Uses of Time

>> On November 13, the online workshop “Synchronizing time: equity and well-being in time management from an intersectional perspective” was held, organised by the Barcelona City Council within the framework of the Time Agreement.
>> The workshop aimed to generate reflections and find viable solutions for harmonising individual rhythms with work expectations.

The 2 hour-session, was held online and included the participation of various third-sector entities and companies, in a context that allowed for an enriching and diverse exchange of experiences.

The first part of the session consisted of a theoretical presentation on some key concepts related to time synchrony. Topics such as collective time, social time, synchrony and asynchrony were discussed, as well as the implications of the lack of synchrony on physical, mental and social health.

After that, the participants were divided into two working groups. One focused on the synchronized organization of working days, while the other proposed concrete solutions to balance and synchronize time. However, both groups devoted much of the discussion to the issue of work-life balance.

In addition, reflection was carried out from an intersectional perspective, identifying both the difficulties that directly affect the participants and their environments, as well as those of people whose work schedules (night shifts, overtime, etc.) and socioeconomic conditions limit the flexibility needed to address synchronization or conciliation problems.

In conclusion, it became clear that both companies and third-sector entities that participated in the workshop share difficulties related to the synchronization of personal and collective time. These difficulties arise, to a large extent, from the need to reconcile specific times for transportation, services and work obligations. For this reason, it is necessary to continue promoting public policies that address these difficulties from an inclusive approach, guaranteeing more equitable conditions in the distribution and time management and promoting a more fair and sustainable social and labour model.

At the end of the session, the entities shared strategies and solutions that they have been developing to promote the well-being of their workers and to synchronize their schedules that will be presented at the next Annual Meeting of the Time Agreement on December 3 at 4:30 p.m. at the Sants-Montjuïc District Headquarters.

This year, the meeting is planned as a day of reflection on time use from a health perspective, where we will have a round table of experts and experiences around the promotion of good practices by some member entities of the Time Agreement and the NUST Network – Network of companies for a new working time.

If you were unable to participate in the workshop but would like to recover its content, you can watch the recording of the session at this link to the video.