Work-life balance.[check] This checklist suggests ways in which managers can improve the work-life balance The expression work-life balance was first used in 1986 in the US (although had been used in the UK from the late 1970s by organisations such as New Ways to Work and the Working Mother's Association) to help explain the unhealthy life choices that many people were making; they were of employees. It focuses on an organisational approach, involving the assessment of the needs of staff, and the establishment of a work-life policy and benefits system. Research by the Department for Education and Employment has found that four out of five employees believe that everyone should be able to balance their work and home lives. The achievement of such a balance is an increasingly important issue for businesses, particularly with rising numbers of female and older workers, and the growth of the so-called "Generation X" that values life balance more than high salaries. Definition Work-life balance is an integrated and harmonious blending of the needs of an organisation with the family and private commitments of its employees. There are clear business benefits to organisations in recognising family and other external pressures on its employees, and in making provision to enable employees to deal with those pressures. The balance usually relates to flexible hours, times of work and related working practices. Achievement of a work-life balance is important for all staff, not just those with young children. Advantages of improving work-life balance If employees maintain a good balance between work and home life, this can result in: * better employee performance and increased productivity * higher morale and lower staff turnover * lower absence and sickness SICKNESS. By sickness is understood any affection of the body which deprives it temporarily of the power to fulfill its usual functions. 2. Sickness is either such as affects the body generally, or only some parts of it. rates * reduction in burnout Burnout Depletion of a tax shelter's benefits. In the context of mortgage backed securities it refers to the percentage of the pool that has prepaid their mortgage. and stress * better recruitment and retention of staff * improved company image. Disadvantages of improving work life-balance * Improved company performance will take time to become apparent, and will take time and effort to get right. * In downsized or delayered companies, flexible working arrangements may result in some employees taking on more in order for others to do less. * If not introduced equitably eq·ui·ta·ble adj. Marked by or having equity; just and impartial. See Synonyms at fair1. [French équitable, from Old French, from equite, equity; see equity. , some employees may resent re·sent tr.v. re·sent·ed, re·sent·ing, re·sents To feel indignantly aggrieved at. [French ressentir, to be angry, from Old French resentir, others. * Flexible or remote working may make it difficult to maintain an organisation's structure and culture. * Once policies are introduced, it may be difficult to change them, even if the company runs into difficulties. Action checklist 1. Find out what employees' needs are, and how far they are being met First establish what types of work/home conflicts your employees are experiencing. You might assess their home situation (for example, the proportion of employees with children or elderly dependants), and the consequences of home commitments (such as the amount of overtime worked, or number of days of missed work). Use exit interviews to find out if balance issues contributed to employees' departures. Set up focus groups or conduct surveys. Involving employees from the start will help overcome resistance to change. Use the results to establish a business case for improving work-life balance. Relate it to the bottom line, and begin communicating your intentions to the most influential people in the organisation, and to interested parties such as staff associations and trade unions. Before proceeding, it is vital to identify financial resources and key personnel to carry out the implementation and to keep it running. 2. Focus on organisation culture The culture and atmosphere of your organisation must be conducive con·du·cive adj. Tending to cause or bring about; contributive: working conditions not conducive to productivity. See Synonyms at favorable. to flexibility, innovative work practices, and empowerment em·pow·er tr.v. em·pow·ered, em·pow·er·ing, em·pow·ers 1. To invest with power, especially legal power or official authority. See Synonyms at authorize. 2. . Trust is a vital component. Not only will managers have to ensure that flexible benefits will not be abused, but employees must not be made to feel disloyal, resented, or poor performers if they take advantage of the benefits. Rather than putting an emphasis on presenteeism Presenteeism is the opposite of absenteeism. In contrast to absenteeism, when employees are absent from work illegitimately, presenteeism discusses the problems faced when employees come to work in spite of illness, which can have similar negative repercussions on business , it should be shifted on to performance and results. Look at the organisation structure, and consider if it enables or constrains work-life balance. A traditional hierarchy with a command-and-control approach may not be suited to effective implementation of the necessary new measures. A flatter organisation, in which employees work in teams and are empowered, may make this easier. It is important that managers themselves set a good example, and that work-life balance becomes integrated into the culture of the organisation at all levels, not just the lower grades. 3. Improve personal and organisational efficiency An important part of achieving a work-life balance is ensuring that the "work" part of the equation is carried out as smoothly as possible. Time management, delegation, prioritising, and handling information to avoid overload See information overload and overloading. , are all skills that can reduce both stress and hours worked, while maintaining the same level of productivity. This might impact on home life, for example, by eliminating the need to take work home, or making employees less tired and stressed in the evenings. Consider also ways in which organisational procedures and activities could be improved in order to make employees' working lives less frenetic fre·net·ic or phre·net·ic also fre·net·i·cal or phre·net·i·cal adj. Wildly excited or active; frantic; frenzied. [Middle English frenetik, from Old French frenetique , stressful, or tiring tir·ing n. See cerclage. . 4. Set up work-life policies and benefit arrangements There is no one approach that will create balance: a flexible set of policies should be set up to cover as many aspects and different situations as possible. Consider the following: * Flexible working hours--allowing employees to organise working hours to accommodate important aspects of their home lives (see checklist Introducing flexible working into your organisation). * Self-rostering--teams of employees working out their own hours, accommodating each others' needs. * Buddy system--pairing people up so that they can cover for each other, enabling each to take time off when necessary, knowing that someone else will take over their duties and responsibilities. * Flexible working location--working from a different office or from home, either permanently or on an ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. basis, may help employees cope with family responsibilities and reduce or eliminate commuting time (see checklist Teleworking). * Special leave availability--consider, for example, an allowance of paid or unpaid leave each year, to give employees time to cope with personal crises, and family and household emergencies, without using up their holiday allowance. * Career breaks--these could be of varying length, and used for study, travel, bringing up children, voluntary work, or many other activities that can improve both home and working life. * Counselling, advice, and information sources--not just confidential counselling on work-related issues, but also on family matters, such as childcare providers, and medical or financial advice, and so on. * Childcare/eldercare subsidies--a workplace nursery may not be feasible, but subsidised Adj. 1. subsidised - having partial financial support from public funds; "lived in subsidized public housing" subsidized supported - sustained or maintained by aid (as distinct from physical support); "a club entirely supported by membership dues"; places in local nurseries or nursing homes may be an option (see checklist Setting up childcare policies). * Concierge services--these make it easier for employees to conduct their day to day household tasks, and might include such facilities as grocery shopping or dry-cleaning delivered to the office, or car servicing while employees are at work. It may not be possible to cater for every situation, in which case a cafeteria-style benefits system could be considered. This sets out a list of priced benefits, and each employee can "buy" whichever benefits they choose with their fixed annual allowance. Alternatively, certain benefits could be traded for a cut in salary. Take into account employees' ideas. If an employee can make a business case for a change to his or her way of working, then the idea should be tested. This kind of suggestion scheme may prove more responsive to individual circumstances CIRCUMSTANCES, evidence. The particulars which accompany a fact. 2. The facts proved are either possible or impossible, ordinary and probable, or extraordinary and improbable, recent or ancient; they may have happened near us, or afar off; they are public or than a rigid set of policies. Bear in mind at all times the legislation and best practice surrounding sur·round tr.v. sur·round·ed, sur·round·ing, sur·rounds 1. To extend on all sides of simultaneously; encircle. 2. To enclose or confine on all sides so as to bar escape or outside communication. n. equal opportunities and diversity. 5. Inform and train managers The achievement of balance depends not just on the policies chosen, but on their implementation. This must be consistent across the organisation. Managers should receive training in the variety of benefits available, and in counselling employees to choose the right combination. Work-life issues could be incorporated into annual training plans and performance appraisals Performance appraisal, also known as employee appraisal, is a method by which the performance of an employee is evaluated (generally in terms of quality, quantity, cost and time). . Bear in mind that a balance cannot be "imposed", and employers can assist staff in deciding on the most appropriate options. It should be stressed that take-up of flexible benefits should in no way affect promotion prospects, recognition, or other job opportunities. 6. Communicate the policies and benefits Inform employees of the options available. Consider incorporating the information into a staff handbook
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ether, any of a number of organic compounds whose molecules contain two hydrocarbon groups joined by single bonds to an oxygen atom. in paper or electronic format. 7. Evaluate work-life balance success by measuring employee and customer satisfaction It is important to maintain the advantages of a good work-life policy by keeping it relevant and up to date. By measuring employee satisfaction, performance, and assessing factors such as retention rate, the effectiveness of the policies can be evaluated. The policies should have a positive impact on the company's bottom line, on staff and customer satisfaction and retention, and on the climate within the organisation. Constant monitoring, feedback, and adjustment will ensure the policies and their implementation are working well. Publicise Verb 1. publicise - call attention to; "Please don't advertise the fact that he has AIDS" advertise, advertize, publicize announce, denote - make known; make an announcement; "She denoted her feelings clearly" successes, make use of internal newsletters and the local press, and encourage employees to take up what is on offer and to spread the word. Dos and don'ts for improving work-life balance Do * Ensure that your work-life policy is inclusive and that every individual can benefit from it. * Give the work-life initiative a catchy title. * Communicate the policy and make sure everyone knows what is available. * Make sure that supervisors are supportive and do not discourage employees from making flexible arrangements. * Minimise red tape so that signing up to new arrangements is quick and easy. Don't * Try to "impose" a work-life balance, or introduce it without consultation and co-operation. * Assume that you only need to target women with children or employees with elderly dependants. * Think that flexibility is only appropriate to certain work settings. * Discriminate dis·crim·i·nate v. dis·crim·i·nat·ed, dis·crim·i·nat·ing, dis·crim·i·nates v.intr. 1. a. . Useful reading Work life integration : case studies of organisational change, Suzan Lewis and Cary L Cooper Chichester: John Wiley John Wiley may refer to:
Achieving best practice in your business : maximising potential through work life balance case studies from the IT electronics and communications industries communications industry, broadly defined, the business of conveying information. Although communication by means of symbols and gestures dates to the beginning of human history, the term generally refers to mass communications. Department of Trade and Industry The Department of Trade and Industry was a United Kingdom government department which was disbanded with the announcement of the creation of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 28 June 2007[1]. : London, 2004 Harvard Business Review Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership and on work and life balance Boston: Harvard Business School Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. Press, 2000 Getting the right work life balance London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is the leading professional body for those involved in the field of personnel, training and development. Membership of the CIPD is highly respected and widely accepted by employers as a requirement of practice. , 2000 Useful addresses DTI Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) A refinement of magnetic resonance imaging that allows the doctor to measure the flow of water and track the pathways of white matter in the brain. Work-Life Balance Campaign, Response Centre, 1 Victoria Street, London, SW1H 0ET Tel. 020 7215 5000 Web: www.dti.gov.uk/bestpractice/people/flexible-working.htm Work-Life Balance Centre, 5, Nethercote, Newton Burgoland, Leicestershire, LE 67 2ST Tel: 01530 273056 Web: www.worklifebalancecentre.org Work-Life Research Centre, Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University History During the last third of the 20th century MMU grew through the combination of several colleges, some of which were founded in the 19th century. The mergers began on 1st January 1970, when Manchester Polytechnic was formed from Manchester College of Art and Design, the , Elizabeth Gaskell Campus, Hathersage Road, Manchester, M13 0JA Tel: 0161 247 2569 Web: www.workliferesearch.org Thought starters * Do you know how many days taken as sick leave in your organisation are genuine, and how many are taken to cope with crises at home? * If a member of staff is consistently late for work, do you know why? * Do you feel your loyalty would be questioned if you discussed home or family commitments at work? |
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