Work- life Balance of Employees - Coursework Example

Work- life balance of employees Table of contents Introduction ……………………………………………………………………… 3 Work- life balance and the recruitment ……….…………………………………. 3 Theoretical explanations of work– life balance …………………………………. 5 Understanding friendship ………………………………………………………... 6 Challenges and Solutions ………………………………………………………… 6 What needs to be done? ………………………………………………………….. 7 Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………….. 8 Introduction There is a certain statement that if a person has a balance between the one’s work and personal life, he or she experience greater satisfaction as an employee. However, as some studies prove, different nuances affect such perception, because both internal and external factors put their impact on personal and professional life of every individual. A study conducted within the large pharmaceutical company showed the correlation between work- life balance issues and the satisfaction of involvement of employees to the certain job. According to the survey where more than one thousand employees were involved showed that one fifth of them were planned to leave their jobs to find better balance between their private and work life. Some would say such significant factor of work- life balance as flexibility provides an availability of the employees to organize their work schedule as they would want to. However, after certain research, it was found out that alternate schedules did not necessarily free up the time for people and it did not also improved their work- life balance (Deisem 2008). The following paper will examine the question of work- life balance and explain why it is an important consideration for managers. It will aslo discuss the ways in which work-life balance can influence the proper performance of employees within an organization. Work- life balance and the recruitment With the coming of era of technological advance that enabled people to perform their duties faster and in a more productive way, there appeared the special need in balancing of work and life spheres. Since it is possible to communicate with each other on a long distance and become possible to work from home, there occurred an urge to think how to balance the and separate work and life. However, for the traditional office jobs and corporate structures the question of work- life balance is still discussed, as there were noticed several costly consequences to work- life conflicts. These are the increased absenteeism, high employee turnover and thus reduced productivity, increased health and disability costs, reduced job satisfaction and others. The companies, however, report about the benefits with work- life initiatives, which include the improved recruitment efforts that are fast on the rise on the list of advantages that employees are searching. It is also a retention, which is possible by implementing the flex- and compensation time. However, with the almost twenty two percent of all employees, who are changing jobs over the last year and a half, three- quarters of organizations are expecting the main problems will be in recruitment and retention processes (Amble 2006). A demand for better work- life balance appeared as the second most important recruitment and retention criterion. In the recent years the entry- level employees were ready to work overtime and have seven- day work week in return for accepting their candidatures for the executive jobs. However, today more than half of modern employees value their work- life balance and determine it as a key job selection criterion or even consider it as a critical factor for them. For younger employees, work- life balance has become the one essential option when deciding to join or remain inside the organization. Moreover, it is even more important than the possibility to earn more or obtain advancement skills or build a professional career (Amble 2006). Besides, not the last thing for the employees is to work for the company or an organization, whose mission or purpose is the same as the employee’s. A study says, that at a time when certain employees are searching for a greater balance between the physical and work- life demands, others seek for an inner sense of balance between their personal ideals and missions and visions of an employer. Such factors overcome even the opportunity for financial growth and advancement. Obtaining professional growth or special variety of skills are also the least important factors to the employees. Nevertheless, large companies offer a wide variety of benefits for their employees, thus retaining them. Moreover, these organizations and companies are more likely to propose benefits for the income in retirement and that is also the essential benefit for certain category of employees. No matter what size the company is, the problem with retaining the best and the brightest talents has been called a crisis and is now the top the priority of issues of organizations and industries. Inflexible work hours are the first reason why best employees leave the organization. If take into account the percentage of those who wish to combine the domestic responsibilities and be engaged with the part- time work, the picture of work- life balance will be even worse from the perspective of recruitment. Even with the passionate attitude regarding their careers, many employees are not ready to sacrifice family and leisure time for their career (Newman & Kubal 2008). Some companies also allow part- time scheduling. Besides, other alternatives are also identified as factors for success in implementing work arrangements. Thus, at Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, an employee who seeks for one of the company’s five work paths should be employed in a position that is suitable for the alternative work arrangement and should display to the manager that flexibility can be managed. Such work path should not interfere the effectiveness of work relationships. Since not every position is good for the alternative work path, it is rather the privilege than a right (Newman & Kubal 2008). Another factor that is precisely examined by the specialists of every organization is their focus on retention. It is proved that if the high- potential employee requests a flexible or reduced- hour work schedule, it is for the organization benefit to accept such request rather than allow a person quit. Specialists state that an organization will lose an enormous talent if it does not face its employees’ issues, such as child, elderly care or any other life challenge. Theoretical explanations of work– life balance Whether one wants to evaluate an individual professional performance and health, it requires assumptions of numerous role from work and non- work spheres. Organizational researchers take into account non- work needs when assess the impact of the psychological work environment, that are the occupational stress, well- being of employees and their contribution. There is still a great concern about how to measure work- life balance. Scientists have developed models from the perspectives of role needs, which include behavior- based and time- based needs and also specific mechanisms, which help to balance work and life interaction. As to the work- life balance research model, it is based on the occupational stress theoretical framework and includes adaptations of employee to the environment and cognitive appraisal, as well as to the job- demands resources and role peculiarity. The main factors for work- life balance is work and family responsibilities, where gender and social support are major moderating constructs. Thus, excellent performance and physical and psychological state levels are the main consequences of work- life balance. The examination of such consequences of work- life balance is aligned on attitudinal and performance outcome of work and non- work spheres. These family and related to work results execute behavioral outcomes such as dissatisfaction, absenteeism, lateness and bad performance (Brough, Timms, ODriscoll, Kalliath, Siu, OL, Sit, & Lo 2014). Understanding friendship While work- life researchers pay community’s attention on focusing on numerous life roles, they give less awareness about the life beyond work and family fields. However, some work- life balance measurements maintain the item regarding the time for friends. Relationship based on friendship are the source of social well- being and successful integration into the community. They also ensure a social support. In the modern world, where work is put on the first place, lack of time for personal life is the challenge for the employees. That is why researchers study about the phenomenon of friendship and focus on its importance on employees’ performing of their work and in family. Friendship is an important aspect within the organizations, but is neglected partially because it is considered as a part of private life on an employee. However, there are certain interactions between friendship networks that form work and family and society relations. Scholars agree that friendship means informal connections between people who support each other and that is important as at work as in personal life. Within organizations, such support is demonstrated by means of sharing information and practical assistance. It is also highly dependent because it changes through life course of a person and depends upon the relation between work and family. Moreover, if individuals have friendship relations inside the organization, they plays at hand to both work and life balance (Pedersen & Lewis 2012). Challenges and Solutions In the modern society, specialists of human resources are searching for options that will positively impact the bottom line of their organizations, will enablr to improve the morale of their employees, find new solutions about how to retain the emloyees with valuable company knowledge and keep them contribute for the good of the organization or the company. While there are many conflicting responsibilities and commitments in the society, work- life balance is the top issue in the workplace. Therefore, there are certain factors that contribute to the interest of and the importance of serious concerns of the work- life balance. They are the global competition, renewed interest in individual lives and family values and the force of aging. The scholars consider that only those professionals of human resources will find positive impact of the work- life balance, if they seek for the innovative and toward- thinking ways that will enable their organizations to earn competitive advantage in the market. While certain organizations view the diversity and work- life balance as separate things, the business case for controlling the diversity is the same for work- life balance. Both promote employee commitment, improve productivity, lower turnover and outcome in fewer employee relations challenges and reduce the likelihood of the unethical business practices. It will be a challenge for the company to establish work- life initiatives without knowing if the organization’s culture is enough open and ready to support work- life balance. Thus, a simple employees’ survey will enable the management of the company to figure out this aspect. The challenge of work- life balance in the modern society is very unlikely to disappear. However, the awareness of its main trends will put human resources professional in a place to better educate management of the organizations and work closer with their employees (Lockwood 2003). What is also important is to understand the relationship between the work and life, not just their underlying assumptions. If to speak generally, work is assumed to influence negatively the life, mainly because of the working hours, which most employees find too long and which interfere their lives. However, with the possibility of life planning, it will be possible to create an approach to work- life benefits and will help employees to examine the important aspects of their personal and professional spheres and to understand how they interrelate (Eikhof, Warhurst, & Haunschild 2007). What needs to be done? There are yet too little known how to improve work- life balance. However, scholars suggest major factors that are essential in improving work- life balance for the employees. One of such improvements is that employees should have high level of judgment and control over the working conditions. This will reduce stress and improve employee’s motivation. Moreover, control gives employees the possibility to improve work- life balance, but it will be effective if the organizational culture supports work- life balance. This in turn may require the need in change in legislation and government policy of the organization. With the implementing of technological advancements, it became possible to stay in touch with friends and family closer. This positive impact is already noticeable for the work- life balance (Jones 2006).  Conclusion The more control employees have over their lives, the more able they will be to balance work and life. The most effective work- life balance is when it enhances the employee’s autonomy and increases one capacity to execute job in a proper way and in a friendly situation. For the organizations, successful coverage between the work and life aspects will bring the winning situation for the employers and employees. After all, the ability to achieve the goals of the company and obtain satisfying experience in life will enhance the quality of personal relationship and wide range of professional results. With the ability of work- life balance practices along with the organizational support will reduce work- life conflict and will enhance positive appraisals of a certain company. The noticeable outcomes of such practices will be seen in reducing absenteeism, intending to turnover and increasing of productivity in turn (Lazar, Osoian & Patiu 2010). References Amble, B. 2006. Work- life balance becoming critical to recruitment and retention, Available from http://www.management-issues.com/news/2981/work-life-balance-becoming-critical-to-recruitment-and-retention/ Brough, P, Timms, C, ODriscoll, MP, Kalliath, T, Siu, OL, Sit, C & L o, D 2014, Work–life balance: a longitudinal evaluation of a new measure across  Australia and New Zealand workers, The International Journal of Human  Resource Management. Deisem, D. 2008. An Examination of the Impact of Perceived Work-life Balance on Employee Satisfaction, ProQuest. Eikhof, D, Warhurst, C & Haunschild, A 2007. Introduction: What work? What  life? What balance? Critical reflections on the work -life balance debate,  Employee Relations, vol. 29, no. 4. Jones, F. (2006). Work-life balance: A psychological perspective. Hove [England: Psychology Press. Lazar, I, Osoian, C. & Patiu, P., 2010. The Role of Work-Life Balance Practices in Order to Improve Newman, J., Kubal, D. 2008. Work- life balance becoming a key tool for retention, Available from http://www.workforce.com/articles/work-life-balance-becoming-a-key-tool-for-retention Organizational Performance, European Research Studies, Vol. 8, Issue 1. Available from http://www.ersj.eu/repec/ers/papers/10_1_p14.pdf Lockwood, N., 2003. Work/Life Balance. Challenges and Solutions, Society for Human Resource Management, Available from http://www.ispi.org/pdf/suggestedReading/11_Lockwood_WorkLifeBalance.pdf Pedersen, V & Lewis, S 2012, ‘Flexible friends? Flexible working time  arrangements, blurred work-life boundaries and friendship’, Work, Employment  & Society, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 464-480.   Read More