Work Life Balance - Can you really afford to go without?

Stress, anxiety and musculoskeletal disorders are the leading causes in absenteeism today yet these are for the most part preventable. So why are Irish businesses literally working themselves in to the ground?

In an attempt to create a lean, efficient corporate machine, bonuses, perks and benefits have been axed left right and centre. In the midst of all this corporate wellness has found itself unfairly labelled a luxury rather than a fundamental part of healthy business.  In addition to the lack of focus on employee health, the factors that negatively affect individual health (stress, anxiety, rapid change and additional workloads) have metastasised and grown exponentially.

Arthritis Ireland claim; The health of Ireland’s workforce is undermining our competitiveness.

Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) cause 50% of absences from work and costs the Irish economy €750 million annually. Early intervention and diagnosis could help keep workers fit for work for longer.

The human cost of work stress and strain has featured heavily in the media in light of the deaths at Foxconn and France Télécom last year.  Penalties for non compliance and breach of EU health and safety guidelines pertaining to stress are at the discretion of each country. In the case of France Télécom this could be severe and end in massive fines and jail time for the parties involved not to mention the amount of bad feeling and bad press associated

with the story.  The state prosecution service in Besançon said that it was investigating France Télécom on suspicion of ''manslaughter through lack of care, inattention, negligence and failing to respect a duty of prudence''.

These are extreme case of course but what's to prevent a similar situation unfolding here? With blatant disregard for mental health and stress in workplaces by both employee and employer, it seems like only a matter of time.

So when the budget is nominal, minimal or non-existent what can be done in the face of rising absenteeism, presenteeism and low morale?

The ideal Work Life Balance plan has the support of the CEO, directors and decision makers; has appropriate funding when possible; a clear HR policy on Work Life Balance; comprehensive plans to deal with physical, emotional and mental wellbeing of

staff; constant re-evaluation taking in to account any changes in the business or organisation; and SMART objectives and benchmarking.

There are ways to improve Work Life Balance rapidly and at low or zero cost: Employee engagement is one of the key factors in improving staff morale. Involving a cross section of employees in discussion and brainstorming can shed new light on how simple alterations and implementations can make big changes to how people feel about their workplace. 

Employee funded services are also an option. Work Life Balance offers a range of services including on site massage, fitness as well as stress and time management which can all be funded by employees, employers and can be fully or partially subsidised. For full details please visit www.myworklifebalance.ie

A complimentary consultation on Work life Balance is also available. Take the time to create a Work Life Balance strategy. Can your company really afford not to?

Stress and Exercise

One of the most important things when coping with stress is exercise.

Exercise helps relieve the symptoms of stress greatly and usually leaves you feeling a million times better. It can be hard to get motivated but once you get in to the routine of exercising regularly you will notice a difference in both your physical and mental state.

The reason for this is very simple. Exercise in its various forms releases endorphins in the brain essentially making you happier. Endorphins also help when coping with pain as they have analgesic properties.

Exercising also improves blood flow to your brain making sure that the correct amount of oxygen and nutrients are delivered in a timely fashion.

When working the brain hard the neurons in your brain function more intensely. As they do they produce a waste product that can build up leaving your thinking unclear and 'foggy'. Exercise helps the body rid itself of waste products and thus improving brain function.

So if you're not already convinced - exercise will also improve the condition of your heart, lungs, circulatory and vascular systems and aside from making you feel great, exercise will assist with weight loss in conjunction with a proper diet.

So get going. Don't join a gym unless you are 100% sure that you will use it enough to justify the pricing. Start simply by going for a short walk or swim once a week, then twice a week and increasing frequency and duration as your fitness levels adjust. 

For those who seek more of a challenge try something new and exciting like street dancing or pole fitness (www.twirl.ie), ballet, tap or salsa!

If that's not your cup of tea there are plenty of group activities available like Tag rugby, football, basketball, or athletics (often available through your company - see www.bhaa.ie).

Human bodies need activity and exercise almost as much as we need food and water. If your job is sedentary then you particularly need to take the initiative and get moving.

NB: If you are not used to taking exercise regularly, then it may be appropriate to take medical advice before starting an exercise program.

What is stress?

What is Stress? How Does It Impact?

Stress is a term that is bandied about a lot. What is certain, however, is that everyone will experience stress at some point in their life. How it is experienced and how it is coped with will vary from person to person.
Hans Sayle (1907—1982) - the 'father of stress research’ - is largely responsible for what we know about the human body and stress. He researched the general adaptation syndrome — more commonly known as ‘fight or flight’.
There are three distinct stages to the stress response.

• Stage 1 - Alarm When your body perceives a threat (real or imagined) adrenaline is released. This causes your body to react by cutting off circulation to less immediately important systems (digestion and reproduction) and sends the blood to areas of the body that are responsible for physically carrying you away from the threat. You'll have experienced this at some point in your life — your pupils dilate, your heart rate and breathing accelerates, adrenaline frees energy stores in your liver and blood from your spleen, sending it coursing through your veins.
  A certain amount of stress is healthy and can give you the little push you need to perform whether it be during a race or in the board room. However, if the perceived threat does not disappear, the body enters a second phase
• Stage 2 - Resistance The body cannot sustain the initial phase for more than a short period of time and so tries to adapt and meet the demands of the situation. If sufficient rest from the stressor is not received, the body depletes itself which eventually leads to stage three…
• Stage 3 - Exhaustion By this third stage, your body is at its limit. Long term damage is under way and the body is no longer able to repair itself. The initial response symptoms may appear: raised heart rate, sweating and so on, and the body’s immune and endocrine glands are damaged. With reduced immune function your body is much more open to illness and infection.

The Results of Stress

For the individual, ulcers, diabetes, cancer, stroke as well as other cardiovascular problems can manifest. Depression, anxiety, insomnia, nervous exhaustion and mental breakdown are also common.
For the organisation, issues of contagious low morale, and reduced productivity can results, with increased absenteeism commonplace.

For more information on coping with stress please visit http://www.myworklifebalance.ie/ or email info@myworklifebalance.ie

Work Life Balance - More than words

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.