§ Mr. BercowTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the extent of job sharing in her Department. [90872]
§ Clare ShortOur most recent figures show that 113 members of staff are working reduced hours. 18 of these are employed on official job-share contracts.
Job-sharing is one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that are available to staff. A flexi-time system is also available to all staff. DFID is strongly committed to providing a working environment which values and nurtures a diverse workforce and has identified diversity and the need for work/life balance as one of its five core values.
In support of this, we issued a booklet to all of our staff in 2002 which set out the various work patterns available within DFID, advice on how staff can access them and-for women-specific information about how they can plan their return to work after maternity leave.
The flexibility of the pattern is decided in conjunction with line managers to suit individual needs and the needs of the Department.
Anyone applying for a vacancy, either internally or externally, may do so on the basis of working in the job on a flexible working pattern although, in some instances, this is not possible owing to the nature of the work.