WORK LIFE BALANCE

Work Life Balance

 

Introduction

 

            The issue of work life balance has been on the growing concern for organizations in this contemporary world.  Managers utilize a lot of approaches in improving work life balance of their employees.  This is in line with current studies that have found lots of advantages brought about by maintaining and improving work life balance in employees.  Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work, leading them to be able to have the benefit of the best possible quality of life.  Work-life balance may be realized when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the standard, to the common benefit of the individual, business and society.

This article discusses the work-life balance of employees in the workforce through a particular case study of a full time employee.  This paper provides questionnaire as a tool for gathering relevant information from the subject of study. 

 

Limitations

            For the simple reason that the study is conducted in a single source, this paper’s findings should neither be taken as generalization nor a solid basis that could be used for further study.  Instead, this will serve for the purpose of confirmation with the previous studies already done relevant to this topic. 

 

Literature Review

            According to  it is the state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and personal life are equal.  It is the flexible working practices which allow employees to achieve a better balance between work and the rest of their lives and much evidence shows that there is a bottom line business benefit in an improved work-life balance.  Particularly, any company that offers its employees a better balance between work and home garners the rewards of increased job satisfaction among the workforce, reduced staff turnover and higher productivity (as cited in  2002). 

The Work-Life Balance 2000 survey found that a quarter of men already work at home and another 38 per cent would like to do so.  As for women, 16 per cent work at home and 33 per cent would like to do so.  Most of the people surveyed claimed that staying at home would make them better employees (as cited in  2000).  Later research by the Department for Education and Employment has found that four out of five employees believe that everyone should be able to balance their work and home lives (as cited in  2005).  The achievement of such a balance is an increasingly important issue for businesses, particularly with rising numbers of female and older workers, and the growth of the so-called “Generation X” that values life balance more than high salaries. 

 (2005) has found that improving work-life balance can result in (1) better employee performance and increased productivity, (2) higher morale and lower staff turnover, (3) lower absence and sickness rates, (4) reduction in burnout and stress, (5) better recruitment and retention of staff, and (6) improved company image.  On the other hand, the recent study has also cited disadvantages of improving work-life balance: Improved company performance will take time to become apparent, and will take time and effort to get right.

·         In downsized or delivered companies, flexible working arrangements may result in some employees taking on more in order for others to do less.

·         If not introduced equitably, some employees may resent others.

·         Flexible or remote working may make it difficult to maintain an organization’s structure and culture.

·         Once policies are introduced, it may be difficult to change them, even if the company runs into difficulties

Flexibility in the work place will continue to become more important for both men and women.  In the beginning, employees sought flexibility to manage the balance between work and family, an issue predominantly associated with those in the early and middle stages of their career.  On the other hand, as workplaces develop strategies that enable and encourage flexibility for those with family responsibilities, the needs of those with other commitments, including sport, community or political involvement, other business and even recreational pursuits, will also be able to be accommodated.  

This flexibility will be beneficial to workers at all stages of their careers by enabling a more holistic work/life balance, and will have the significant advantage of retaining older employees in the workforce, an economic necessity as the mature-aged to working-aged ratio continues to rise ( 2002, p.23).

Women in the Workplace

The attitude of female workers has also changed along with the growing number of women in the workforce.  They are growing more determined as they turn out to be key players in the world of work, contributing to major company successes.  The impact of the female boss is significantly more influential than ever before.  The demand for women to accomplish forces them to work harder and for longer, particularly when wanting to prove themselves against their male counterparts.

The facts surrounding work-life balance issue

·                       While 65% of employers claim to offer some kind of family-friendly working arrangements, including part-time working, only 10% of workplaces provide any practical help with childcare.

·                       Only 5% of employers provide four kinds of family-friendly practices: maternity benefits, paternity leave, childcare arrangements and non-standard working time.

·                       17% of employers offer career breaks of at least three month but only 12% offer career breaks to both men and women.

·                       Just 5% of employers provide extended maternity leave with pay beyond the legal minimum. Women are twice as likely to return to employers where extended maternity has been negotiated.

·                       31% of male employees are entitled to some form of paternity leave – usually paid and typically four days – around the time of birth.

·                       Less than one in three employers offers parents flexibility and extended leave around the time of birth.

Source: 1996,

Case Study and Results

            The study is conducted with a full time woman employee since the issue and concern of work-life balance is more sensitive on women.  She works as office clerk in a publishing company working 8 hours everyday with Sundays off.  At home, she is a mother of two and a wife of a construction worker.  Information was obtained through an initial short interview and a questionnaire given to the woman fully employed in a publishing company. 

Reactions

            The woman’s working schedule has only a day off which can be apparently distinguished as “not enough” break to be spent for the family.  Moreover, the lesser working hours of the featured person hold her back in organizing working hours to accommodate important aspects of her life at home.  Employees, especially those with families, tend to be contented with their working hours even though it really interrupts some of their time for life outside work.  Additionally, having been able to control over her own working time through flexible working hours, she admitted that it has a beneficial impact on her.  Like what the 2003 UK survey has found that workers who have more control over their working time feel less stressed and are more satisfied with and dedicated to their work, so is the featured person much more that she is a working mother. 

The company where the featured person works is integrating the work-life balance.  It is also interesting to know that there was briefing with employees preceding the implementation of the work-life balance.  One of the “don’ts” of improving work-life balance suggests not imposing or introducing a work-life balance without consultation and cooperation from employees ( 2005).  In addition to what the woman answered in the questionnaire, she uttered that they were allowed to choose their preference of working hours.  In this way, she can adjust her working hours in a way that will maximize her time after work.  However, her company doesn’t adopt the teams of employees that would serve for the purpose of working out for their own hours and accommodating each other’s needs.  Additionally, the buddy system is also not applied in their workplace that would have given employees chance to help each other especially on managing their working hours. 

This paper sought the roles being played by the working mother between work and home.  An interview was conducted prior to handing her out the questionnaire for her to answer relevant questions about work-life balance.  The short interview was carefully analyzed and compared to the answers in the questionnaire along with the confirmation from the company where she works. 

The independent study has found that the woman agree that she couldn’t achieve balance by running faster, working harder, and cramming more into her life.  Base upon her answers, she let go of the idea of juggling.  Just as most of the successful balancers studied aren’t interested in an extreme version of the simple life and so is the subject of the study.  She accepted that meaningful work, satisfying relationships, and personal rejuvenation or self-care are among the most important elements of balance.  However, these elements not often come together in an organized and stress-free package.  As a result, the subject of the study finds her way in a variety of routines just to rebalance their lives into a more satisfying and sustainable pattern.  She additionally commented that balance is about understanding your different roles and not letting any one of them dominate the others. 

Conclusion

            A single study taken from a single person may not significantly create an impact to the issue but can be considered as a single essential confirmation to previous researches.  The above mentioned approach to work-life balancing is a behavioristic means that necessitates the employees’ adaptation to their different and varying roles.  Nevertheless, those strategies, whether alone or combined, have helped many people balance their work and life and enjoying life more.  It should also be noted that none of the given recommendations is applicable to all thus far each requires substitution.  After all, work-life balance is a journey rather than a destination. 

            Small changes can have its huge impact if one focus on rebalancing one’s life, that is, making conscious choices and course corrections as he/she goes.  Work-life balance isn’t an all-or-nothing phenomenon.  Spending an hour or two per week on the things that matter most to you can be the difference between feeling out of control and feeling tired yet satisfied.  And in a world overflowing with meaningful opportunities and fascinating distractions, tired yet satisfied isn’t a bad way to go.  Even though the workplaces have develop strategies that enable and encourage flexibilities for those with family responsibilities, satisfaction and the work-life balance still depends on how employees view it. 

Significant improvement on work-life balance is likely to present individual employees much more preference about how and when they work.  Research shows that the more control you have over your own work, the less stressed you’re likely to get and even more to working women.  As a final point, organizations are ought to deal with the issue but an employer can do his/her part too.  After all, it is just about setting ones goals and achieving them both in the workplace and in the outside.

 

 

References

 

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