Academics from Middlesex University's Business School are making a considerable contribution to a seven-part Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) seminar series taking place throughout 2014.
Colleagues from the Leadership, Work and Organisations department have been lending their considerable expertise to the 'Work-Life Balance in the Recession and Beyond' series, which is focusing on the effect austerity has had on the working environment and providing a forum to discuss solutions to the challenges being faced.
Gender equality, health and wellbeing, care and care-giving, employment relations and workplace innovations are all being tackled with the aim of enhancing both organisational effectiveness and the work-life balance.
The series kicked off at Middlesex in January, with the Business School's Professor Suzan Lewis and the School of Health and Education's Dr Nicky Payne hosting a variety of stakeholders including speakers such as the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service's Head of Equality Stephen Williams.
Dr Ian Roper summed up the day's discussions, concluding that although work-life balance remains on workplace agendas, austerity has led to a reduced emphasis on care, choice and gender equality.
The second seminar discussing social justice then took place in Manchester in April, with the third in the series scheduled for 10 July in Warwick.
Middlesex academics will return in a speaking capacity in October, when Anna Borg from the University's Malta campus will talk about challenging gendered assumptions in information and communications technology.
The series will conclude in July next year at the University of Surrey.