Family friendly work policies came in for more criticism today, this time aimed at employers. Take-up has been too slow, argues a new book published with the support of The Industrial Society's Work-Life Research Centre.

In one sense, this can be seen as the Government arguing back against criticism levied at recent legislation by employers and the IoD. The Work-Life Manual comes complete with a Foreword written by Cherie Booth.

The book's authors suggest that one reason why new employment policies have achieved only slow progress is that they tend to be seen as beneficial primarily to a small group, specifically women with young children.

Says co-author Lucy Daniels: "Despite mounting evidence of the negative impact of workplace stress on people's health and personal lives, the workplace long-hours culture is alive and kicking. Talk of family friendly policies turns out, all too often, to be more rhetoric than reality."

Industrial Society research suggests that businesses that want to thrive will need to:

• adopt a work-life strategy linked to core business objectives
• recognise that work-life balance is an issue for all employees
• have leaders who encourage innovative ways of working
• encourage two-way responsibility for balancing work-life priorities.

The manual, incorporating guidance on strategy development and best-practice case studies, is priced at £75. More information on www.indsoc.co.uk

Elliott Chase