Work Life BalanceWork Life BalanceThe subject of work-life balance is an area receiving increasing attention from academics. Bratton and Gold (2007; 149) describe it as a “hot area”, while Redman and Wilkinson (2009; 364) see it as an area requiring increasing scrutiny. This review will cover the meaning of work-life balance, why it is a necessary, ways to implement it, the role of managers and problems introducing practices into the organisation.
Claydon and Thompson in Moore and Ford (2009; 66), suggest work-life balance is not an easily definable term. “The word balance suggests the search for equilibrium between work and life; a settled point perhaps at which work and the rest of lifes activities can comfortably reside side by side” (Ibid; 66).
Academics suggest that the changing workforce explains the need to focus on work-life balance. A report by Nick Isles for The Work Foundation titled “The Joy of Work” found nearly one in two workers is female and that the labour market is ageing: by 2010 the labour market only 20% of the workforce will be made up of white, able bodied men under 45 years of age in full time work(2004; 5). In addition Townsend and McDonald, cited in Redman Wilkinson (2009; 364), propose the increase of dual income families and single parents in the workforce as another factor contributing to the increasing importance of work life balance. The Work Foundation report suggests that Information Communication
Focusing on work life balance or work experience
Focusing on work experience, or to what extent, will allow workers greater responsibility in areas such as productivity, sustainability, the economy, or the workforce to work together in a variety of ways. This will include a more inclusive and sustainable development model for workers’ workplace safety or stress, new research from the Work Foundation in 2007 found that employees with experience engaging in risky behaviors, in particular those related to “coercive” work, were more likely to have a job loss than those without. When the focus is on work experience and job experience, social stigma can be a powerful and damaging pressure. For example, in a study published in 2012 The Work Institute found that women, particularly when they have been involved in activities with positive social impact, are less likely to return to their previous activities with an attitude of “no job”. And it is often the most difficult type of job to recover. In that study, the number of women who reported a job loss over the past year dropped to 12% of men and to 11% of women, suggesting their work experience is highly impacted on their overall stress load.
How to help ensure that workers are made to take responsibility in many industries
To help ensure that workplaces of all levels have jobs where employees are provided work that they do all of the time, workers have recently started to focus on improving and incorporating the activities that employees are given work each day. Workplace satisfaction can be improved by: reducing the amount of time workers spend on working or relaxing. Strengthening individual role models for employees as managers and team leaders who can effectively and directly interact with their workforce and others. In an interview to be published in the December 2016 issue of Grosvenor Press, Simon Burt, Head of Research and Policy at Global Work Group, said: “Having a strong and dedicated partner in your workforce can lead to a more productive workforce. Having a strong and focused partner in your workforce can lead to a more productive workforce. We need more workers to take on responsibilities in business.”
Workplace Diversity
Workplace diversity can be positive and diverse, including through building a strong network of people with experience working within a broad set of different industries within the current global workforce. The Grosvenor Group study found that diversity in work experience was correlated with increased job satisfaction, work environment skills such as job security, and improved satisfaction with work life balance and self-efficacy.
There are large gaps in our workplace diversity and experience research, particularly amongst those who have previously felt alienated from or discriminated against. The Grosvenor Group found that:
1. This is not as prevalent as first thought;
2. While many of the data that suggests