home, this might have tremendous effect on the marital
and family relationship.
There is a link between long hours and the breakdown of the family, primarily because in
contemporary business environment an average family is a dual-earner family. Elisa and
Ellen (2001) revealed that the majority of employees suggested that their long work hours
have negatively affected their personal life and family responsibilities. The portability
and the connectivity of IT allow the connection of job task from remote areas. The
stringent deadline on their tasks encourages the Technical professionals to engage with
work task for longer hours in a day. Indeed, the Technical professionals are willing to
sacrifice non-work related activities to accomplish the task on time. Bradley (2001)

14
argued that constantly increasing work demand creates an isolation of the personnel from
their families. Personnel and family responsibility are neglected in the process of securing
an economic prospect; hence, it deteriorates the interaction of family life that reduces
QWL. Competitive work pressures among Technical professionals to boost productivity
with skeleton resources make it difficult to achieve a balanced work-life.
The work pressures affect the employee’s social environment, and if no corrective action
taken, it may result in a poor social life. Therefore, alternatives such as career breaks,
flexible working arrangements (Bijleveld, Andries and Rijkevorsel, 2000) and family
friendly employment policies were suggested to balance between work and non-work
life.
Reducing the level of spillover may help to reduce the perceived stress and psychological
stress and assist to maintain some amount of balance between the two environments
(Aminah, 2002). The existing low level of organizational support with increase in work-
life conflict provides the risk of lower QWL. Organizations need to provide alternative
means of employment practices to eliminate the pressure of spillover without influencing
the career progression. The balance is important particularly among the Technical
professionals in order to nurture and develop the sustainable human resource practices in
the IT work environment. Therefore, balance between work and non-work life is
suggested as one of the measures of QWL.

15
 .(Figure 2: Quality of work life global score (percentile

LIFE/WORK BALANCE

1. What is life/work balance?

2. What are the benefits to employers?
3. Key considerations
4. How to devise and implement a life/work balance strategy
5. Monitoring and evaluation
An organization that is committed to life/work balance:

• Recognizes that effective practices to promote life/work balance will benefit the
organization and its employees
• Acknowledges that individuals at all stages of their lives work best when they are
able to achieve an appropriate balance between work and all other aspects of their
lives
16
 • Highlights the employer’s and the employee’s joint responsibility to discuss
workable solutions and encourages a partnership between work and all other aspects
of their lives
• Develops appropriate policies and practical responses that meet the specific needs
of the organization and its employees having regard to:
• fairness and consistency
• valuing employees for their contribution to the business, not their working
pattern
• monitoring and evaluation
• Communicates its commitment to life/work strategies to its employees and
jobseekers
• Demonstrate leadership from the top of the organization and encourages managers
to lead by example.

The key is to make life/work balance part of the way of life, rather than a procedure that
.needs to be followed. It should pervade all policy, procedure and practice

17
WHAT IS LIFE/WORK BALANCE
Life/work balance can mean different things to different people and in different contexts and this
makes it very difficult to define. In the context of the Workload Agreement, the focus is clearly on
reducing working hours and workload and thereby to reduce the associated burdens and stress upon
staff. The successful implementation of the Workload Agreement, with the associated reduction in
.work, bureaucracy etc, will in itself contribute to a better life/work balance for staff
It is also about a more general desirability for workers to have control over their lives and to
manage the demands and expectations of modern life by achieving harmony between their work and
private commitments.
However, it is also important to be aware that life/work balance is not about employers having to
accommodate every employee’s wish for time of, flexible working etc. It is about mutual flexibility
which does not unreasonably impact on the ‘business’ needs and accommodates the reasonable
wishes and needs of employees.
In general terms, achieving a reasonable life/work balance may mean a consideration of the
following issues

Final 01/08/2008 18
 .e.g
Flexible working
• Part-time, job share
• Term-time working, annualised hours
• Flexi-time
• Home-working
.e.g
Flexible Absence
• Sick leave
• Parental leave
• Compassionate leave
• Holidays
.e.g
Working Culture
• Working hours
• ‘Working smarter not harder’
• Timing of meetings, training etc,
• Expectations, either direct or implied (e.g.
• Start and finish times
by example), of the
• Workload (including working at home)
organization/managers
• Breaks
• Expectations staff have of themselves or
• Equalities
choices that individuals make
.e.g
Facilities and benefits
• Health & safety, training & development
NB not necessarily paid for by the)
• Provision of laptops for use at home
(organization but facilitated by it
• Provision of staff room, drink facilities etc.
• Arrangements for services to be provided at
organization. car washing, shopping delivery
.e.g
Quality of work / home life
• degree of personal autonomy
• health & fitness
• recognition of the right to time to pursue
personal interests outside work

?WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO EMPLOYERS

Life/work balance can be seen as something that benefits employees, but which is rather
inconvenient and some would say at times, detrimental to the employer. However, research has

Final 01/08/2008 19
shown that there are a number of real benefits to employers of operating effective life/work balance
.strategies

Good Industrial relations – a motivated • Reputation as a good employer

and committed workforce
Better recruitment and retention
Reduced absenteeism and a more
productive and focused workforce
More flexibility to meet business
demand
• Mutual flexibility – an employer that looks after
its staff gets the best from them
• Access to a bigger potential pool of applicants by
offering a range of work options/patterns
• Employees that are happy and have flexibility are
more inclined to stay
• Staff are less likely to be stressed and ill
• Employee who are afforded time to deal with
issues outside work are more likely to be 100%
focused when they are at work
• Mutual flexibility enables peaks and troughs in
demand to be met
• Already exercised through term-time working for
example
• Reduced overtime costs

……………………………………………. It would of course be wrong to suggest that there Stress

.are not some challenges for employers
• A flexible workforce can:
• take more organization and slightly increase staffing costs;
• sometimes make it difficult to meet demand if staff are unable to commit to certain
working patterns/times and when staff are absent;
• Lead to a perception by those that are happy with their life/work balance that they
are ‘carrying’ the work of those who work reduced hours or are absent.
• The provision of some facilities and benefits can have a cost – either financial or time.
• It can be difficult to change the organizational and individual’s culture - this needs
commitment at every level.

However, the key to establishing an effective strategy is to embed practices that both the employer
and employee are familiar and comfortable with and which become the ‘norm’ rather than a
.procedural burden
Final 01/08/2008 20
?WHAT ARE THE KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR LIFE/WORK BALANCE

GENERAL

• People with children usually have different demands

Demands, expectations and
and these change as the children grow older
priorities change over the period of
• People who have worked for many years may want to
an individual’s life
enjoy more time away form work in pursuit of personal
pleasures
• Some people have elderly or sick dependants, some
Demands, expectations and
have children, some suffer ill health themselves and others
priorities are different for each
have no commitments outside of work and live for work
individual
• Some people relish autonomy at work while others
prefer clear direction and supervision
• People with children have long term commitments
Demands, expectations and
others may suffer crises in their personal life which last a
priorities may be long term or
relatively short time but are very demanding
transient

FOR LIFE/WORK BALANCE ?

Final 01/08/2008 21
 .e.g
Consideration of life/work balance must
• a employee cannot teach at home but
.be in the context of the business need
could do planning at home
But this needs to be balanced with rights, needs
• an LSA must have core attendance hours
and wishes of individuals
but a bursar may have more scope to work
• Clearly a organization has core business
flexible hours or at home
hours and responsibility to children and
parents
.e.g
There must be mutual flexibility
• term-time working suits some posts as it
• Employers and employees must work meets demand and some employees who have
together to find an acceptable balance for each child care commitments
other
.e.g
One pattern does not fit all – a mosaic
• Employers may have every type of worker,
workforce
even in the same role e.g. office staff may be
• All posts should be approached with an full or part-time, on annualized or flexi hours
open mind – do not assume full time working contracts etc.
is a necessity

Final 01/08/2008 22
 .e.g
Balance individual needs against those of
• be cautious of overburdening other staff
others
when individuals have time off – don’t
• Flexibility for individuals must not have a overwork the willing
disproportionate effect on others’ workloads
• ensure fair distribution of work – do not
nor excuse individuals from appropriate
always turn to the full time workers just
roles or responsibilities
because they are there all the time
.e.g
Manage perceptions and manage absences
• full time staff may perceive those who work
part-time/term-time as doing less work and as
having to have their work ‘covered’ when they
are not there – but they are also paid for less
time
• Absences must be managed and be reasonable
in the context of the role – levels of absence,
however legitimate the reason, can become
unacceptable
• A part-time employee has the same status as a
Treat staff according to their roles and
full-time employee and should be afforded the
responsibilities not their working pattern
same level of responsibility and access to
training, promotion etc.
• Arrange meetings, training etc. so that all staff
have equal access or vary the pattern of
delivery to meet all needs

Final 01/08/2008 23
 FOR WORKING CULTURE?
Leading by example
• The working culture is usually set by the
manager(s) either:
• explicitly e.g. in determining start and
finish times, allocating work or
• implicitly e.g. by coming in early/leaving
late (or visa versa !), taking work home
Effective Management
• Legal restrictions on working time and
ensure staff have adequate breaks
• Allocate reasonable workloads
• Monitor and manage stress levels, apply
flexible working policies effectively
• Effective organization in discussion with
staff
• Promotion of Equality
Empowerment
• Staff must be enabled, encouraged and
assisted in taking responsibility for facilitating
their own life/work balance
• staff often feel obliged to mirror the working
culture of their manager or their colleagues
and can themselves, or be made to, feel
ineffective if they do not conform
• it might reasonably be expected that managers
work harder and longer than other staff, but
they are entitled to a reasonable life/work
balance too !
• monitor and manage peaks and troughs,
facilitate team working
• are meetings necessary, do they always
have to be after organization, do they have to
be as frequent, does everyone have to attend ?
• can training be undertaken differently, do
all staff have to come into organizational non-
pupils days or can they work from home
• effective time management to enable
effective working
• employees must manage the timing and
quantity of work outside directed time
themselves
• staff must be able to question and in some
cases so “no”

HOW TO DEVISE AND IMPLEMENT A LIFE/WORK BALANCE STRATEGY

The fundamental key to achieving a successful strategy is that life/work balance issues become
embedded in the culture of the organization. As with any cultural change this requires everyone to
‘buy in’ to any changes and this requires
• Consultation
• Implementation
• Communication
Final 01/08/2008 24
 • Evaluation
• Adjustments as required
In order to develop an effective strategy it is necessary to know your starting point and your goals.
This will enable the development of an action plan.

Staff views

The fundamental tool for successful implementation of the workforce reform is discussion with the
whole staff group to share ideas and work together to find workable solutions. This not surprisingly
.then is a good starting point for addressing the issue of life/work balance
:This may be achieved by one, or a combination, of the following
• establishing a working group within the organizational consortia groups;
• focusing on life/work balance issues at a training day or staff meeting;
• asking staff to complete a questionnaire (see attached for example);
• Individual discussion at performance management/appraisal meetings.
.Information needs to be gathered from a range of angles i.e
• What is currently in place?
• How widely are existing practices known and applied?
• What does staff want?
• How might this be achieved?
• What are the inhibitors?

The needs of the organization

Clearly getting the balance right is not just about the individual’s work and private life but also
about meeting the needs of the organization. It is therefore tempting at this early stage to consider
the parameters of the organization’s needs. However, central to the Workload Agreement is the
theme of working differently – and this encompassing everything from the structure of the working
day, to the tasks that are carried out and importantly by whom they are undertaken. Managers
should therefore avoid creating absolutes in terms of what the business needs are and be prepared to
work with staff, collectively and individually, to achieve a mutually acceptable balance between the
.organization’s and the individual’s needs

Final 01/08/2008 25
However, a life/work balance strategy must be designed to contribute to the organization’s aims and
objectives and these need to be clear from the outset. The optimum objective is clearly the
:provision of a high quality education service and the achievement of this includes
• recruitment and retention of capable staff;
• staff motivation and commitment;
• maintaining good staff health and attendance;
• staff who are adequately trained and developed;
• Successful implementation of the Workload Agreement.

An effective life/work balance strategy will be manifest in both

practice and policy

Policy development
There are a number of key policies/procedures which directly support life/work balance principles
.and organization is recommended to ensure that these are in place
• Leave of Absence Policy
• Flexible Working Policy
• Equalities Opportunities Policy
• Contracts of Employment
In addition, life/work balance issues need to be incorporated into other policies/procedures either
.explicitly, or as part of their execution
• Induction and Probation procedures
• Recruitment Procedures
• Performance Management
• Training and Development
.Life/work balance strategies should also be evident in organization improvement and staffing plans

A successful life/work balance strategy will depend upon effective communication

Final 01/08/2008 26
 • The success of a life/work balance strategy will depend upon it being lead by example.
Managers need to ensure that staff knows that they are valued and supported.
• Good employers attract good staff and flexibility and looking after staff are high in people’s
definition of a good employer. So tell potential employees in your recruitment pack that you are
committed to supporting the achievement of a reasonable life/work balance for all.

• Include discussion about life/work balance issues during induction, performance

management, and career development discussions. This serves several purposes. It ensures that
the strategy and associated policies are understood; it provides a mechanism for individual
needs and wishes to be considered and provides an opportunity to reinforce the cultural
expectations if necessary and to monitor expectations and how well they are being met.
• Staff should be consulted about all policies and procedures prior to formal adoption by the
governing body and all staff should be made aware of, and given access to, all relevant policies
and procedures adopted by the organization.
• All relevant parties should be kept informed of new developments and involved in monitoring,
evaluations and reviews.
Individual and organisation needs naturally change over time and need to change where
improvement is not achieved.
Evaluation of hard and soft data will help to:
• measure effectiveness, efficiency and cost;
• measure benefits to the organisation and individuals;
• measure impact on achieving goals and targets;
• Raise awareness of what works and what doesn’t and identify when alternative solutions may be
desirable.
Review will be an essential ongoing process - both in terms of the organisation and
individuals.

STRESS MANAGEMENT
Stress is a fact of life for most people. And while stress may be natural and unavoidable, stress
overload can cause physical and mental harm. It is important for supervisors to learn to manage
their own stress and keep it form getting out of hand. Once they understand the basics of stress
.management, they may also be able to help their employees reduce and manage stress
Stress is usually considered a bad thing, but the pounding heart and other physical signals of stress
are actually natural. They mean the body is gearing up to handle life’s pressures and strains.

Final 01/08/2008 27
While a little stress is good, too much stress can cause physical, mental, and emotional problems.
The trick is to learn what parts of the jobs and personal life are stressful—and how to reduce and
.manage stress
Stress can cause a variety of physical ailments, from headaches and sleeplessness to heart
problems, and can reduce resistance to illness. People that claim they are sick due to stress may
.not be exaggerating
Some people seem to find little problems like traffic more stressful than beg problems. People
focus all their resources on handling big problems and may have nothing left to handle life’s small
but stressful hassles. A proper diet, regular exercise and other healthy habits are also helpful in
combating stress. Being stronger and healthier improves your abilities in all aspects of life,
.including handling stress
.The following outline offer suggestions for yourself and those that you supervise

STRESS CAN SHOW UP IN PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS

• Stress can release adrenaline, provide extra energy and ability to meet challenges.
• If stress gets overwhelming or goes on too long, it can cause potentially harmful
physical symptoms such as:
o Exhaustion and/or insomnia
o Strong headaches
o Depression
o Reduced resistance to illness
o Increased risk of heart attack

JOB PRESSURES CAN CAUSE STRESS

• Work-related causes of stress may include:
o Long work hours and weeks
o Deadline pressures
o Work overload, staff reductions, and budgetary constraints
o Fear of layoffs or cutbacks
o Learning and teaching new equipment and procedures
o Conducting performance reviews
o Trying to boost sagging staff morale
o Difficult relationships with bosses, employees or peers

Final 01/08/2008 28
STRESS IN PERSONAL LIFE CAN CAUSE OR ADD TO STRESS AT WORK
• Potentially stressful personal situations may include:
o A loved one’s illness or death
o Divorce
o Children’s problems
o Financial Problems
o Major change, even when positive (marriage, moving, childbirth, etc.)
o Minor daily hassles, like traffic or waiting in long lines
o Having both personal and job stress creates more stress (inability to escape
from stress give the mind and body no time to recover)

HEALTH HABITS CAN AFFECT STRESS

• The mind and body are less able to manage stress if they are weakened by poor
diet, sleep, or exercise habits.
• Poor health habits plus stress may lead to :
o Low resistance to illness
o Painful muscle tension or spasms
o Inability to hold emotional reactions in check
• Good basic health habits strengthen the body and mind to better manage stress
o East balanced nutritious meals, not junk food
o Minimize caffeine and alcohol
o Get enough sleep at the same time nightly
o Exercise regularly, including even walking or climbing stairs
o Take time to do nothing but relax

TRY TO IDENTIFY PERSOANL STRESS SYMPTOMS AND SOURCES

• Stress may be the cause of physical ailments like:
o Headache
o Stomach ache or heartburn
o Back ache
o Recurring pain or discomfort from a previous injury or illness
• Try to identify stress sources that cause the physical symptoms. Such as:
o Dealing with particular individuals
Final 01/08/2008 29
 o Sitting in traffic
o Preparing for certain types of encounters

DEVELOP WAYS TO MANAGE OR REDUCE STRESS

• Plan ahead for stress-producing tasks, meetings, etc.
o Assemble all possible information and documentation
o Practice what you will say and how you will say it
o Give yourself enough time to avoid last-minute panic
o Reward yourself for getting through it by taking a short break, having a
snack, or other personal reward.
• Make realistic schedules, plans and goals
• Determine if all stress-producing tasks are necessary
• Learn stress-reducing techniques you can do anywhere
o Spend a few minutes just breathing deeply, inhale deeply, hold it for a few
seconds, then slowly breath out
o Take a brisk walk
o Think about things that make you laugh

Company introduction
Kot Addu Power Plant (the "Power Plant") was built by the Pakistan Water and Power
Development Authority ("WAPDA") in five phases between 1985 and 1996 at its present location
in Kot Addu, District Muzaffargarh, and Punjab. In April 1996, Kot Addu Power Company
Limited ("KAPCO") was incorporated as a public limited company under the Companies
Ordinance, 1984 with the objective of acquiring the Power Plant from WAPDA. The principal
activities of KAPCO include the ownership, operation and maintenance of the Power Plant

Shareholding Structure
On June 27, 1996, following international
competitive bidding by the Privatization
Commission Government of Pakistan (the
"Privatization Commission"), the
Final 01/08/2008 30
 management of KAPCO was transferred to
National Power (now International Power)
of the United Kingdom, which acting
through its subsidiary National Power (Kot
Addu) Limited ("NPKAL"), bought shares
representing a 26% stake in KAPCO. Later,
NPKAL bought a further 10% shareholding
in KAPCO increasing its total shareholding
.to 36%
The other majority shareholder in KAPCO is WAPDA with a present
shareholding of 46%.Following the successful completion of the Offer for Sale
by the Privatization Commission (on behalf of WAPDA) in February 2005, 18%
of KAPCO's shareholding is now held by the General Public. On April 18, 2005
.KAPCO was formally listed on all three Stock Exchanges of Pakistan

Mission Statement
To be a responsible corporate citizen
To maximize shareholders' return
To provide reliable and economical power for our customer
To excel in all aspects relating to safety, quality and environment

Final 01/08/2008 31
 KAPCO with its broad vision of Human Resource Management provides life-
long career development opportunities for qualified, competent and hard-working
professionals. Currently the employee strength is approximately 588. All of the
employees are well-trained and committed to their jobs. KAPCO endeavors to
create a conducive work environment which fosters pride, job satisfaction and
equal opportunity for career growth of the employees.

Final 01/08/2008 32
 KAPCO owns and maintains housing facilities for its employees and
their families. The residential colony is spread over 170 acres and
comprises over 900 houses, a ten bed hospital, staff and officers'
recreation facilities, two shopping centers, a bachelors hostel, a guest
house, secondary organizations for boys and girls and three mosques.
The employees and their dependants are provided with full medical
cover. Well-being of the employees families along with ample
recreational activities is essential for employees in order to deliver
optimum capabilities with complete peace of mind. Fully understanding
this importance, KAPCO promotes sports and recreation activities
amongst employees and their families.
KAPCO is an equal opportunity employer. KAPCO maintains a strict
induction standard and uses a merit base when hiring new employees to
ensure the concept of the "Right Person for the Right Job".

Human Resource Development

KAPCO greatly values its employees and therefore Human Resource

Development ("HRD") is a high priority in KAPCO's corporate
objectives. HRD programmes are developed, from time to time, with a
view not only to enhance essential business and professional skills but
also to focus on the personal development of employees. A long-term
view has been established to address personal development and
.succession planning through effective training programmes

Work Life Balance Arrangements at KAPCO

:This document summarises the KAPCO’s arrangements for work life balance for staff, including

A - Maternity Leave Scheme

B - Adoption Leave Scheme
C - Paternity Leave Scheme
D -KAPCO Special Leave Schemes
E - Civic and Public Duties Scheme
Final 01/08/2008 33
F - Working Flexibly at KAPCO Scheme

The information contained within this document will be updated to reflect statutory changes and is
.correct as at 1 May 2008
Policy Statement
The KAPCO is committed to ensuring that KAPCO provides and sustains a positive working
environment for all its staff to flourish and achieve in pursuit of the KAPCO’s vision to be a ‘world
leading ’KAPCO. As part of this commitment, the KAPCO has developed a flexible and responsive
framework of procedures to support staff in managing their work and personal commitments
.wherever possible

The aim of this document is to bring together all the current procedures available to establish a clear
understanding of the schemes on offer and to ensure consistency of approach across the KAPCO.
The provisions set out within this document are not exhaustive and if any requests for special leave
fall outside this document, staff should contact their designated Human Resources Manager for
.further advice
A - Maternity Leave Scheme
KAPCO offers full and flexible maternity leave provision to ensure female staff has an opportunity
to integrate the development of their career with the birth of their child. The maternity provisions
.included refer to the leave and pay to which female members of staff may be entitled
All staff seeking any entitlement under the scheme will be required to provide the KAPCO with a
MATB1 (Maternity Certificate), which is provided on request by the relevant Medical Practitioner
between 20 and 26 weeks of pregnancy. Female staff will be provided with reasonable paid time off
for antenatal appointments, as well as any other treatments advised by a registered Medical
.Practitioner. Evidence of appointments may be required

1. Maternity Leave and Pay

1.1 The table below provides an outline of the various maternity leave entitlements available to
female staff. The entitlements will differ according to the length of service the member of staff has
with the KAPCO:

Staff Entitlement
All female staff, regardless of length of 52 weeks Statutory Maternity Leave
service (SML)1
Final 01/08/2008 34
 Female staff who have 26 weeks’
continuous service with the KAPCO at
the end of the 15th week before the
expected week of confinement (EWC)
and have paid National Insurance
contributions on their earnings
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) for
39 weeks -
90% of their average weekly pay for the
first six weeks and either 902 or 90% of
their average weekly earnings
(whichever is lower) for the remaining
33 weeks
13 weeks unpaid leave

There are four options for female staff who have 12 months’ continuous service
at the (EWC) which are dependent upon whether or not they intend to return to
work and when this decision is made:

Option 1 - Female staff intending to KAPCO Maternity Pay Scheme

return to work in a full or part time
capacity for a minimum of 13 weeks
after completion of their maternity
leave
18 weeks at full pay (inclusive of SMP)
8 weeks at half pay (inclusive of SMP)
13 weeks at Statutory Maternity Pay

13 weeks of unpaid leave

Option 2 – Female staff who decide at
any time prior to the birth of their baby
that they will not be returning to work
Option 3 - Female staff who decide
between the birth of their baby and up
to six weeks after the birth that they
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) 39
weeks -
90% of their average weekly pay for the
first six weeks and either 8700 or 90%
of their average weekly earnings
(whichever is lower) for the remaining
33 weeks
KAPCO Maternity Pay Scheme
(Lump Sum Payment) -
The balance of any unpaid maternity

Female staff not entitled to receive SMP may be entitled to receive Maternity Allowance from their local 1
Social Security office or Job Centre Plus. Where relevant, this is paid directly to the individual by the
.Department of Social Security
2
This rate is determined each April by the Department of Work and Pensions and will increase wef 6 April
2009.
Final 01/08/2008 35
 will not be returning to work pay will be paid as a lump sum in
compensation for loss of office and the
member of staff will resign their
position without needing to serve their
contractual notice period

Option 4 - Female staff who decide not
to return to work more than six weeks
after the birth of their baby
Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) 39
weeks -
90% of their average weekly pay for the
first six weeks and either 6400 or 90%
of their average weekly earnings
(whichever is lower) for the remaining
33 weeks
Any KAPCO Maternity Pay received
will need to be repaid to the KAPCO

.All maternity pay is subject to tax and national insurance and, where appropriate, superannuation

The maternity pay period can start on any day of the week up to 11 weeks prior to the week in
which the baby is due and can finish at any time after two weeks have elapsed since the birth of the
.baby. Maternity leave cannot exceed 52 weeks

Maternity pay may be triggered early by a pregnancy-related illness: if the member of staff is
absent as a result of a pregnancy-related illness for more than four days within four weeks before
her expected week of confinement, her maternity leave will commence automatically. If the baby
.arrives early, the maternity leave will commence on the day after the birth of the baby
If a member of staff has been away from the KAPCO on any type of unauthorised absence,
KAPCO Maternity Pay may be withheld.

All members of staff who are paid during their maternity leave will continue to make pension
contributions during their leave. During any unpaid leave, staff may choose to maintain their
contributions or to repay the contributions on their return to work. For advice regarding
superannuation arrangements during maternity leave, please contact the Pensions Section, Finance
Division.
2. General Entitlements

Final 01/08/2008 36
2.1 During the period of maternity leave, the member of staff is entitled to benefit from all the
terms and conditions of employment that would have been applied had they not been absent, with
the exception of salary.

2.2 Staff whose fixed term contract will expire during the maternity leave period or prior to the
completion of 13 weeks return to work should talk to their line manager to investigate the
possibility of an extension to their contract at the earliest opportunity. If no extension is possible
because there is no further funding available, the entitlement to KAPCO Maternity Pay will end at
the termination of the fixed term contract. However, any outstanding entitlement to Statutory
Maternity Pay will continue for the full 39 weeks for eligible staff.

2.3 KAPCO annual leave will continue to accrue at the normal rate during the period of leave.
Statutory days will only accrue during periods of unpaid leave or when a member of staff is only in
receipt of the Statutory Maternity Pay element of maternity pay. The accrued leave must be used in
conjunction with the maternity leave. Annual leave can be used flexibly to create a further period of
paid leave following the end of a period of paid or unpaid absence or, with the permission of the
Head of Organization/Directorate, to have a phased reduction in working hours prior to the
commencement of leave or following a return. If the maternity period overlaps to another leave
year, it is permissible to use the leave as outlined above. Any carry over of annual leave to another
leave year should be limited to 5 days unless permission has been granted by the Head of
Organization/Directorate to increase this in line with the Flexible Use of Annual Leave scheme and,
again, must be used in conjunction with the maternity leave.

2.4 It is the normal expectation that the member of staff will return to exactly the same position
as prior to her maternity leave. Where this is not practical, the member of staff will be entitled to
another job on no less favourable terms and conditions to previously which is both suitable for her
and appropriate for her to do in the circumstances.

2.5 Occasionally, a member of staff may be advised by her Medical Practitioner that she should
refrain from work for several weeks or for the duration of her pregnancy. In such circumstances,
line managers should consult their Human Resources Manager for advice.

2.6 Keeping in touch days (KIT)

Final 01/08/2008 37
 Keeping in touch days allow the member of staff to ‘work’ for up to 10 days during the
course of their maternity leave, without loss of entitlement to any maternity pay. No extra payment
will be made for KIT days and they may not be worked during the two weeks following birth. The
days are to be agreed by both the staff member and the KAPCO and there is no compulsion for
either party to insist on such days. KIT days provide an ideal opportunity for keeping in touch,
including activities such as training or departmental meetings. Any part of a day worked will count
as one KIT day.

3. Procedures:

As soon as the member of staff is aware that they are pregnant, they should arrange with their line
manager to undertake a Health and Safety risk assessment. Where this may cause personal
difficulties, the staff member may wish to contact Health and Safety directly. Further advice on risk
assessments is available from the Occupational Health, Safety and Environment Unit Risk
assessments should be carried out for all pregnant women. If a pregnant employee is advised to
refrain from work during any part of her pregnancy, her line manager should contact Human
Resources for advice. On return, the KAPCO will make suitable provisions, including allocation of
time, for mothers who return to work but continue to breastfeed.

To ensure qualification for maternity leave and pay and to safeguard the right to return to work, the
member of staff should complete a KAPCO Maternity Leave Form as soon as they receive their
MATB1. The MATB1 is issued by a GP or midwife between 20 and 26 weeks of the pregnancy. If
outside the Pakistan, the member of staff must obtain a GP’s certificate to confirm the pregnancy,
which must be translated into English. The form will confirm the date the maternity leave will
commence, how much maternity leave will be taken and confirmation of whether of not the staff
member intends to return to work. Any specific additional arrangements made with the Head of
Organization/Directorate should also be included.

After the member of staff has obtained the signature of the Head of Organization/Directorate or
their nominee, the member of staff should forward the Maternity Leave Form with the MATB1 to
the Human Resources Division.

Following receipt of the Maternity Leave Form and the MATB1, the Human Resources Division
will write to the member of staff to confirm the maternity arrangements and inform Salaries. A copy
Final 01/08/2008 38
will be sent to the Organization/Directorate for their information. If Heads of
Organization/Directorate require information on their financial obligations for a member of staff on
maternity leave, they should contact the Finance Division.

If the member of staff wishes to change the start date of their maternity leave, they must give four
weeks notice in writing of the change to Human Resources.

If the baby arrives early, prior to the commencement of the member of staff’s maternity leave, the
member of staff should inform the Human Resources Division in writing as soon as possible.

If the member of staff wishes to change the return date of their maternity leave, they must give eight
weeks notice in writing of the change to Human Resources.

On the return of a member of staff from maternity leave, it is recommended that an induction
session be conducted in order to update her with developments within the Organization/Directorate
and/or the KAPCO in general

B - Adoption Leave Scheme

KAPCO offers full and flexible adoption leave provision, which is similar to that available under
the KAPCO Maternity Leave Scheme, to ensure staffs has an opportunity to integrate the
development of their career with the adoption of their child. The adoption provisions refer to the
leave and pay to which members of staff may be entitled.

Unlike the maternity scheme, the adoption scheme is applicable to staff regardless of gender and is
available to one partner in the relationship, while the other partner would be eligible for paternity
leave. Staff seeking any entitlement under the scheme will be required to provide the KAPCO with
a matching certificate or appropriate documentation from the adoption agency. The matching
certificate will include basic details of the match and the expected placement date. In line with
statutory requirements, members of staff will be required to sign a declaration that they have elected
to receive the statutory adoption pay and not statutory paternity pay. Staff will be provided with
reasonable paid time off for official appointments prior to the adoption. Evidence of appointments
may be required.

All adoption pay is subject to tax and national insurance and, where appropriate, superannuation.
Final 01/08/2008 39
1.2 The adoption pay period can start on any day of the week up to 11 weeks prior to the week in
which the child is placed and can finish at any time. Adoption leave may not exceed 52 weeks.

1.3 Adoption pay may be triggered early if the child is placed earlier than expected. In such
cases, the adoption leave will commence on the day after the child is placed.

All members of staff who are paid during their adoption leave will continue to make pension
contributions during their leave. During any unpaid leave, staff may choose to maintain their
contributions or to repay the contributions on their return to work. For advice regarding
superannuation arrangements during adoption leave, please contact the Pensions Section, Finance
Division.

C - Paternity Leave Scheme

KAPCO’s Paternity Leave Scheme offers full and flexible provision for new parents, regardless of
gender. To qualify for Statutory Paternity Leave, an employee must be the biological father or be
married to, or be the partner of the child’s mother and have (or expect to have) responsibility for the
upbringing of the child (apart from that of the mother). Paternity leave can be taken up to eight
weeks after the birth of the baby. Where employment comes to an end within the eight week period
and the member of staff has not taken paternity leave, the member of staff is entitled to receive the
statutory requirement. Staff will be provided with reasonable paid time off for antenatal/adoption
appointments where circumstances allow. The KAPCO will do its best to accommodate such
requests where the requests are made in reasonable time and appointment arrangements are made at
times of minimal disruption to work. Evidence of appointments may be required.

1. Paternity Leave and Pay

The table below provides an outline of the various paternity leave entitlements available to staff.
The entitlements will differ depending upon the length of service the member of staff has with
theKAPCO:

Entitlement
Staff
All employees, regardless of length of Kapco Paternity Leave of one week
Final 01/08/2008 40
service, who will have (or expect to (full pay)
have) responsibility for the upbringing
of the child; be the partner of the
child’s mother; and have, or expect to
have, the main responsibility (apart
from that of the mother) for the
upbringing of the child

For employees who have parental Employees Paternity Leave of one

responsibilities for the baby and have week (full pay)
26 weeks’ continuous service with the One week of Statutory Paternity Leave
KAPCO at the end of the 15th week paid at Rs.803 or 90% of their average
before the expected week of weekly earnings (whichever is lower)
confinement (EWC) and pay National
Insurance Contributions on their
earnings

All paternity pay is subject to tax and national insurance and, where appropriate, superannuation

Where a member of staff is entitled to two weeks paternity leave, they may choose either to take
one week’s leave or two consecutive weeks’ leave (not as odd days).

1.2 For advice regarding superannuation arrangements during paternity leave, please contact the
Pensions Section, Finance Division.
2. Procedures:
To ensure qualification for paternity leave and pay, the member of staff should complete a
KAPCO Paternity Leave form as soon as their partner receives a MATB1 form. The form will
confirm the date the paternity leave will commence and how much paternity leave will be taken.

2.2 In the case of an adoptive parent claiming paternity leave and pay, the KAPCO must be
informed of the intention to take this leave within seven days of being notified by the adoption
agency that s/he has been matched with a child (unless this is not reasonably practicable). The

3
This amount is determined each April by the Department for Work and Pensions
Final 01/08/2008 41
KAPCO must be informed of the date on which the employee was notified of being matched with a
child; when the child is expected to be placed; whether the employee wishes to take one or two
weeks’ leave; and when she wants the leave to start. In order to claim Statutory Paternity Pay, an
adoptive parent must give the KAPCO a completed self-certificate form including a declaration that
s/he is eligible to claim this pay.

2.3 After informing the Head of Organization/Directorate of their intentions, the member of staff
should forward the Paternity Leave Form with a copy of the MATB1 / matching certificate / letter
of adoption to the Human Resources Division.

2.4 Following receipt of the Paternity Leave Form, the Human Resources Division will write to
the member of staff to confirm the paternity arrangements and inform Salaries.

2.5 If the member of staff wishes to change the start date of the paternity leave, they must give
at least four weeks notice in writing of the change to Human Resources wherever possible.
However, the KAPCO appreciates that, in some circumstances, the reason for the change cannot be
foreseen and all requests for amendment will be considered sympathetically where circumstances
allow.

2.6 A member of staff is entitled to return to the job that they were in before taking paternity
leave.
D -KAPCO Special Leave Schemes
The KAPCO is committed to providing a positive working environment and recognises that, from
time to time, staffs is likely to experience circumstances in their personal lives such that it is not
possible also to fulfil the normal requirements of their KAPCO employment. If a member of staff is
involved in a situation which impacts, or may impact, significantly upon the fulfilment of work
obligations, contact should be made with the supervisor or manager as soon as possible in order to
discuss the situation, work commitments and personal needs. This should enable all parties to reach
a mutually acceptable solution.

The KAPCO offers a number of leave schemes for staff to help and support staff should they
experience a domestic crisis or other life-changing event. The varying benefits under the schemes
are not entitlements and should not be considered in the same way as annual leave or as long-term
solutions to domestic problems but as a source of additional, temporary support from the KAPCO
during a staff member’s time of extreme need.
Final 01/08/2008 42
The KAPCO will consider the accommodation of all leave requests where there is no conflict with
the ongoing business need or service provision of the Organization/ Directorate / Organisation. Any
requests for leave must be approved by the member of staff’s Head of Organization/Directorate,
who has the discretion to determine the amount and type of leave to be granted and, in many cases,
whether the leave should be paid. Heads of Organization/Directorate will be guided by these
schemes and further advice and guidance is available from Human Resources as required.

In support of a request for leave, the member of staff may be asked to provide documentary
evidence to support their leave.

All paid leave entitlements will be pro rata for part time staff, but the application of all schemes
should be equitable for both full and part-time staff.
E - Civic and Public Duties Scheme

The KAPCO wishes to play an active role in the community and fully supports its employees in
undertaking public duties where this is compatible with the priority needs of the KAPCO. The
policy is outlined below and further information can be obtained by contacting the Human
Resources Division. When considering any request for leave for civic and public duties, the
KAPCO will take into account several factors including:

Whether the employee’s involvement in the outside activity will increase over time (e.g. through
participation in sub-committees or training); the minimum attendance level necessary to undertake
the duties; the quantity of personal time the employee is spending on these duties; the benefit and
value to the KAPCO and the employee; the effect that the employee’s absence will have on the
effective performance of the work group

This list is not exhaustive and other factors may also be taken into account depending on the
proposed duty to be undertaken and the needs of the KAPCO.
F - Working Flexibly at KAPCO
KAPCO is committed to supporting all its employees in achieving the necessary balance between
their work and their personal lives. In recognition of statutory requirements and to assist employees
in achieving this balance, there are a number of types of contract available to staff within the
KAPCO. All changes to working patterns will be based on mutual agreement. Any approved
request for statutory flexible working will be permanent, but all other requests will be subject to
Final 01/08/2008 43
periodic review. It is recommended that a trial period of up to 12 weeks be utilised, wherever
possible, prior to any formal request for any type of contract variation in order to ensure that the
working pattern is suitable for both the member of staff and the KAPCO.

When considering any request to a variation of contract, the KAPCO will take into account several
factors including:

The requirements of the current project or work; the ability of the KAPCO to recruit additional staff
and any additional costs to the work area; the impact on quality and performance and the effect on
the ability to meet customer demand; the level of work during the periods the employee proposes to
work / be absent; insufficient work; the ability to reorganise work amongst existing employees and
the level of planned structural change necessary to accommodate the request.

It must be remembered that, at some point, a Organization/Directorate may have to refuse requests
for flexibility that have previously been approved but the above considerations will influence all
requests. Line managers should also take note of advice concerning lone working, which can be
found on the KAPCO Health & Safety website.

Further information can be gained from the Human Resources Division.

1. Types of Flexible Working

Types of contractual change Staff entitled to apply

Statutory Flexible Working
A formal request for a new working pattern
will normally result in a permanent change to
the contract of employment, unless otherwise
agreed with the Head of
Organization/Directorate. The working
pattern may be any of those outlined below.
Final 01/08/2008
Staff with at least 26 weeks’ continuous
service and who are responsible for the
upbringing of either a child under the age of
seventeen, (or under 18 if the child is
disabled) or have caring responsibilities for
adults.
Carers of adults should be caring for a spouse,
partner, civil partner, relative or a person who
lives at the same address as the employee.
“Relative” is defined as: mother, father,
guardian, adopter, son, daughter, brother,
44

Career Breaks
An unpaid career break for a period of no less
than 6 months and no more than 36 months,
with a right to return to a post on the same
grade and salary.
During an approved career break,
superannuation payment and reckonable
service accrual is suspended.
Part-time Working
Part-time staff is employed on terms and
conditions that are pro-rata to those of full-
time staff. A degree of flexibility will be
required, as with all roles within the KAPCO,
around the specific working pattern.
Semester/Term-time Working
Hours are worked only during normal
operation and take unpaid leave during the
holiday. Salary and terms and conditions of
Final 01/08/2008
sister, grandparent, step-parent, step-child,
step-brother or sister, uncle, aunt, parent-in-
law, brother or sister-in-law and includes
adoptive relationships and relationships of full
or half blood or, in the case of an adopted
person, those relationships that would exist
but for the adoption.
All staff.
A career break will not normally be approved
in order to allow the member of staff to take
up alternative paid employment during the
break. In certain circumstances, however,
paid employment during a career break may
be approved if this is used to develop
Skills that may be relevant to the KAPCO
employment on return. If a member of staff
does take up paid employment during an
approved career break, s/he must provide a
written declaration of this (giving full details)
to the Director of the Human Resources
Division. Failure to do so will result in the
agreement breaking down and the member of
staff may lose the right to return.
All staff
All staff
45
employment are pro-rata. Salary will normally
be paid in 12 equal instalments.
Staggered Hours
Employees may request different start, finish All staff
and break times in order to achieve flexibility
in their personal situations.
Job-Sharing All staff
This occurs when a full-time post is divided
between two employees, with each sharing the The KAPCO will consider applications for
duties and receiving proportionate pay and job-share where the members of staff have
conditions of service. Each employee identified a potential job-sharing partnership
receives a separate contract of employment. It or may, in certain circumstances, consider
involves a high level of co-operation and undertaking a recruitment process to identify
communication between the members of staff a job-sharing partner from either within or
involved. external to the organisation.
Compressed Hours
This allows staff to compress their total All staff
number of hours over fewer days, within the
legal framework for compulsory breaks.
Annualised Hours
The hours of work are calculated over a All staff
period of a year rather than a week and the
hours are then worked according to the
requirements of the service.

Final 01/08/2008 46
 SPECIAL LEAVE FORM (Example)

Please complete the relevant sections of this form and send to your line manager for their information and signature.
Once completed, the data should be entered into Compel by the relevant person in your Organization/Directorate and
the form should be returned to the Human Resources Division. This form will confirm the arrangements agreed
between the member of staff and the line manager in respect of the type and amount of leave approved and is for
Organization and Directorate use only. For further information on the Special Leave Scheme please refer to Work Life
Balance on the Human Resources web pages.
Full Name: Staff Number:

Organization/Dir Organization/Dire
ectorate: ctorate
Contact Details:

Please tick the Special Leave Scheme which was used:

Emergency Leave for Support for Dependents
The right to take time off exists as a means to deal
with an immediate crisis, sudden or unexpected
circumstances and not an ongoing problem.
Bereavement Leave
The death of a member of the family or close personal
friend
Extreme Personal Circumstances Leave
Occasionally, members of staff experience
considerable and extreme circumstances in their
personal lives. When these situations occur, the
KAPCO understands that the employee may not be
able to attend work.)
The normal expectation of the KAPCO is
that no more than five days paid dependents
leave would be taken in 12 months. The
time should be taken in blocks of one to two
days to deal with the immediate emergency,
after which another more appropriate form
of leave should be agreed.
Staffs are usually allowed a period of up to
five days’ paid leave for bereavement.
Typically, members of staff will require a
day or two; however, the length of time will
vary with the circumstances of each case.
It would be the normal expectation of the
KAPCO that this period would not usually
exceed five working days. This leave may
be paid or unpaid at the discretion of the
Head of Organization/Directorate or
nominee.

Final 01/08/2008 47
Parental Leave
Parental leave is unpaid leave which can be taken by
staff with at least one year’s continuous service and
who are parents of children under five years of age (or
disabled children under 18 years of age). This applies
to natural parents, adoptive parents, foster parents,
guardians and same sex parents in order that they can
look after their child or to make arrangements for the
good of their child.
Flexible use of annual leave
Annual leave may be used in exceptional
circumstances, and with prior permission, to
supplement time off associated with other leave (e.g.
maternity, parental, or exceptional lifetime events etc),
or may be used to enable part-time working in the
period leading up to an employee’s retirement.
A member of staff may take up to 13 weeks
unpaid parental leave per child, four of
which can be taken in the same year.
Parental leave must be taken in blocks of
one week. Parents of a disabled child are
entitled to 18 weeks parental leave, but are
still limited to a maximum of four weeks in
one year but may take parental leave as
single days.
Members of staff who wish to carry over
more than five days from one year to the
next or to take a number of days in advance
from the following year. The number of
days will vary beyond the five days but, to
ensure compliance with Working Time
Regulations, the member of staff should
ensure that they take at least 24 days leave
(including bank holidays) in each year.

Leave in relation to agreed Civic and Public Duties Activities in relation to an agreed Civic and
Public Duty under the Civic and Public
Duties Scheme
Reason for the Leave:

Paid Leave Dates: Fro To:

m:
Unpaid Leave dates: Fro To:
m:
The information you provide on this form relating to the 'nature of your leave' will be treated as confidential in
so far as it will be disclosed only to staff in the Human Resources Division, and individuals (e.g. your line
manager) within your Organization/division responsible for monitoring absence/leave. This is necessary solely
for the purposes of monitoring the application of special leave. This information will entered into the Human
Resources Compel System. Additionally, the information relating to dates of unpaid leave will be disclosed to

Final 01/08/2008 48
relevant staff in the Finance Division solely for the purposes of administering pay. Queries in relation to the
completion of this form should be addressed to the relevant Organization/ Directorate Manager in the first
instance. General queries in relation to special leave may be addressed to HR

I confirm that the above details are correct:

Signed Member of Staff: Date:

Signed by the Line Date:

Manager to confirm the
leave arrangements were
agreed:

Final 01/08/2008 49
Final 01/08/2008 50
Final 01/08/2008 51
Final 01/08/2008 52
Final 01/08/2008 53
Final 01/08/2008 54