What is meant by work-life balance
There are often two main aspects associated with work-life balance – the first is lack of time and scheduling conflicts, and the other is feeling overwhelmed, overloaded or stressed by the pressures of multiple roles. Balance is not necessarily about splitting time equally, but rather that the individual feels fulfilled and content with both aspects of their life. Work-life conflict occurs when the overall demands of work and personal roles are incompatible in some respect making participation in one role more difficult by participation in the other role.
Health Canada has identified four broad categories associated with work-life balance:
From: Reducing Work-Life Conflict: What Works? What Doesn't?, Health Canada, (2008)
Balance is also one of the identified psychosocial risk factors that can impact an individual's mental health.
- context Role overload: This form of work-life conflict occurs when the total demands on time and energy associated with the prescribed activities of multiple roles are too great to perform the roles adequately or comfortably.
- context Work-to-family interference: This type of role conflict occurs when work demands and responsibilities make it more difficult to fulfill family-role responsibilities (e.g., long hours in paid work prevent attendance at a child's sporting event, preoccupation with the work role prevents an active enjoyment of family life, work stresses spill over into the home environment and increase conflict with the family).
- context Family-to-work interference: This type of role conflict occurs when family demands and responsibilities make it more difficult to fulfill work-role responsibilities (e.g., a child's illness prevents attendance at work, conflict at home makes concentration at work difficult).
- context Caregiver strain: Caregiver strain is a multi-dimensional construct defined in terms of "burdens" in the caregivers' day-to-day lives, which can be attributed to the need to provide care or assistance to someone else who needs it.
Why is it important to maintain a good work-life balance?
Each person can be affected differently based on factors such as frequency and duration of work, the nature of the job or role, roles outside of work, etc.
When an individual must spend more time at work, they may experience any combination of the following:
When an individual must spend more time with other roles, they may experience any combination of the following:
- requirement Work-related musculoskeletal disorders, including the impacts of psychosocial factors
- requirement Occupational injuries
- requirement Fatigue
- requirement Burnout
- requirement Poor mental health effects such as stress, depression, anxiety, etc.
- requirement Job dissatisfaction
- requirement Absenteeism
- requirement Lower quality of work
- requirement Missed work or lower quality of work
- requirement Job dissatisfaction
- requirement Loss of income
- requirement Boredom
What are work-life balance initiatives?
Simply put, work-life balance initiatives are any benefits, policies, or programs that help create a better balance between the demands of the job and the healthy management (and enjoyment) of life outside work.
Work/life initiatives can potentially deal with a wide range of issues including:
- context disconnecting from work
- context on-site childcare,
- context emergency childcare assistance,
- context seasonal childcare programs (such as March break or holidays),
- context carer friendly initiatives , including assistance to a child, relative, close friend, or partner who needs help because of physical, mental, or cognitive conditions,
- context referral program to care services, local organizations, etc.,
- context flexible working arrangements,
- context parental or family leave
- context other leaves of absence policies such as educational, volunteer, community service, self-funded, or sabbaticals,
- context employee assistance programs,
- context on-site seminars and workshops (on such topics as stress, nutrition, smoking, communication etc.),
- context internal and external educational or training opportunities, or
- context fitness facilities, or fitness membership assistance (financial).
Why should a workplace consider these programs?
The need for balance is essential. Studies on work/life balance programs have reported such benefits as:
- context attracting new employees,
- context helping to retain staff,
- context building diversity in skills and personnel,
- context improving morale,
- context reducing injuries, illness, and absenteeism,
- context enhancing working relationships between colleagues,
- context encouraging employees to show more initiative and teamwork,
- context increasing levels of production and satisfaction, and
- context decreasing stress and burn-out.
What are some steps to take when setting up a program?
When starting, it is best to appoint an individual or in some cases, form a joint work/life balance committee. To research needs and to implement the program, suggested steps to take are as follows:
1. Assess the workplaces' current situation and objectives.
2. Get support from all levels of the organization. Educate all members of the workplace about the benefits and challenges of introducing these programs. Be clear on the intentions and goals of the program. Provide any necessary training or education to help these address concerns.
Some common concerns or challenges that may need to be addressed include the misconceptions that:
3. Be clear how hours, productivity and deadlines will be monitored. Address fears and apprehension expressed by both employees and managers. Be sure that workload issues are resolved and set realistic targets.
4. Create a comprehensive policy or guideline:
5. Initiate a trial period and/or pilot studies.
6. Monitor, re-survey, and make any adjustments that are necessary.
Please see the OSH Answers document Workplace Health and Wellness Promotion - Getting Started for more information about establishing a workplace health or wellness program.
(Adapted from: Comprehensive Workplace Health Program Guide, CCOHS)
- context Survey workers, supervisors, and managers.
- context Ask about needs, concerns, etc. Find out about underlying concerns (e.g., workers report not being able to cope with workplace stress. What is the true source of this stress?)
- context people should keep their personal lives at home,
- context being present equals being productive or that hours at work equals high performance or results,
- context benefit programs can make people happier, but not more productive,
- context family-friendly policies are soft human resources issues, mainly for women,
- context management will lose control,
- context it's only for non-managerial positions,
- context one program is good for everyone, or
- context participation will be a career-limiting move.
- context Clearly state its use and purpose.
- context Be clear about the impact on vacation time, compensation and other benefits, if any.
- context Act on recommendations for modification or for further enhancements.