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A report on the importance of work-life balance

Article in International Journal of Applied Engineering Research · January 2015

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International Journal of Applied Engineering Research
ISSN 0973-4562 Volume 10, Number 9 (2015) pp. 21659-21665
© Research India Publications
http://www.ripublication.com

A Report On The Importance Of Work-Life

Balance

D.Babin Dhas, MBA, PhD(Pursuing)

Assistant Professor, Management Studies

Lord Jegannath College of Engineering and Technology,
Ramanathichanputhur, Tamil Nadu, India
Mobile : +91 9994873783,E-Mail:babindhasmba@gmail.com.com

Abstract

In organizations and on the home front, the challenge of work/life balance is

rising to the top of many employers‟ and employees‟ consciousness. In
today‟s fast-paced society, human resource professionals seek options to
positively impact the bottom line of their companies, improve employee
morale, retain employees with valuable company knowledge, and keep pace
with workplace trends. This article provides human resource professionals
with an historical perspective, data and possible solutions for organizations
and employees alike to work/life balance. Three factors global competition,
personal lives/family values, and an aging workforce present challenges that
exacerbate work/life balance. This article offers the perspective that human
resource professionals can assist their companies to capitalize on these factors
by using work/life initiatives to gain a competitive advantage in the
marketplace. Work-life balance has always been a concern of those interested
in the quality of working life and its relation to broader quality of life.

What Is Work-Life Balance?

Work-life balance is a form of metaphor; but a metaphor of what? In the English
language “balance” is a complex word with a variety of meanings. As a noun, a
balance is a set of scales, a weighing apparatus; it is also the regulating gear in clocks.
If we use the scales, then balance occurs when there is “an equal distribution of
weight or amount” (OED); but this presents problems for work-life balance since both
sides may be very heavy or very light. Furthermore, the type of work-life balance
sought by many may not imply equal weight on both sides. However balance also has
a physical and psychological meaning as “stability of body or mind” so that suicide is
sometimes officially recorded as taking one‟s life “while the balance of the mind was
21660 D.Babin Dhas, MBA, PhD(Pursuing)

disturbed”. However this version of the metaphor, whether it applies to body or mind
is somewhat more appropriate since it implies both the possibility of external
verification and human agency. Put another way we can observe when someone has
lost their balance; and we know that in given circumstances some people have better
balance than others and may perceive that they have better balance. This gives rise to
the need to recognize that balance can have both an objective and subjective meaning
and measurement, that it will vary according to circumstances and that it will also
vary across individuals.
Work-life balance is about creating and maintaining supportive and healthy
work environments, which will enable employees to have balance between work and
personal responsibilities and thus strengthen employee loyalty and productivity.
Numerous studies have been conducted on work-life balance. According to a
major Canadian study conducted by Lowe (2005), 1 in 4 employees experience high
levels of conflict between work and family, based on work-to-family interference and
caregiver strain. If role overload is included, then close to 60 percent of employees
surveyed experience work-family conflict. Of all the job factors that influence work-
life conflict, the amount of time spent at work is the strongest and most consistent
predictor. The higher levels of work-to-family conflict reported by managers or
professionals often are a function of their longer work hours. Other reasons include:
job security, support from one‟s supervisor, support from co-workers, work demands
or overload, work-role conflict, work-role ambiguity, job dissatisfaction, and
extensive use of communication technology that blurs the boundaries between home
and work.
Today‟s workers have many competing responsibilities such as work,
children, housework, volunteering, spouse and elderly parent care and this places
stress on individuals, families and the communities in which they reside. Work-life
conflict is a serious problem that impacts workers, their employers and communities.
It seems that this problem is increasing over time due to high female labour force
participation rates, increasing numbers of single parent families, the predominance of
the dual-earner family and emerging trends such as elder care. It is further exasperated
with globalization, an aging population, and historically low unemployment.
Work/Life Balance in the Relief World In the “relief world,” comprised of
organizations with employees and volunteers that provide service and care to
communities in need locally and worldwide, the demands of an aging population in
the coming decade are increasing the current strong competition for qualified
individuals upon which relief organizations depend. “Not only will there be fewer
young, keen and free-to-travel individuals who will want to be convinced that
agencies are caring, „best-practice‟ employers, but more skills and experience will be
possessed by older staff likely to have families and other commitments and thus
different priorities for their work/life balance.”26 Therefore, organizations that
provide relief services may experience increasing difficulty staffing and retaining
employees due to the pull of family commitments at home. Furthermore, the
challenges of work/life balance will no doubt impact recruitment, retention and
willingness to serve in hardship locations. In view of these factors, voluntary
organizations and aid agencies whose missions and services are critical in many parts
A Report On The Importance Of Work-Life Balance 21661

of the world may well have an even greater need for work/life programs to attract and
retain staff. Total

The Negative Effects of Work Life Conflict

Long work hours and highly stressful jobs not only hamper employees‟ ability to
harmonize work and family life but also are associated with health risks, such as
increased smoking and alcohol consumption, weight gain and depression. Work life
conflict has been associated with numerous physical and mental health implications.
According to a 2007 study by Duxbury and Higgins, women are more likely
than men to report high levels of role overload and caregiver strain. This is because
women devote more hours per week than men to non-work activities such as
childcare, elder care and are more likely to have primary responsibility for unpaid
labour such as domestic work. Furthermore, other studies show that women also
experience less spousal support for their careers than their male counterparts.
Although women report higher levels of work-family conflict than do men, the
numbers of work-life conflict reported by men is increasing.
Work-life conflict has negative implications on family life. According to the
2007 study by Duxbury and Higgins, 1 in 4 Canadians report that their work
responsibilities interfere with their ability to fulfill their responsibilities at home.
Employees, especially the younger generation who are faced with long hours, the
expectations of 24/7 connection and increasing pressure of globalization are
beginning to demand changes from their employers. Also, people in the elderly
employee segment are working longer now than in the past and are demanding
different work arrangements to accommodate their life style needs.

Current Practices
Employers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost implications associated with
over-worked employees such as: operating and productivity costs, absenteeism,
punctuality, commitment and performance.
There are five main reasons why companies participate in work life balance
programs:
High return on investment, recruitment and retention of employees,
legislation, costs and union regulations.
There are a wide variety of practices currently being used to help employees
achieve work-life balance. It is important to note that some work-life balance
programs help employees handle stress and otherwise cope more effectively while
other programs help to reduce the absolute stress levels by rebalancing work life.
A growing number of employers have implemented wellness programs or pay
for their employees‟ gym membership as part of a benefits package. Some companies
invite fitness trainers or yoga instructors into the office to hold lunchtime sessions.
Some companies undertake initiatives to improve employees‟ healthy eating habits.
Others offer stress management programs which include stretching, yoga, counseling,
as well as bringing in Registered Massage Therapists to work.
21662 D.Babin Dhas, MBA, PhD(Pursuing)

Many employers are offering longer vacation times than the mandatory 2
weeks per year imposed by Canadian legislation. Additionally, some companies will
offer “flex” days. Interestingly, sick days tend to go down once some is “entitled” to
three weeks or more a year of holidays.
Human resources policies that can be used to increase work-life balance
include implementing time off in lieu of overtime pay arrangements, providing a
limited number of days of paid leave per year for child care, elder care or personal
problems, or having policies around weekend and evening use of laptops and
Blackberrys.
There are some issues that arise when employees have flexible work hours
such as lack of face-time with other staff and not being as available to clients; these
issues can be solved by ensuring employees discuss scheduling with supervisor and
let clients and other employees know their hours of availability.
Sometimes in order to accommodate workers need for work life balance, firms
may need to reduce the amount of work given to each employee. To accomplish this,
employers can hire new people, reduce time spent in job-related travel, allow for job
sharing, or reevaluate the work itself and how it is structured and organized with work
process improvements and/or reengineering of work. According to a study by
Messmer in 2006, flexible scheduling is the benefit valued most by employees.
However, increased flexibility, if implemented without conditions and used to
facilitate business ends without provision for worker consent, could compromise
instead of enhance work life balance.

Tips to develop a better work-life balance

To ensure you make the best of your time at work and home, good ideas include:
• Analyzing the use of your time and deciding what's really important. Set up a
new daily regime ensuring the main things remain the main things.
• Leaving work at work. Turn off your cell phone, shut down your laptop and
set a clear boundary between work and home. Ask your family to make you
accountable to ensure you don't slip back into old habits.
• Saying "no" to stressful things that will only cause conflict later on. This will
allow you to focus on the parts of your life you really care about and give
them 100 per cent attention.
• Managing your time effectively by putting family events in a shared calendar
and keeping a daily to-do list. Make sure you complete the important things
and don't worry about the rest.

Ways employers can assist

Employers need to understand a mentally and physically healthy person is a good
employee. Making team members work extra hours only builds resentment over the
long term. My wife left her specialized role as a quality controller because her
employer wouldn't let her have two weeks' holiday to go to a wedding in the UK. This
A Report On The Importance Of Work-Life Balance 21663

was despite working for the company for four years, giving it six months' notice of the
trip and having three weeks' holiday owing.
The ways an employer can improve work/life balance for employees include
flexi-hours, compressed work weeks, job-sharing, telecommuting and child-care
support. These options allow employees to have more control over their lives,
enabling them to be more productive.
Finding a quality work/life balance that suits you is important over your long-
term career.
Put good plans in place now to ensure you will still be enjoying your career
for many years to come.

Conclusion
Evidence suggests that improvements in people management practices, especially
work time and work location flexibility, and the development of supportive managers,
contribute to increased work-life balance. Work-life balance programs have been
demonstrated to have an impact on employees in terms of recruitment,
retention/turnover, commitment and satisfaction, absenteeism, productivity and
accident rates. Companies that have implemented work-life balance programs
recognize that employee welfare affects the “bottom line” of the business. Parameters
are required to ensure that programs are having the desired effect on both employees
and the company. Six parameters that can be used to evaluate work life balance
programs are: extent of management buy-in and training, how programs are
communicated to employees, corporate culture, management controls, human
resources policies and employee control. Finally, self-management is important;
people need to control their own behaviour and expectations regarding work-life
balance.

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