This article briefly outlines the federal industrial relations framework and then goes on to look in particular at recent developments in two very different sectors - the retail industry and the federal public service. The article reports on encouraging developments in these sectors which indicate that business is increasingly understanding that it depends for its success on recognising and accommodating the diverse needs of the people who make up the workforce. This is important if we are to address the problem of the current uneven spread of family-friendly workplaces across the economy. The paper also points out that in many workplaces family friendly work provisions are not formalised through the workplace relations system, and that while such informal agreements, company policy or management practices may suit an organisation in the short term, there are good reasons to include family friendly practice in formal agreements.