Work-life balance

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Industrial & Organisational : Introduction : Personnel : Organizational psychology : Occupations: Work environment: Index : Outline

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Work-life balance is a person’s control over the conditions in their workplace. It is accomplished when an individual feels dually satisfied about their personal life and their paid occupation. It mutually benefits the individual, business and society when a person’s personal life is balanced with his or her own job.

The work-life balance strategy offers a variety of means to reduce stress levels and increase job satisfaction in the employee while enhancing business benefits for the employer. In our increasingly hectic world, the work-life strategy seeks to find a balance between work and play.

A sentence that brings the idea of work life balance to the point is: "Work to live. Don't live to work."

It is still up to discussion though, if a harsh separation between "work" and "life" is a perfect solution. One may argue that work is very much a part of life. Finding the right job, that is fun to do, might be the more important part in removing possible causes of stress.

Causes of stress in the workplace

According to National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (NIOSH), "stress can be defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker." Job stress can result from several different characteristics of a person’s work. The NIOSH offers in great detail conditions in the workforce that create job stress.[1]

• Foremost, the type of tasks an employee is engaging in can create job stress. For example, hectic and routine tasks have little inherent meaning and offer little sense of control for the employee. Heavy workloads, long work hours and infrequent rest breaks also create stress.[2]

• Secondly, a lack of support or help from supervisors and coworkers creates a poor social environment and consequently, greater job stress. Physical isolation also reduces an employee’s ability to interact with others, thus diminishing a person’s ability to receive help.[3]

• In addition, if an employee has little input in decision making processes and the job environment lacks communication between the employer and the employee, an individual is more likely to experience job stress. An absence of family-friendly policies also affects an employee’s job satisfaction.[4]

• A person’s individual role in a business can also create stress if their job expectations are unclear or they have too much responsibility. It might be difficult to satisfy the customer’s needs and the company’s expectations simultaneously.

• Additionally, if an employee feels there is a lack of opportunity for growth or promotion, job stress might result from their inability to advance in the workforce. Their job insecurity translates into job stress.[5]

• The physical conditions of an individual’s job can also create job stress. For example, crowded, noisy or polluted locations are unpleasant and dangerous conditions that would most likely lead to job stress.[6]

Job stress and health

The Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health [7] has sited many health risks associated with job stress (medicine). Studies have shown that psychologically demanding jobs put employees at greater risk of cardiovascular disease. Research done by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health show that greater job stress puts employees at greater risk for developing back and upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders.

Psychological disorders (see mental illness)are also more prevalent amongst employees with greater job stress levels. Stressful working conditions also contribute to unsafe work practices.

Work statistics

Studies have shown that the greatest complaint among employees is the extensive number of hours they have to work. According to 2002 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), workers in the United States tend to work longer average annual hours than most advanced industrial economies. A survey by the Families and Work Institute indicates that most American workers would like to see a reduction in their working hours.[8]

Long working hours have resulted in a diminished interest in job responsibility and a growing work-life conflict. As a result, there has been a rising demand for more flexible work arrangements.[9] In a 2002 poll, human resource professionals ranked flexible schedules as the top way to motivate employees. When flexible schedules are not valued by the employer, employees are more likely to feel overworked.

Work-life practice guidelines

For companies

There are a variety of tried and tested components to the work-life strategy. Foremost is providing flexible working hours for the employees by the employers. Options should be given to the employees such as having a compressed work week or job sharing. A compressed work week involves working full-time hours in four days in order to provide a longer weekend and more time for leisure activities. Job sharing involves two people splitting one job so adequate support is given to each employee and the responsibilities are balanced. Working at home can also provide a more comfortable and convenient work environment.[10]

Another element of the work life balance strategy is to have the company review the work-life balance of their employees on a regular balance. Employers can provide individual development plans for employees or mentoring by colleagues in order to monitor progress and satisfaction in the workforce. Guidelines to handle problems should also be established so business and personal needs can be met.[11]

Adequate leave options should also be provided to the employees. In addition to holiday leave, parental leave and time off for dependants and maternity leave, leave should be provided for new fathers or additional schooling. Employees can also be assisted by their employer if they provide information on local care providers, local day care centers or loans to help pay for eldercare. These assistances would help ease the stress of home life.[12]

For employees

Individuals seeking to improve their own work-life balance may:

• Choose to work less hours, spending more time with their family.
• Take on a different job role or title, typically with less pressure/responsibility and often for less monetary reward.
• Decide to give up working entirely, possibly becoming a Stay at Home Mum / Dad.
• Work less, but at the same time take lifestyle choices that mean they actually require less money for their lifestyle, possibly adopting a less consumerist approach. An example of this is someone who works very hard to be able to afford expensive holidays deemed necessary by them to escape the pressures of their job, but were the holiday not so expensive they could possibly work less.

The above steps and more are sometimes referred to as "Escaping the Rat Race"

Business benefits

Satisfied employees contribute to greater business benefits for the employer. Foremost, businesses would experience an increase in productivity. Happy employees perform better than disgruntled and stressed ones. Businesses would also see improved recruitment and staff retention. Additionally, there would be lower rates of absenteeism and improved customer service. Overall, there would exist a more motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce.[13]

Additional material

Books

Change the Way You See Everything by Kathryn D. Cramer & Hank Wasiak (Running Press, 076242723X, 2006).