Work-Life balance
Introduction
The changing nature of economic conditions and social demands throughout the world has changed the role of work and the workplace. Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival but today, work is not only a necessity but also a source of personal satisfaction as well.
Lockwood (2003) identified some factors which contribute to the serious consideration of equilibrium between work and life as global competition, renewed interest in personal lives and family values and an ageing workforce. The challenge of work-life balance is rising to the top of many employees’ and employers’ consciousness.
Employees are placing more value on quality of work life and seeking for greater flexibility so that they can manage work commitments along personal life. Employers, on the other hand, need in today’s economic climate a workforce that is stable and committed but also more adaptable and flexible to meet business challenges.
However, according to Loghran (2002), finding the right balance between work responsibilities and the demands on personal lives is conclusively becoming a significant business issue.
Hence, at the core of HR strategy lays the need to consider work-life balance for employees.
Definition/ brief history of work-life balance
Work/life balance means different things to different groups, and the meaning often depends on the context of the conversation and the viewpoint of the speaker.
According to Alexandra, (2003), the term work/life balance is about individuals having a measure of control over when, where and how they work, leading them to be able to enjoy an optimal quality of life. While Fatma (2007) viewed work/life balance as establishing a successful balance between working obligations and personal commitments.
In its broadest sense, work/life balance is a satisfactory level of involvement or fit between the multiple roles in a person’s life. That is, it is associated with equilibrium, or maintaining an overall sense of harmony in life.
The issue of work/life balance can be traced back in the 1960s and 1970s, where employers considered work/life mainly an issue for working mothers who struggled with the demands of their jobs and raising children. During this period and mid-1980s, the U. S. government had the major impact in the field, as reflected in Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Presidential Conference on Families, and the Quality of Employment Survey.
In 1980s, pioneering organizations such as Merck, Deloitte & Touche, and IBM began to change their internal workplace policies, procedures, and benefits due to recognized value and needs of their women contributors. The changes included maternity leave; employee assistance programs (EAPs), flextime, home-based work, and childcare referral (Jim, 2006).
During this period men also started voicing work/life concerns, and by the end of the decade, work/life balance was seen as more than just a women’s issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures.
In 1990s, work/life balance was recognized and solidified as a vital issue for everyone women, men, parents and non-parents, singles, and couples. This increasing awareness of the importance of the issue resulted in major growth in attempted work/life solutions during this decade.
However, although companies were adopting family-friendly policies, employees and managers were not implementing them. As a result, many of the policies put into place in the 1980s failed to have a significant impact on most managers’ and employees’ real-world work/life balance.
Hence, HR and work/life professionals as well as executives at all levels take stock on the issue during the first years of the 21st century (Jim, 2006).
Furthermore, generation Y has deferring attitudes towards work, and it doesn’t mesh with the traditional, nor the “9 to 5” schedule. Generation Y does not place “much emphasis on how and when the work gets done, just that it gets done” (Rorhorn, 2007). “Some younger workers believe they work more effectively and efficiently from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., which begs the question, ‘is it really about face time or getting the work done?’ said Brown from Rockwell Collins”(Rorhorn, 2007). The new generation grew up with technology and has an ingrained knowledge that things can be done faster. Hence, generation Y workforce is very demanding, more individualistic, and like flexible work. Thus, HR professionals try to meet these differing needs by introducing work/life balance programs in the workplace.
Work/life balance policies and practices
Policies and practices supporting employees’ work/life balance can be divided into two; public and organizations’ policies and practices.
Public policies and practices
A range of public policies supporting work/life balance has been developed in response to economic and cultural trends, many of which focus on women’s increased participation in paid employment.
Legislative reforms such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 156, Workers with Family Responsibilities 1981 (ILO, 1981), anti-discrimination and affirmative action legislation and industrial relations changes have also lifted the profile of issues related to work/life balance and blurred the boundaries between public and private spheres.
In Australia for instance, these reforms have resulted in mandatory reporting of policies by organizations with more than 100 employees. Also in both Australia and New Zealand, employees in public and private sectors are entitled to 12 months’ unpaid maternity leave. After this time, they are entitled to return to the position held before the leave, or to a position of comparable status and salary (Hudson, 2005).
Organizational policies
Organizations have increasingly been developing formal policies that attempt to facilitate the work/life link in addition to the development of public policies supporting responsibilities outside of paid employment. Work/life balance strategies enhance the autonomy of workers in coordinating and integrating the work and non-work aspects of employees.
Three broad types of work/life strategies have been created by organizations to help employees balance their work and non-work lives: flexible work options, specialized leave policies and dependent-care benefits. These include a range of policies and practices such as:
1. Compresses work week, 2. Flexitime, 3. Job sharing, 4. Home telecommuting, 5. Work-at-home programs, 6. Part-time work, 7. Shorter work days for parents, 8. Bereavement leave, 9. Paid maternity leave, 10. Paid leave to care for sick family members, 11. Paternity leave, 12. On site/near site company childcare, 13. Company referral system for childcare, 14. Program for emergency care of ill dependents, 15. Childcare programs during school vacation, 16. Re-entry scheme, 17. Phased retirement, 18. Sabbatical leave, 19. Professional counseling, 20. Life skill programs, 21. Subsidized exercise for fitness centre, 22. Relocation assistance, 23. Work and family resource kit or library (Bardoel, De Cieri & Shea, 2008).
Impact of work/life balance on the organization
A proactive approach to work/life balance will not normally affect productivity, competitiveness, the bottom line or return on equity in a direct manner. However, it creates the environment where intervening variables can line up behind the delivery of these basic measures of business performance. There is a great deal of support from credible observers for the notion that work/life balance and business performance are inextricably linked. These link can be observed in the following headings:
Recruitment and retention
Now high-performance companies are identifying which employees have the knowledge, skills and commitment to create and sustain competitive advantage; they are making them aware of their importance and how they can contribute; and making sure that they keep these people, through motivating and rewarding them. They are also doing all they can to attract more people of the same kind.
Because it is difficult to target benefits solely at these key employees, these companies by and large make policies that apply equally to all. Work/life balance appears to be one of the strongest policies and practices companies used in retaining and recruiting their employees.
For instance, a study by the London School of Economics in 2001 found that 80% of people in Generation X (i.e. born between 1963 and 1981) and 93% of people aged 18-25 would be more likely to stay in their jobs if they could take greater control over when and how they worked. Another study by the Women in Cable and Telecommunications Foundation found that companies which invested heavily in work/life balance and, significantly, demonstrated strong top management support for work/life balance, had much higher retention and lower labour turnover than the norm (David, 2003).
Employee motivation
2003 Best Companies to Work For Survey says companies that allow their staff to work flexibly reap handsome dividends. According to a study by the Families and Work Institute concluded that the combination of flexible working, dependent care and fringe benefits resulted in employees with more positive attitudes towards their work and employer.
A study focusing on work, well-being and stress found that 45% of men and 50% of women would turn down a promotion if the new position would leave them with less time for their personal or family life (Gottlieg, Kelloway & Barham, 1998).
Equal opportunities /diversity
A study by Women in Cable and Telecommunications Foundation found that companies which paid high attention to work/life balance issues also had the highest gender diversity. According to Falice Schartz an author of Harvard Business Review; opportunity, flexibility, and family support are the keys to retaining the best women and eliminating the extra cost of employing them (Bartolome & Evans, 2005).
For many organizations, the requirement to demonstrate good practice in diversity management goes beyond the legal. Customers in the public sector particularly expect the organizations they deal with to have an appropriate gender and racial mix. However, work/life balance policies tend to reinforce gender advancement more than racial minority advancement.
Conclusion
Work/life programs have the potential to significantly improve employee morale, reduce absenteeism, and retain organizational knowledge, particularly during difficult economic times. As companies aim to reduce costs in today’s global marketplace, it falls to the HR professional to understand the critical issues of work/life balance and champion work/life programs as it has been shown in this work that it offers a win-win situation for both employers and employees.
References
Alexandra, J. (2003). Work-life Balance. Journal of The Work Foundation
Bardoel, E. A., De Cieri, H. & Shea, T. L. (2008). Measuring the impact of work-life initiatives: the development of an organizational work-life performance scale. Journal of Australian Centre for Research in Employment and Work
Bartolome, F. & Evans, P. A. L. (2005). Must success cost so much? Harvard Business Review, Vol. 58, 2
David Clutterbuck (2003). Managing the work-life balance. London: CIPD Publishing
Fatma, T. (2007). Work-life balance: any improve for business? Munich, GRIN Publishing Gmbh
Gottlieg, B. H., Kelloway, E. K., & Barham, E. (1998). Flexible work arrangements: managing the work-life boundary. New York: Wiley & Sons
Hudson (2005). The case for work/life balance: Closing the gap between policy and practice. Australia: Hudson Global Resources Pty Ltd
International Labour Organization (ILO) (1981). Workers with Family Responsibilities: Equality of Opportunity and Treatment. Convention 156
Jim, B. (2006). Work-life balance: doing it right and avoiding the pitfalls. Journal of Employment Relations Today, Vol. 33, No. 3
Lockwood, N. R. (2003). Work/life balance: challenges and solutions. Journal of Society for Human Resource Management, Vol. 2, 1-4
Rorholm, J. (Sept 24, 2007). Generational gap changes roles for employees. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Washington D. C.
The changing nature of economic conditions and social demands throughout the world has changed the role of work and the workplace. Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival but today, work is not only a necessity but also a source of personal satisfaction as well.
Lockwood (2003) identified some factors which contribute to the serious consideration of equilibrium between work and life as global competition, renewed interest in personal lives and family values and an ageing workforce. The challenge of work-life balance is rising to the top of many employees’ and employers’ consciousness.
Employees are placing more value on quality of work life and seeking for greater flexibility so that they can manage work commitments along personal life. Employers, on the other hand, need in today’s economic climate a workforce that is stable and committed but also more adaptable and flexible to meet business challenges.
However, according to Loghran (2002), finding the right balance between work responsibilities and the demands on personal lives is conclusively becoming a significant business issue.
Hence, at the core of HR strategy lays the need to consider work-life balance for employees.
Definition/ brief history of work-life balance
Work/life balance means different things to different groups, and the meaning often depends on the context of the conversation and the viewpoint of the speaker.
According to Alexandra, (2003), the term work/life balance is about individuals having a measure of control over when, where and how they work, leading them to be able to enjoy an optimal quality of life. While Fatma (2007) viewed work/life balance as establishing a successful balance between working obligations and personal commitments.
In its broadest sense, work/life balance is a satisfactory level of involvement or fit between the multiple roles in a person’s life. That is, it is associated with equilibrium, or maintaining an overall sense of harmony in life.
The issue of work/life balance can be traced back in the 1960s and 1970s, where employers considered work/life mainly an issue for working mothers who struggled with the demands of their jobs and raising children. During this period and mid-1980s, the U. S. government had the major impact in the field, as reflected in Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Presidential Conference on Families, and the Quality of Employment Survey.
In 1980s, pioneering organizations such as Merck, Deloitte & Touche, and IBM began to change their internal workplace policies, procedures, and benefits due to recognized value and needs of their women contributors. The changes included maternity leave; employee assistance programs (EAPs), flextime, home-based work, and childcare referral (Jim, 2006).
During this period men also started voicing work/life concerns, and by the end of the decade, work/life balance was seen as more than just a women’s issue, affecting men, families, organizations and cultures.
In 1990s, work/life balance was recognized and solidified as a vital issue for everyone women, men, parents and non-parents, singles, and couples. This increasing awareness of the importance of the issue resulted in major growth in attempted work/life solutions during this decade.
However, although companies were adopting family-friendly policies, employees and managers were not implementing them. As a result, many of the policies put into place in the 1980s failed to have a significant impact on most managers’ and employees’ real-world work/life balance.
Hence, HR and work/life professionals as well as executives at all levels take stock on the issue during the first years of the 21st century (Jim, 2006).
Furthermore, generation Y has deferring attitudes towards work, and it doesn’t mesh with the traditional, nor the “9 to 5” schedule. Generation Y does not place “much emphasis on how and when the work gets done, just that it gets done” (Rorhorn, 2007). “Some younger workers believe they work more effectively and efficiently from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., which begs the question, ‘is it really about face time or getting the work done?’ said Brown from Rockwell Collins”(Rorhorn, 2007). The new generation grew up with technology and has an ingrained knowledge that things can be done faster. Hence, generation Y workforce is very demanding, more individualistic, and like flexible work. Thus, HR professionals try to meet these differing needs by introducing work/life balance programs in the workplace.
Work/life balance policies and practices
Policies and practices supporting employees’ work/life balance can be divided into two; public and organizations’ policies and practices.
Public policies and practices
A range of public policies supporting work/life balance has been developed in response to economic and cultural trends, many of which focus on women’s increased participation in paid employment.
Legislative reforms such as the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 156, Workers with Family Responsibilities 1981 (ILO, 1981), anti-discrimination and affirmative action legislation and industrial relations changes have also lifted the profile of issues related to work/life balance and blurred the boundaries between public and private spheres.
In Australia for instance, these reforms have resulted in mandatory reporting of policies by organizations with more than 100 employees. Also in both Australia and New Zealand, employees in public and private sectors are entitled to 12 months’ unpaid maternity leave. After this time, they are entitled to return to the position held before the leave, or to a position of comparable status and salary (Hudson, 2005).
Organizational policies
Organizations have increasingly been developing formal policies that attempt to facilitate the work/life link in addition to the development of public policies supporting responsibilities outside of paid employment. Work/life balance strategies enhance the autonomy of workers in coordinating and integrating the work and non-work aspects of employees.
Three broad types of work/life strategies have been created by organizations to help employees balance their work and non-work lives: flexible work options, specialized leave policies and dependent-care benefits. These include a range of policies and practices such as:
1. Compresses work week, 2. Flexitime, 3. Job sharing, 4. Home telecommuting, 5. Work-at-home programs, 6. Part-time work, 7. Shorter work days for parents, 8. Bereavement leave, 9. Paid maternity leave, 10. Paid leave to care for sick family members, 11. Paternity leave, 12. On site/near site company childcare, 13. Company referral system for childcare, 14. Program for emergency care of ill dependents, 15. Childcare programs during school vacation, 16. Re-entry scheme, 17. Phased retirement, 18. Sabbatical leave, 19. Professional counseling, 20. Life skill programs, 21. Subsidized exercise for fitness centre, 22. Relocation assistance, 23. Work and family resource kit or library (Bardoel, De Cieri & Shea, 2008).
Impact of work/life balance on the organization
A proactive approach to work/life balance will not normally affect productivity, competitiveness, the bottom line or return on equity in a direct manner. However, it creates the environment where intervening variables can line up behind the delivery of these basic measures of business performance. There is a great deal of support from credible observers for the notion that work/life balance and business performance are inextricably linked. These link can be observed in the following headings:
Recruitment and retention
Now high-performance companies are identifying which employees have the knowledge, skills and commitment to create and sustain competitive advantage; they are making them aware of their importance and how they can contribute; and making sure that they keep these people, through motivating and rewarding them. They are also doing all they can to attract more people of the same kind.
Because it is difficult to target benefits solely at these key employees, these companies by and large make policies that apply equally to all. Work/life balance appears to be one of the strongest policies and practices companies used in retaining and recruiting their employees.
For instance, a study by the London School of Economics in 2001 found that 80% of people in Generation X (i.e. born between 1963 and 1981) and 93% of people aged 18-25 would be more likely to stay in their jobs if they could take greater control over when and how they worked. Another study by the Women in Cable and Telecommunications Foundation found that companies which invested heavily in work/life balance and, significantly, demonstrated strong top management support for work/life balance, had much higher retention and lower labour turnover than the norm (David, 2003).
Employee motivation
2003 Best Companies to Work For Survey says companies that allow their staff to work flexibly reap handsome dividends. According to a study by the Families and Work Institute concluded that the combination of flexible working, dependent care and fringe benefits resulted in employees with more positive attitudes towards their work and employer.
A study focusing on work, well-being and stress found that 45% of men and 50% of women would turn down a promotion if the new position would leave them with less time for their personal or family life (Gottlieg, Kelloway & Barham, 1998).
Equal opportunities /diversity
A study by Women in Cable and Telecommunications Foundation found that companies which paid high attention to work/life balance issues also had the highest gender diversity. According to Falice Schartz an author of Harvard Business Review; opportunity, flexibility, and family support are the keys to retaining the best women and eliminating the extra cost of employing them (Bartolome & Evans, 2005).
For many organizations, the requirement to demonstrate good practice in diversity management goes beyond the legal. Customers in the public sector particularly expect the organizations they deal with to have an appropriate gender and racial mix. However, work/life balance policies tend to reinforce gender advancement more than racial minority advancement.
Conclusion
Work/life programs have the potential to significantly improve employee morale, reduce absenteeism, and retain organizational knowledge, particularly during difficult economic times. As companies aim to reduce costs in today’s global marketplace, it falls to the HR professional to understand the critical issues of work/life balance and champion work/life programs as it has been shown in this work that it offers a win-win situation for both employers and employees.
References
Alexandra, J. (2003). Work-life Balance. Journal of The Work Foundation
Bardoel, E. A., De Cieri, H. & Shea, T. L. (2008). Measuring the impact of work-life initiatives: the development of an organizational work-life performance scale. Journal of Australian Centre for Research in Employment and Work
Bartolome, F. & Evans, P. A. L. (2005). Must success cost so much? Harvard Business Review, Vol. 58, 2
David Clutterbuck (2003). Managing the work-life balance. London: CIPD Publishing
Fatma, T. (2007). Work-life balance: any improve for business? Munich, GRIN Publishing Gmbh
Gottlieg, B. H., Kelloway, E. K., & Barham, E. (1998). Flexible work arrangements: managing the work-life boundary. New York: Wiley & Sons
Hudson (2005). The case for work/life balance: Closing the gap between policy and practice. Australia: Hudson Global Resources Pty Ltd
International Labour Organization (ILO) (1981). Workers with Family Responsibilities: Equality of Opportunity and Treatment. Convention 156
Jim, B. (2006). Work-life balance: doing it right and avoiding the pitfalls. Journal of Employment Relations Today, Vol. 33, No. 3
Lockwood, N. R. (2003). Work/life balance: challenges and solutions. Journal of Society for Human Resource Management, Vol. 2, 1-4
Rorholm, J. (Sept 24, 2007). Generational gap changes roles for employees. Knight Ridder Tribune Business News. Washington D. C.
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ReplyDeleteIt is Important to maintain a good healthy work life balance .
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