36 Work Life Balance
Dr. Radha Kanwal Sharma
1. Learning Outcome
2. Introduction
3. Changing scenario at workplace
4. Outcomes of lack of work life balance
5. Findings a better balance between work-family and work-life
6. Measures to improve work life balance
7. Summary
1. Learning Outcomes:
After completing this module the students will be able to:
· Understand the concepts of work life balance.
· Outcomes of missing balance between work and life.
· Importance of work life balance for an employee as we as organization
· Various measures to provide work life balance to employees.
2. Introduction
Myra rushes out of a meeting, so that she can get to her house to check on her bedridden mother in law to ensure that she has taken her medicine, and that maid has prepared her food and has fed her well. She is in a hurry, because today it is her turn to carpool her son and neighbor’s son to swimming pool. “How long can I keep this up and still be sane?” she asks herself.
Amit looks at the list of e mails emails that arrived in his inbox during the hour he was in the crucial annual sales target meeting and wonders, “Just how can I keep up with all that’s expected?”
Sharan sinks in his chair as he realizes that he will have to miss another family function, because he has to finish drafting the plans for his new project assignment and submit it tomorrow.. He is a young, energetic professional who is deeply committed to his work and family. But something is missing.
Swati is busy replying to urgent emails while giving instructions about upcoming training programme to her subordinate. She suddenly realizes that she is getting late and she has to pick her daughter from dance classes on way back home. Why I am always running? She asks herself.
There are many such issues that most of the employees face daily. Most of them are juggling between commitments in professional as well as personal life. Is there something called perfect balance? Numerous employees are experiencing a reduced quality of work- life. This is reflected most prominently in work-life imbalance and job stress. With more women employed than ever before and dual-earner families‟ common, work-life balance is an ongoing pursuit.
What is work-life balance? It is a universal phenomenon without a universal definition. It can be defined as “Work-life balance is the state of control, achievement and satisfaction in one‟s life.” It can also be said that work life balance is the “extent to which an individual is equally engaged in and equally satisfied with his or her work role and family role”. Work-life balance includes more than time. It includes feeling good about one‟s level of involvement in both work and non-work roles.
Work life balance consists of three components:
1. Time balance: It refers to equal time being given to both work and family roles;
2. Involvement balance: It refers to equal levels of psychological involvement in both work and family roles;
3. Satisfaction balance: It refers to equal levels of satisfaction in both work and family roles. Therefore in order to achieve a work life balance these components should be mulled over.
It must be notices that
1. Work life balance is not static. One may feel perfectly balanced one moment, and far from balanced the next. Balance is a moving target that must be reviewed over a period of time.
2. Being in balance does not mean that one will like or enjoy all of the choices one makes.
3. Changing Scenario at work place
Past decade has seen a dramatic change in demographic characteristics of workforce. There is a shift from traditional „male‟ breadwinner families to „dual „earning couples, more women at workplace and single parent families. The „job for life‟ has changes to economic environment of instability and job „uncertainty‟. Employees‟ perspectives and expectations have changed towards work. Organizations have faced perceptible negative outcomes of lack of work life balance among employees including increased stress, reduced performance levels, absenteeism, higher turnover and more demand for part time work.
A study conducted in Europe has reported that there is prevalence of work family conflict (Kotowska et al, 96). It is estimated that more than one quarter of Europeans suffered from some form of work family conflict. Major findings of the study were:
1. 27% of employees in the EU perceived that they spend too much time at work;
2. 28% felt that they spend too little time with their families;
3. 36 % felt that they do not have enough time for friends and other social contacts;
4. 51% believed that they do not have enough time for their own hobbies and interests.
5. In relation to gender differences, women were more likely to report that they have too little time for daily life activities, whereas men perceived that they spend too much time at work.
6. A significant number of employees had difficulties in performing family responsibilities due to work intensity and time: for example, 22% reported that they are too tired from work for household chores, and 10% reported that time spent at work affects their family responsibilities. Women were more likely to cite these pressures than men. Approximately 50% of workers perceived that family and work time demands overlapped due to pressure at work and/or at home.
7. Less than 10% of workers experienced no pressure in any direction; work to family conflict or family to work conflict. Overall, strain based conflict was found to be slightly higher for women workers.
Lately, this trend has picked up further. Thus new orientations towards lifelong learning, personal and career development, and an increased awareness and need for a balance between work and life have affected organizations through the introduction of policies such as flexible working.
4. Outcomes of lack of work life balance
Outcomes of poor or missing work life balance are negative for both : the individual and the organization.
4.1 Work –life conflict and health
Work-family conflict may be viewed as a stressor for individuals. Research has established and documented that conflict between the work and family domains has a number of significant negative consequences for individuals including:
· Poorer mental and physical health
· Less life satisfaction
· Higher levels of stress
· Higher levels of emotional exhaustion
· Less physical exercise
· Higher likelihood to engage in problem drinking
· Increased anxiety and depression levels
· Poor appetite and
· Fatigue
Both work to family conflict and family to work conflict are associated with negative effects for the individual. The first thing that is noticed when one is out of balance is a sense of tension. An individual may experience feelings of depression and tiredness. Slowly, stress sets in. When faced with stress (ranged from mild discomforts to high levels of distress), the body responds. Physical signs like tight feeling in shoulders, pain in lower back or frequent headaches manifest. When this reaction is prolonged and not handled on time, things start to worsen. Stress becomes chronic. Difficulties sleeping, fatigue, loss of memory, raised blood pressure, increased risk of heart attack, and digestive problems are among the commonly cited physical problems. Emotional responses include irritability, depression, difficulty managing anger, and even irrational reactions to normal things. Numerous studies have linked stress to alcoholism or substance abuse, and dependence on prescription drugs. These addictions have very serious
consequences. To make things worse, stress progresses to burn out stage and employee becomes socially withdrawn exhibiting abnormal behavioral signs.
4.2 Work –life conflict and organizational outcomes
There can be many pounding effects for organizations in many areas as a result of employees experiencing work -family conflict.
1. Growth and profit impact: Work life conflict severely affects growth and profit related aspects of an organization. Increasing on and off-the-job stresses and expectations adversely affect top and bottom-line growth, unnecessarily driving down productivity. A well-implemented work-life strategy greatly reduces both the real and perceived overwork and out-of-balance pressures that hamper productivity, and produces a dramatic positive return on investment.
2. Full commitment and customer service: A workforce that is out of balance, unnecessarily stressed, or annoyed greatly reduces full engagement with external and internal customers. On the other hand, commitment to the organization‟s objectives and clients‟ needs rises in direct proportion to the perception that the organization is committed to both the work and life success of each individual.
3. Competitive advantage for talent: These days demanding younger employees have increased their expectations of a positive work-life culture. Employees expect their employers to recognize that in addition of having a job, they have a life. This is revealed by the fact that work-life balance issues with the boss or the company are the prime reason for individuals to quit their jobs.
4. Health-care cost solution: The rising organizational cost of health care is driving senior management to become more proactive about employees‟ health. Senior managers view engaging employees in improving their own lifestyle behaviors and creating a healthier
workplace as key components to the solution.
Thus, work – life conflict leads to:
1. Decreased employee job satisfaction;
2. Increased staff turnover and absenteeism;
3. Lower performance and increased job stress levels;
4. And intention to leave the organization.
5. Finding a better balance between work and family, and work and life
It is clear from above discussion that it is vital to plan for work life balance for employees for better productivity and effectiveness. Not only does work-family conflict affect organizations, but it can also affect individuals through a loss of pay and medical expenses. Thus, it becomes important for the top management and supervisors to play a vital role in designing an effective work life balance programme by identifying the needs of all employees of the organization.
5.1 Management responsibilities
1. Managers and supervisors could demonstrate their commitment to creating work life balance by:
2. Modeling best practice work life balance initiatives “from the top”;
3. Increasing their understanding of work life balance initiatives and benefits;
4. Becoming more familiar with the range of flexible work arrangements and options that are available to employees;
5. Identifying the needs of their employees to improve their work life balance;
6. Seriously considering employees‟ requests for greater flexibility;
7. Implementing more flexible working arrangements to suit employees‟ needs; and
8. Promoting the benefits achieved in creating a work life balance among their peers.
9. New work life balance initiatives could be implemented on a trial basis, and if successful, on a more permanent basis, with regular reviews and improvements.
10. Decisions to refuse employees‟ requests for more flexible or more suitable working arrangements to be open to review and scrutiny. Employees should be made aware that such decisions can be reviewed if considered unreasonable.
11. Conduct regular seminars on work life balance best practice initiatives, inviting guest speakers to speak on a variety of flexible work practices.
12. When advertising positions, offer flexible work options, such as part-time or job share where available.
5.2 Identifying employees’ needs
1. Conduct a confidential survey of employees to identify staff needs in balancing their work and personal responsibilities, awareness of flexible work options, and the suitability of current working arrangements for them. Keep a record of survey results and use them to improve working arrangements.
2. Review staff requirements on an annual basis and measure improvements in work life balance and successes.
3. Establish and promote a work life balance policy with “balancing work and life responsibilities” as a core value. Encourage all work areas to implement suitable flexible work arrangements for their employees, and review these on an annual basis.
4. Identify and address barriers to implementing and accessing work life balance work practices.
6. Measures to improve work life balance
Following strategies are effective in creating optimal work life balance for the employees:
6.1 Addressing work and personal responsibilities of all employees
1. Providing access to flexible work practices for all employees. Employees with family caring responsibilities may have a greater need to utilize flexible work practices. Such responsibilities may include caring for preschool and school age children, grandchildren, spouse, ageing parents, grandparents or relatives who are dependent.
2. Providing access to improved work life balance arrangements to employees at all hierarchical levels and all occupational groups. Senior employees and employees of particular occupational groups should not be unfairly discriminated against because of their classification level or occupation. Equal Opportunity must be extended to all employees.
3. Some cultures such as Asian and other ethnic communities have significant expectations from family members in relation to family responsibilities. It is important to recognize
and facilitate the needs of employees with such cultural expectations in relation to their family responsibilities.
6.2 Providing flexible working hours (Greater access to work reduced hours)
There are many different forms of flexible working that cover the way working hours are organized during the day, week or year. It includes part-time work, flexi time and overtime.
1. Part-time is when employees opt to work for anything less than the normal basic full-time hours. Part-time workers are often found in hotels, restaurants, health and social work, shops, warehouses, business and financial services and agriculture.
2. Job sharing is a form of part-time working where two (or occasionally more) people share the responsibility for a full-time job. They share the pay and benefits in proportion to the hours each works. Job sharers may work split days, weeks, or alternate weeks. Job sharing can increase flexibility when used to meet peak demand, for instance by both sharers being present when workloads are heavy. If one partner is absent, due to illness or holiday, the other partner can carry on with at least half the work. Two people also bring a wider range of skills, experience, views and ideas to the post. Job sharing is particularly useful for parents of young children and makes it easier for women to return to work after maternity leave. Disadvantages of job sharing include the extra costs of induction, training and administration. If one job sharer leaves, it may be difficult to find someone to complement the hours worked by the remaining sharer. If the job share involves supervising staff, this may create problems with staff who find it difficult working for two managers. Job sharing also places added responsibility on supervisors, who must allocate work fairly and ensure that the job sharers communicate effectively.
3. Compressed working weeks involve the relocation of time worked into fewer and longer blocks during the week. This does not necessarily involve a reduction in total hours worked or any extension in individual choice over which hours are worked. Through starting early and/or finishing late, employees can build up additional hours which they take as a day or half-day away from work. For employees, compressed working weeks can provide a longer weekend and increased leisure opportunities. Compressed working weeks can help with recruitment and reduce overtime, employee turnover and absenteeism. However, it may be difficult to schedule work and to provide sufficient cover within the compressed working period. In addition, where employees are highly interdependent, time off must be on a strict roster basis.
4. Shorter Work Week involves the reduction of work time. Instead of working 8hours a day for 5 days a week, the employees opt to work 10 hours a day for 4 weeks. This shortens the work week by one day. The employees have longer weekends. But it has been found that employees find it difficult to adjust to work after long weekends, which lowers the productivity.
Flexi time allows employees to choose, within set limits, when to begin and end work. Employees are required to work during core times and must work an agreed number of hours during a settlement or accounting period (typically four weeks). Outside the core times, at the beginning or end of each day, are flexible bands when employees may choose whether to be at work e.g. 11am to 2pm are core hours to be present in the office for an eight hour schedule. Total period for which the workplace is open is called bandwidth, is 7am to 7pm. Employees in this example can schedule their hours from 9am to 5pm; 10am to 6pm; 11am to 7pm; 8am to 4pm; and 7am to 3pm. Flexi hours can be decided . Flexi time is mostly used for office-based staff. Manufacturing companies are less likely to operate flexi time. Flexi time can aid the recruitment and retention of staff. Flexi time can also improve the provision of equal opportunities to staff unable to work standard hours. It is great help to employees who have small/school going children and a dependent relative to provide care for. It helps working couples to adjust well to work system, e.g. men can opt for late shift (10am to 6pm) because they have to drop children at school and women can opt for early shift (8am to 4pm) to cook and look after children in the evenings. On the debit side, flexi time can result in increased administration costs including the costs of keeping records, and extra heating and lighting. Providing adequate supervision throughout the bandwidth may also be difficult.
Overtime: Hourly paid workers are more likely to have a recognized system of paid overtime than salaried staff. Overtime is most common among manual workers. Other groups, such as professional staff, often work considerable amounts of unpaid overtime. This is least popular method because of its tendency of being misused.
Work from home (Telecommuting): This option is suitable for those employees who can work at their homes on computers that are linked to office. (e.g. online work or IT employees can get connected with workplace through internet).It gives employees freedom from daily commuting, choose to dress as they like and work without interference from colleagues. This method enhances employees‟ productivity, loyalty and organization‟s ability to retain the employees. Less office space is needed by the organization and hence it saves rental costs. Limitations of this method include employees‟ isolation from work place, difficulty in attending meetings and informal interaction. Distractions at home also interfere in work.
While designing flexi hours, these points should be kept in mind:
1. All employees should get an equal opportunity to manage their working hours irrespective of hierarchical position in the company.
2. Permanent employees should be given preference over ad hoc employees.
3. Arrangements should be reviewed on a regular basis.
6.3 Greater flexibility with leave arrangements
1. Ability to request and take accrued time off with prior notice. Improve access to more flexible leave arrangements including purchased leave, leave without pay, school holiday leave (using annual leave, long service leave, purchased leave and leave without pay).
2. Offer regular work placements or short-term contracts during school holidays to assist in covering absences of employees with school children.
6.4 Increase job mobility
1. Increase ability for employees to transfer to, or work in different locations to
a) Be able to work preferred shifts or preferred working hours;
b) Work at a site closer to home and family;
2. Improved access for mature-age workers to phased retirement strategies such as:
a) Transferring to an alternative, less stressful job in the same or a different location (with a commensurate reduction in pay if the new job is of a lower classification);
b) Transferring to an alternative job which allows for more flexible working hours or reduced working hours; or
d) Reverting to part-time work as a transition to retirement.
6.5 Improved access to childcare and eldercare arrangements
1. Improve availability and access to more flexible on-site and off-site childcare facilities and vacation care programs.
2. Establish links with local community childcare facilities and vacation care programs for employees where on-site facilities are not viable, particularly in regional areas.
3. Allow employees to pay for childcare and vacation care programs by regular payroll deductions or through salary packaging or salary sacrificing arrangements (if available).
7. Summary
Work life balance is the “extent to which an individual is equally engaged in and equally satisfied with his or her work role and family role”. It includes feeling good about one‟s level of
involvement in both work and non-work roles. Work-life conflict may be viewed as a stressor for individuals. Research has established that conflict between the work and family domains has a number of significant negative consequences for individuals as well as organizations. It is the need of the hour to provide different measures like flexi timings, job sharing, part time work, easy leave facility and child care facility to employees to enhance job satisfaction, facilitate recruitment and retention of quality work force. Adequate work life balance lowers the job stress among employees and enhances productivity at work place.
Learn More:
1. Allen, D.T., Herst, L.E.D., Bruck, S.C. & Sutton, M.,(2000). ‘Consequences Associated With Work-to Family Conflict: A
Review and Agenda for Future Research’, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 5, No 2, pp. 278-308.
2. Frone, R.M., Russell, M. & Barnes M.G., (1996). ‘Work-family conflict, gender, and health-related outcomes: A study of
employed parents in two community samples’, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Vol. 1, No 1, pp. 57 -69.
3. Rosch, P. J., (2003) ‘The quandary of job stress compensation’, Health and Stress, Vol. 3, 2003, pp.1-4.
4. Stewart, W. F., Ricci, J. A., Chee, E. & Morganstein, D. (2003),’Lost productive work time costs from health conditions in
the United States: results from the American productivity audit’ Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Vol.45,
pp. 1234-1246.
5. http://www.wrexham.gov.uk/assets/pdfs/cib/work_life_balance.pdf
6. https://osha.europa.eu/en/tools-and-publications/publications/e-facts/e-fact-57-family-issues-work-life-balance
7. http://www.grahamlowe.ca/documents/182/Under%20Pressure%2010-06.pdf
8. https://www.ieeeusa.org/communications/ebooks/files/feb15/l2lkj8a2h/Work-Life-Balance-Book-1.pdf
9. http://www.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/j/m/Flexible-working-and-work-life-balance.pdf