by Work and personal life were once considered to be two separate priorities. But with the changing times due to globalization and ever-increasing work pressures, maintaining work-life balance has attracted the attention of the organizations and employees as well. The employees who devote a crucial period of time of their entire day at work or sometimes work for extended hours, are faced with the challenge of balancing their personal lives with the demands of their profession.
The origin of the term Work-Life Balance took place in early 80’s, because of a sharp rise in the number of working women professionals having children in tender age-groups dependent on them. The demand for maintaining a work-life balance has risen unprecedentedly among the employees and the management has also acknowledged its importance in the current scenario. In future, work life balance will be one of the hot topics of debate in the boardrooms and is going to be a major area of concern for the management and HR professionals which they will be faced with.
Work-Life balance refers to an effective management or striking a balance between the work which is remunerated and the personal or social responsibilities which an individual is expected to perform. Work life can influence organizational productivity and also the well being of the employees in different ways.
Work–life balance is the lack of opposition between work and other life roles. It is the state of equilibrium in which demands of personal life, professional life, and family life are equal. Work–life balance consists of, but it is not limited to, flexible work arrangements that allow employees to carry out other life programs and practices. The term ‘work–life balance’ is recent in origin, as it was first used in UK and US in the late 1970s and 1980s, respectively. Work–life balance is a term commonly used to describe the balance that a working individual needs between time allocated for work and other aspects of life. Areas of life other than work–life can include personal interests, family and social or leisure activities. Technological advances have made it possible for work tasks to be accomplished faster due to the use of smartphones, email, video-chat, and other technological software. These technology advances facilitate individuals to work without having a typical ‘9 to 5’ work day.
Given below are some of the areas in terms of opportunities and concerns on which work life issues can have an impact:
- Impact on the Profitability and Growth
Excessive pressure of achieving the profitability and growth targets builds stress, hampers the overall productivity of the employees and disturbs their work-life balance. A well planned and implemented work-life balance strategy may greatly ease the work pressure both on the job and perceived work pressures, which in turn will favourably propel employee productivity and contribute towards a positive return on investment.
- Employee Engagement at work and Quality of customer service
An imbalance in the work and life front will adversely affect the complete engagement of the employees at work and hamper the quality of services delivered to the customers. On the other hand, the quality of service will be reliable and consistent, if the employees perceive that their efforts or their presence is valued by the management and also that the organization is committed to ensuring both personal and professional success of their employees.
- Talent Acquisition strategy and the Challenges related to it
Increase in the composition of the baby boomers and relatively a young pool of working professionals, have increased their expectations for a favourable work life culture. They expect that apart from their work responsibilities they need to attend to the personal/social responsibilities of their life. In the present scenario, issues with work-life balance is considered to be the prime reasons for a high rate of employee turnover which definitely is an imposed cost on the organization. Research reveals that, Johnson & Johnson was able to achieve a reduction in the rate of absenteeism by almost 50% by introducing flexi-work options and employee welfare policies.
- Rising cost of Health Care & Medications
Due to a rise in the level of work pressure and never ending expectations, a major percentage of the employees are faced with lifestyle related diseases and major health problems. This has become a serious issue of concern for the organizations because of the mounting cost of health care and drastic reduction in the ratio of employee productivity. Such concerns have compelled the management to pay importance to work-life balance priorities and creating a healthier workplace by implementing several developmental initiatives.
Work-life initiatives is not a choice but an imperative for the management in the present scenario. It is because, the employees look forward to the support and concern of the management towards their work-life related issues. HR today, holds the extra responsibility of implementing a gamut of initiatives for making their organization an attractive place to work for the employees.
Causes of work–life imbalance
There are three moderators that are correlated with work–life imbalance: gender, time spent at work, and family characteristics.
- Gender
Gender differences could lead to a work–life imbalance due to the distinct perception of role identity. It has been demonstrated that men prioritize their work duties over their family duties to provide financial support for their families, whereas women prioritize their family life.
- Time spent at work
Spending long hours at work due to “inflexibility, shifting in work requirements, overtime or evening work duties” could lead to an imbalance between work and family duties. It has been demonstrated “that time spent at work positively correlate with both work interference with family and family interference with work, however, it was unrelated to cross-domain satisfaction”. This could be due to the fact that satisfaction is a subjective measure. This being said, long hours could be interpreted positively or negatively depending on the individuals. Working long hours affect the family duties, but on the other side, there are financial benefits that accompany this action which negate the effect on family duties.
- Family characteristics
Family characteristics include single employers, married or cohabiting employers, parent employers, and dual-earning parents. Parents who are employed experience reduced family satisfaction due to their family duties or requirements. This is due to the fact that they are unable to successfully complete these family duties. In addition, parent workers value family-oriented activities; thus, working long hours reduces their ability to fulfill this identity, and, in return, reduces family satisfaction. As for the married and/ or dual-earning couples, it seems that “not only require more time and effort at home but also are a resource for individuals to draw from, both instrumentally through higher income and emotionally through increased empathy and support.”
In addition to these moderators that could lead to an imbalance, many people expose themselves to unsolicited job stress, because they enjoy high social recognition. This aspect can also be the cause of an imbalance in the areas of life. However, other occupational activities could also lead to such an imbalance, for example, unpaid labor such as contribution to house and garden work, maintenance and support of family members or volunteer activities. All of these contribute to the perception of a chronic lack of time. Lacking time leads to pressure, which is experienced differently based on the individual’s age, the age and number of children in the household, marital status, the profession and level of employment, and the income level. Strong pressure of time leads to increased psychological strain, which in turn affects health. Psychological strain is also affected by the complexity of work, the growing responsibilities, concerns for long-term existential protection, and more. The mentioned stresses and strains could lead in the long term to irreversible, physical signs of wear, as well as to negative effects on the human cardiovascular and immune systems.
The benefits of work-life balance are given below
- Fulfillment: People who maintain a balance between work and personal life experience a sense of fulfillment and contentment in their life.
- Health: A balanced work-life will help in reducing health related complications and the risk of various serious diseases of heart, hyper-tension, stress or life-style related ailments.
- Improved Productivity: Greater work-life balance will improve the employee productivity and performance at work.
- Strengthen Relationship: Work-life balance facilitates collaboration in professional and personal relationship. Conflicts are better tackled or addressed when there is a balance between both.
Benefits to the organization from Work-Life Balance culture
- Saving of Employee time: By facilitating a supportive and a conducive work culture, organizations can achieve higher productivity from the employees and help the employees in planning and utilizing their time more efficiently by setting clear priorities.
- Retention of Employees: Work life balance initiatives may not only increase the percentage ratio of employee retention but equally contributes to a saving in the extra cost which an organization might have to incur due to an employee exit or turnover.
- Improve employee motivation & morale as well as their commitment towards the work. Studies reveal that motivated employees are more productive and provide best support in the organization’s professional journey.
- Reduction in the Absenteeism rate: Studies show that work life balance programs if effectively implemented by an organization, can reduce the absenteeism rate by alomost 50%.
- Helps in Gaining a Competitive edge or an advantage: Organization’s work life balance policies and prcatices in the form of flexi work options, shift work and a lot more will make the organization more competitive and addressing the changing demands of the customers as well as help an organization achieve its strategic mission or goals.
- Strengthen the Reputation of the organization: Work life balance programmes if effectively planned and implemented, can strengthen the reputation and the image of an organization by being recognized by the people as one of the best places to work and help in attracting top talent.
- Build a Loyal Workforce: An organization’s employee-friendly policies or programmes which support the overall well-being of the employees, will definitely help in building a loyal and committed workforce.
- Reduction in the Conflicts: Offering flexi-work options, will help the employees in restructuring their schedule to fit in their personal commitments or otherwise work from home, which in turn will reduce the possibilities of any work-life matters related conflict.
