INTRODUCTION
“Work-life balance is
the state of control,
achievement and
satisfaction in your
life.” It means that you
have a sense of being
able to make choices
that fit for you, given
your current situation
and your goals
REASON FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE
The past two decades has seen an increase in the
number of working women, employees dual earner and
single parent families, increased responsibilities of
adults and changing demography
Employees have seen downsizing, restructuring and
right sizing, increased job security, increased time at
workplace,etc..
REASON FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE
Women in work place and changing family pattern
Population ageing
Downsizing, restructuring and declines in job
security
Technological change
Corporate inertia
HEALTHY BALANCE
Balance will improve
the lives of individual
employees as well as
the company culture.
Healthy balance
between work and life
should be a priority
for everyone.
FACTORS ATTRIBUTING TO INCREASED
AWARENESS FOR WORK LIFE BALANCE
With changing times, different perspectives have
emerged.
At one time several factors led to imbalance, while
it becomes irrelevant in other times when business
has grown and demands have increased it has made
significant progress with respect to work life balance.
They attribute increase in corporate
awareness on two issues:
recruitment and retention
changing attitudes around work
WORK LIFE BALANCE
INTERVENTION
Increasing flexibility
Refusing overtime
Supportive management
TYPES OF PROVISIONS
job sharing
part time working
staggered working hours
annualized hours
compressed hours
term time working
voluntary reduced working time
occasionally working at home
career breaks
leaves
PRODUCTIVITY
work‐life balance can actually increase
productivity.
While it is true that overtime will initially
increase production, the surge only lasts a
few weeks before taking a destructive toll
on productivity.
working long hours for an extended time period
will lead to exhaustion and
unhealthy habits that decrease productivity.
WAYS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY
Take healthy breaks
Take enjoyable break
Take time off
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
It is common knowledge that stress is directly
linked to different diseases.
Numerous surveys have discovered that work is a
leading cause of stress related
illness and injury, such as stroke, heart disease, an
d mental breakdowns.
A balanced life will improve both physical and
mental health.
Awareness: A balanced lifestyle
increases personal awareness,
allow individuals to identify potential
health problems early.
Lifestyle: A balanced lifestyle
automatically improves health. It
encourages healthy choices and help
to develop the body and the mind.
INCREASED MORALE
Work life balance is an effective tool to increase
morale and improve company culture.
work‐life balance improves happiness and
overall job satisfaction. Additionally, employees
are more invested in companies that support their
work‐life balance.
Work‐ life balance typically translates to
employees who work harder and are more
productive.
RISKS
Poor health: Working long hours without taking
time to relax will take its toll on health.
Unresolved conflict: A lack of balance can create conflict
s at work and at home.
Poor performance: Taking on too much
responsibility will lead to exhaustion and cause
performance to suffer.
Financial loss: The impact on health and
productivity takes a financial toll on both individual
employees and organizations.
SIGNS OF IMBALANCE
HealthRisks
Imbalance promotes poor health. Over time,
this can lead to devastating, and possibly
life changing consequences
obesity
exhaustion
emotional problems
Absenteeism
Absenteeism is an employee's intentional or
habitual absence from work.
While employers expect workers to miss a
certain number of workdays each year, excessive
absences can equate to decreased
productivity and can have a major effect on
company finances, morale and other factors.
Causes of Absenteeism
Bullying and harassment
Burnout, stress and low morale
Childcare and eldercare
Depression
Disengagement
Illness
Injuries
Job hunting
Partial shifts
COST OF ABSENTEEISM:
sick pay
loss of productivity
High-cost replacement workers
Administrative costs of managing absenteeism
Poor quality of goods
Reduced productivity
Excess manager time
Safety issues
Poor morale among employees who have to "fill in" or do extra
work to cover absent co-workers
BURNOUT:
Burnout is the physical and psychological
response to long-term stress.
SIGNS OF BURNOUT:
Loss of interest
Lack of emotion
loss of motivation
possible depression
Short attention span, lack of ability to stay focused
No energy, exhausted, withdrawn, feel overwhelmed
No motivation, not taking care of yourself
Negative attitude, unhappy both personally and
professionally
Performance is decreasing at home and at work
Health problems develop/increase
SOME SUGGESTIONS TO ASSIST YOU WITH BURNOUT
Make sure to make time for you and get plenty of sleep.
Do things that relax you; read; take long walks; try yoga or
meditation.
Schedule time for you daily. This is so important, don’t
skip any days.
You need to be tuned in to what it is that causes you
stress. Physical symptoms of stress are; are headache,
tension in the neck and shoulders, upset and nervous
stomach. Pay attention when this occurs.
Re-evaluate your job, see what things you can
change or rearrange to cut back on stress.
When it comes to work, realize what is out of
your control, accept it and move on.
Make a list of what causes you stress; identify
what you have control over and can change; do
what you can to improve the situation in the areas
you have identified.
EXAMPLE
QUOTE FROM CISCO
We know that our
employees’ lifestyles
and needs change over
time, and that we must
adapt to support them.
We believe that there
is a positive correlation
between flexibility in
the workplace and
employee productivity
Flexibility at Cisco is the ability to formally or
informally adjust one’s work schedule in a way
that maximizes productivity, achieves business
goals, and enables work and life integration.
Flexibility focuses on results, rather than physical
presence in an office. Cisco’s tools and culture
enable great flexibility in when, where, and how
people work.
Establishing consistency and transparency is
critical for the flexibility program