The YWCA of Vancouver has added a twist to its Women of Distinction Awards this year with a new category designed to honour a corporate entity rather than an individual.

The Workplace Innovator Award will recognize an organization that provides a work environment that allows employees to successfully balance family and career.

"We commissioned a poll last year to determine how satisfied B.C. women were with their lives," says Janet Austin, CEO of the Vancouver YWCA. "What we found was that overall, women and men are really feeling the pressure when it comes to balancing their family and their career."

The YWCA created the award, sponsored by HSBC, in response to the results of the survey, Austin adds.

Bayne Stanley, Business Edge
CEO Janet Austin says the award was a response to a survey that asked how satisfied B.C. women were with their lives.

In the random poll of 258 women last April by the Mustel Group, flexible work hours and ethical work practices were identified as the top two characteristics of an ideal workplace.

"There is no doubt that an award like this one is valuable," says Nancy McKinstry, chair of the Minerva Foundation for BC Women, a group that helps women realize their economic and leadership potential in the workplace. "The role that our organization plays is to bring awareness of the difficulties women face in maintaining their home life in balance with their work life."

With women making up an ever-increasing percentage of the workforce, the significance of a family-friendly workplace is increasing, says Austin.

"Women's labour-force participation rates are more than 70 per cent in B.C., which is the second highest of anywhere in the world," she says.

"Yet women are still carrying 80 per cent of unpaid home care of children and aging, elderly relatives. It's a huge issue - the care of children and how we ensure quality care when women's participation in the labour force is so great."

McKinstry echoes these concerns. "This is a problem professional offices across the country are trying to address. How do we retain women in these professional positions? Is the answer in job-sharing? In day care?" The cost of this lack of balance is paid by businesses and families alike, she adds. "Women overall tend to not believe they are successfully achieving balance in their lives and they are spending a lot more time at work and less time with their families and in leisure and volunteer activities than they would have liked," she says.

"They feel that they have to limit their career advancement in order to achieve that balance. We see this as a really critical societal issue, and women and parents generally are facing the challenge of finding affordable, good-quality care for their children."

The Workplace Innovator Award will be given to a company or organization that has demonstrated excellence in providing employees with a supportive work environment, while still reflecting the values of the YWCA by maintaining a high standard of ethical business practices and community involvement.

The Women of Distinction Awards were launched, says Austin, "as a recognition that something needed to be done to acknowledge women's accomplishments in a broad range of spectrums. It was the first major awards program that acknowledged women's contributions to society, and professionally."

The awards began in 1984 with recipients from all backgrounds and professions.

Over the years, winners have included politicians Pat Carney and Kim Campbell, dance doyenne Anna Wyman, sex educator Meg Hickling, filmmaker Anne Wheeler and many others, with between six and 11 awards each year.

Categories include Arts & Culture, Business, Recreation, Science Technology & the Environment, Volunteerism and Young Women of Distinction.

Darcy Rezak, managing director of the Vancouver Board of Trade, also gives his full support to the new award. "I think it will have a very positive impact," he says. "It will give visibility to the need to be innovative and encourage other companies to strive for balance in their own workplaces."

Nominations for the Workplace Innovator and the Women of Distinction Awards close on Feb. 28, and the award ceremony will be held May 19 at the Westin Bayshore. Nominations are evaluated by a committee and sent on to an independent panel of judges made up of community leaders from a variety of fields.

Full eligibility requirements can be found at www.ywcavan.org or by contacting the YWCA.

"The message we would like to get out to companies is that creating balance for employees is just good business sense," says Austin.

"When you look at the retiring baby boomers and the fact that we do have a declining workforce, it's going to be increasingly important for employers to recognize that they will have to attract and retain competent employees in a very competitive environment. One of the key factors that will distinguish them and make them competitive is a commitment to family-friendly workplaces."

Web watch: www.ywcavan.org

(Karen Dyer can be reached at karen@businessedge.ca)