THE BARBADOS’ BEST EMPLOYERS (BBE) programme is continuing apace. The 2016 version, which was officially launched in February, is continuing in its staff survey collection phase.
BBE is conceptualised and executed by Caribbean Catalyst Inc. and sponsored by THE NATION and its BARBADOS BUSINESS AUTHORITY brand.
The staff survey examines a number of areas including culture, employee communications, performance management/recognition, work environment, work-life balance, community involvement, development and career opportunities, and compensation and benefits.
This week, we examine the work-life balance issue. In an article recently published by business2community.com, blogger and security expert Patrick Barnett examined the issue.
He said that for some individuals work-life balance meant flexible work hours, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and fitness benefits. Some people saw it as reduced travel time, the cost of living increases, skills development, and short breaks throughout the workday.
“Seeking work-life balance is as subjective as choosing a spouse or deciding what to eat for breakfast. So how do you go about creating a company culture that supports it? Determining what this concept really means for individual employees, and then implementing it into your company’s culture might seem nearly impossible,” he added.
“Fortunately, studies exist that can provide insights into some common threads in employees’ quest to achieve work-life balance.”
Reference was made to a survey of more than 900 Americans, which found more than a quarter of them either working during their vacations or allowing work responsibilities to invade time with loved ones.
Also, 19 per cent of these individuals took work to family functions and a quarter took work home regularly. And more than 40 per cent of workers said they took care of personal or family matters during the work hours, and vice versa.
As Barnett said, though, work-life balance was a global problem. An international survey produced by accounting and advisory firm Ernst & Young said the issue was especially difficult for women and parents.
“Survey results gathered between November 2014 and January 2015 showed that as both home and work responsibilities have increased for many full-time workers, their ability to manage both home and work environments well has declined,” the business2community article noted.
“German and Japanese respondents have had the toughest time balancing work and personal responsibilities, at 49 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively. The least challenged were Chinese workers at 16 per cent. In the United States, 25 per cent of employees found managing employment expectations and a personal life increasingly difficult.
“These results were largely the same across generations. But more specifically, employees in the US tend to abandon job positions that lack flexibility or stigmatise those who work flexible hours,” it added.
What should work-life balance mean to such people. The article said it should involve flexibility without penalty, working fewer overtime hours, not having to forfeit promotion due to a need for more flexible hours, and child care options that were either at their workplace or otherwise subsidised.
“When employers allow for that line to remain blurred, not only do employees suffer, the company suffers as well. The opposite of balance is burnout. One of the many factors that contribute to job burnout is an imbalance between work and personal life,” the article stated.
“Take for example employees who are bombarded with assignments that can’t reasonably be completed within a normal workday. Most employees would then take work home with them so as not to get behind or lose their job position.”
“When employees fear termination, or demotion, their energy changes. They might feel drained, lose focus, and express a deflated attitude. When employees experience burnout, it creates a stressful work environment.”
The American Psychological Association recently produced a survey and found that when employees feel as though they have more control in setting boundaries between work and life, they are more engaged in their work, less likely to resign, more willing to work longer hours, relate well to their co-workers and superiors, and report higher life satisfaction.
In an article published by entrepreneur.com last month, founder and chief executive officer of Market Domination Media, Jonathan Long, said there were five ways in which entrepreneurs and others could achieve work life balance.
Establish your priorities – make a list of everything you have going on in your life and rank those tasks and responsibilities, in order, from most to least important.
Account for every waking minute of your day – when you account for every minute of your day your productivity will increase, allowing you to get your work tasks completed yet still leave time for personal and family time.
Don’t be afraid to say “no” – don’t be afraid to decline last-minute meetings or send an unscheduled call to voicemail. Don’t do things out of guilt; instead, focus your time on your top priorities.
Understand that there is no “perfect” scenario – You may find it difficult to achieve the perfect work-life balance. But, if you go in knowing this, you will find it much easier to focus on making adjustments that improve your work-life balance, not perfect it.
Unplug from work when it’s family/personal time – When you are away from work, either engaging in an activity you enjoy or spending time with your family, try to completely unplug from work. (SC)
