Work Life Balance Challenges in New Hope Group - Case Study Example

WORK LIFE BALANCE CHALLENGES IN NEW HOPE GROUP Name Institutional Affiliation Table of Contents 1.0Introduction 3 2.0Organization overview 4 3.0Work Life Balance Issue in the organization 4 4.0Recommendations 6 5.0Conclusion 9 References 10 Work Life Balance Challenges for New Hope Group 1.0 Introduction This report will focus on New Hope Group, one of Australia’s leading mining companies. Based in the Queensland State, NHG is at the center of focus throughout this report. The choice of this organization is driven by my frequent engagement with some of the employees who work at the company. New Hope Group is one of our clients whom we are contracted to. On a regular basis, I have trained close to 100 employees of the company. As a trainer, I have developed a strong rapport with some of the workers whom we share lots of experiences with even outside the precincts of vocational training. As a result, I consider myself a friend on the company. New Hope Group Mining Ltd fits the profile of an ideal case study due to its proximity to my station of work. I work and stay in Queensland and as such, understanding the company through various aspects of the study would not present much problem. Additionally, being a multinational company, the findings of the study will be hugely helpful for other companies in the same sector. I am convinced that focusing on an organization of such magnitude will yield results that can show a bigger picture of work life balance issues across many organizations. A recent survey by Australian Institute think tank showed that close to a third of Australian workers spend more than 50 hours a week at their work stations (Kalliath & Kalliath, 2012).This translates into more than 6 unpaid hours per week. In total, workers donate $ 9400 annually in terms of free labor. The research shows that almost half of the cases emanate from the mining sector. This is tantamount to work life balance whereby workers are not able to balance between work and home responsibilities. 2.0 Organization overview New Hope Group was founded 6o years ago and has evolved to become one the largest energy companies in Australia. The company is based in Queensland with more than 600 employees. The company is involved in diverse business practices ranging from coal mining, oil drilling, excavation and port operation as well as agriculture. NHG is headed by a Board of Directors under the leadership of Robert Millner. The company is one of the leading players in the energy sector through provision of innovative products. The company is also founded on values and beliefs which emphasize on community involvement and social responsibility. 3.0 Work Life Balance Issue in the organization Work life balance has become one of the most contentious issues in modern HR management. Workers are becoming more sensitive to how much time they spend at and outside the work premises. According to Hutchings, De Cieri & Shea (2011) work life balance refers to the ability of an employee to satisfactorily meet work and domestic responsibilities. It is a state whereby the employee is satisfied to work for a certain period in a day without compromising with the time set aside for other critical duties outside work. WLB is essential in ensuring that employees do not donate free time to the organization without substantive compensation. Additionally, WLB gives an opportunity to employees for refreshing by spending time way from the pressures of work. Work Life Balance has become a major challenge for many employees and employers alike. NHG is no exception with an insight revealing that workers at the company are forced to work for longer hours than stipulated (Hutchings et al., 2011). Most coal mines owned by the company operate round the clock. Although employees work in shifts, most of the time they are forced to extend for some minutes to complete the production chain before handing over. On the other hand, workers are faced with the challenge of obtaining paternal leave because at present, only maternal leave is permitted. WLB is a challenge for most workers at the company because the imbalance is depriving them of valuable time to disengage from the harsh conditions ion the mines and attend to critical personal issues (Todd & Binns, 2013). Whereas the company continues to grow in sales and profitability, this is happening to the detriment of workers. According to the author, workers who are forced to work beyond the payable hours are likely to scale down their output with time. One of the clearest indications of WLB deficiency at the company is high employee turnover with the company reportedly losing around 20% of its work force annually (Rafferty & Yu, 2010). This figure is worrying and there is fear that the worst is yet to come unless there is prompt action. Employee turnover is one of the numerous indicators of dissatisfaction arising from undesirable WLB. Employee turnover relates to work life balance because it is happens as a result of the disparity between work and life balance. As Tonts (2010) asserts, the fundamental causalities of work life imbalance is the junior employees who perform hard tasks under pressing conditions. One of the major responsibilities of the HRM department in any organization is to lay a fair ground for employees to deliver their mandate. When such is not the case, the HRM takes the blame. Turnover fits well within the wide scope of work life balance as it is an indicator of the extent to which the damage has been done. Work life balance exhibits a strong correlation with Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory which argues that factors which motivate workers are not ultimately the ones that cause de-motivation. For instance, workers sometimes need to work for overtime out of their volition. However, when the equation changes and some force is applied by the leadership, motivation is no longer present. As such, HRM practice must be carried out with the interests of the worker in mind rather than pushing towards achieving organizational goals at all cost. 4.0 Recommendations The implications of the turnover occasioned by work life imbalance at NHG will affect the company’s operations and corporate image unless the management moves fast to decisively deal with it. Regardless of the continued growth in sales, NHG is staring at a looming crisis whose effects might paralyze operations at the giant company. Basically, NHG ought to move fast and embrace inclusivity through employee participation in decision making. This will pave way for the constitution of a framework that will, address the present and future challenges so that employees can find a reason to hang around for longer in anticipation of a more balanced life. Fundamentally, NHG is facing a problem too familiar with other organizations around the country especially those involved in mining and related activities. Strategic human resource management is facing a challenge of retaining their best workforce because of the stress and other complications accompanying work life imbalance. According to the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHS), the biggest threat to the growth and continuity in any business is employee turnover as a result of unsatisfactory work life balance arrangements (Pocock et al. 2013). In this regard, NHG ought to develop strategies that not only aim at attracting the best workforce, but also retaining them. Such can be achieved by regular policy review to determine any flaws and responds promptly. Whereas employee turnover can be attributed to many other reasons, it is the role of the HRM team to identify the specific issue and offer an alternative approach. Employees have different reasons that motivate them to stay longer at their jobs. This ranges from attractive remuneration, promotion opportunities as well as travel opportunities. However, in the wake of increased stress and diversification into other ventures, more employees place higher value on working hours (Rafferty & Yu, 2010). One of the strengths that NHG has thrived on for many years is their ability to offer attractive wages. The company is ranked third in the best paying index among the multinationals that operate within Queensland. However, as the turnover statistics indicate, employee retention is not all about money. Workers are becoming more sensitive to a balanced life that can allow them to fulfill other important responsibilities that add more value to life. Consequently, NHG has the task of prioritizing improved work life balance strategies through scaling down the workload by spreading it across multiple groups so that each group finishes their task on time to avoid extended stays t work which do not attract compensation. New Hope Group has more than 600 employees in their books with most of them handling the field work (New Hope Group, 2016). These are the employees who have exhibited the highest turnover rate as compared to those who are based in offices. Most of those who have opted out cite prolonged absence from their homes, the need to attend to family and sickness. One of the methods that can help in the company through the turnover crisis is by initiating flexible working models for employees. According to Mudd (2010), employees respond well to work schedules which allow them the choice to work on preferred days, hours or even locations. In a more decentralized arrangement, NHG can accord some employees the choice of working extra hours on a day to cover for the time they anticipate they will have family commitments. For instance, one can be allowed the liberty to come to work earlier than the stipulated time and equally leave earlier. Where possible, employees can be accorded the comfort of working from home occasionally provided they discharge their duties in tandem with contract agreements and organizational goals. Such arrangement implies that employees will no longer feel captivated at the workplace. Regarding leave and absence from work, Lodhia & Martin(2014) recommend that for organizations and employees to co-habit for long, the management has “to sweeten up” the terms of leave so that they make more meaning to the employees. Apart from the conventional annual leave, NHG is seen to be lacking a clear policy on paternal leave; a situation which has increased the number of male workers exiting the company. The company can change the trend by developing a paternal leave policy that includes an extension option provided this does not interfere with the flow of work. The company must acknowledge that all employees need time to attend to family chores, vacation, community service and vocational training. The extended leave days have also to be compensated. According to Gander et al. (2011), employees will always feel part of the system only when they are sure that their interests have a place in the organization. Another important remedy for curtailing employee turnover at NHG is through reward packages that are directed at high performing employees. However, such rewards should not be in monetary form .NHG, just like other organizations view money as the most effective reward for hard work. Work life balance cannot be achieved by increased compensation packages (Peetz & Murray, 2011). He asserts that in their right frame of mind can be willing to work longer at the expense of meeting family obligations. In fact, most workers acknowledge that they are more than willing to trim their working hours even if it means slashing their pay. Sustainable ways of reducing turnover based on compensation packages is by offering vacation packages to allow them spend more time with their family (The Globe & Mail, 2016).Employees who undergo such experience are likely to appreciate the organization through hard work and prolonged stay. In addition to the above recommendations, companies experiencing turnover Like NHG can adopt a diverse approach that incorporates several measures in a single platform through involvement of all employees (McKenzie, 2011). Such approach can help appreciate the challenge while acknowledging that work life balance is a universal issue which can only be resolved through collective thinking. This will also present both parties with a forum to appreciate work life balance as an integral part of any modern profession. Through this approach, employees and managers can engage constructively and embrace an open communication culture that is the fundamental step towards identifying and addressing WLB challenges. 5.0 Conclusion In general, work life balance is a challenge to almost all organizations across the globe. An imbalanced work and life scale adds no value to organizations or the employees themselves. Employees who feel deprived of the opportunity to be with their families or attend to personal obligations are demotivated. Therefore, it is important for all stakeholders within an organization to identify the causes of imbalance and address them collectively. New Hope Group cannot to afford ignore such fact if they intend to remain competitive and profitable in the long term. References Gander, P., Hartley, L., Powell, D., Cabon, P., Hitchcock, E., Mills, A., & Popkin, S. (2011). Fatigue risk management: Organizational factors at the regulatory and industry/company level. Accident Analysis & Prevention,43(2), 573-590. Hutchings, K., De Cieri, H., & Shea, T. (2011). Employee attraction and retention in the Australian resources sector. Journal of Industrial Relations,53(1), 83-101. Kalliath, T., & Kalliath, P. (2012). Changing work environments and employee wellbeing: an introduction. International Journal of Manpower, 33(7), 729-737. Lodhia, S., & Martin, N. (2014). Corporate sustainability indicators: an Australian mining case study. Journal of Cleaner Production, 84, 107-115. McKenzie, F. H. (2011). Attracting and retaining skilled and professional staff in remote locations of Australia. The Rangeland Journal, 33(4), 353-363. Mudd, G. M. 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