Anyone who has ever worked in an office environment is sure to come across a multitude of buzz words and acronyms daily. We hear them again and again and often the meaning behind the lingo gets lost. The term 'Work Life Balance'' isn't new to you but the concept might be.
Work Life Balance was something that I myself didn't fully understand until I had achieved it.
For me Work life Balance is the ability to do my work at work, to come home unburdened and to enjoy both aspects of my life equally.
For another it might mean a reduction in stress levels at work through flexitime, on site massage and an exercise programme that enables them to feel positive and be healthy.
What it takes to achieve individual work life balance is as varied as the individual. For some people work life balance can be achieved through simple steps and changes. For most of us it involves an engaged employer who sees the benefit in having a happy and healthy workforce.
Those benefits include improved employee retention, a reduction in absenteeism, increased productivity and improved team atmosphere – what’s not to like!
Over the next few weeks I will be sharing ideas on how to create your own ideal work life balance. In the meantime have a think about your own work life balance. Which area gets more attention than the other? How does the invaded area suffer and what steps do you think that you could take to create your own perfect work life balance?
Finally in the current climate where everybody is grateful to have a job there is the risk that our work aspect has taking over our life space. How many times have you come home and ranted about work to a loved one the second you get in the door? Have you often worried about deadline or issues over the weekend? Have you lost sleep about how to deal with a colleague or situation? In the last month have you stayed late or gone in early? Was any of this appreciated or noticed?
Work is danger of becoming the ungrateful husband or wife in this equation. You have slaved over the proverbial stove all day and for what? You weren’t asked to, you felt you should though and so you did.
If you find yourself in a position where you give and you give and you give – what have you left for yourself or for your family? At the end of the day you’re spent and worn out with a pay cheque that’s already spent to show for it. If the routine continues you may find yourself in bitterville. And the worst part is that your employer probably has no idea how much of yourself and your time you have given. It’s not their fault, it’s not yours or is it both? So is the onus on the employer or the employee to create a healthy work life balance?
What can you do as an employer
• Take the time to introduce work life balance policy.
• Introduce regular on site massage
• Create an employee engagement forum where the employees concerns and issues are heard
Something as simple as the introduction of an on site massage service can make a world of difference to your working environment. Massage is proven to lower blood pressure, improve concentration and productivity as well as alleviating fatigue and exhaustion. Another valuable tool is to engage the employee directly in the decision making process. Forming an employee engagement focus group is another easy and cheap way to create a happier work place.
Recently the UK Health & Safety Executive found that “Where employees are stressed because they have no say on how work is done, or need to do work that involves a fast pace and need to resolve conflicting priorities, or have a lack of recognition, understanding and support from their managers, there is a higher risk of the employee suffering a psychiatric disorder”
In order for an individual to achieve work life balance there must be an agreement between employer and employee be it formal or informal. It is an agreement based upon mutual respect and appreciation of the other as well as a baisic understanding of eachothers needs and a flexibility that allows for change of circumstances.
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