Flex Time Initiative - Assignment Example

? Flex time initiative Initiative Many people usually dream of having good jobs, but eventually, realize the jobs are so involving till their personal lives are interfered. In the past, we have heard of men and women who had important jobs being divorced because of avoiding family responsibility. Every person’s wish when they are working is to draw a line between job and home life. In as much as a job is good, but ones family life can also is more involving. In other cases, we have also heard of people who left their jobs to go and relax at their homes and ended up being fired (Lee, 2010). Some professions like doctors and lawyers spend a lot of their time in their work and sometimes their social life or marriage life might be interfered. Looking from both angles, one is required to perform at both places, and failure to do so always leads to great repercussions. A person who concentrates more in his or her workplace than his or her home, sometimes have familial issue. A person who concentrates more on his family than on his or her job often have job problem. Hence finding a way to balance between the two components is vital in maintaining these two places in harmony (Ralston, 2006). In modern life, it is quite challenging to achieve a balanced professional and personal life. Times are really changing and people are trying to squeeze time to do other stuffs (Ralston, 2006). Some people do have passions they would like to achieve, studies they would like to pursue, secret affairs they would like to establish, management between personal life and work life can be essential. A person who draws a line between these two places and manages them well is a happy person since he or she is able to experience the thrill of all places at the right time and place. One way of one achieving such balance between work life and personal life is by achieving flexibility. This is a concept where one plans on how to be flexible between the two areas. One way one can accomplish this in busy situation is by job sharing. Flexibility is usually an added advantage to a person in terms of establishing a balance between job life and personal life. A person whose work is more involving till he does not get time to go home, can arrange with his or her co worker to carry some of his or her on agreed dates. One would also do the same for them in other times (Shallenbarger, 2010). Flex time, a concept that implies having flexible work arrangements can also be beneficial to some people in balancing between person al life and job work. Flex time could be represented by letting workers work where they would want to work. This practice is becoming more popular in many institutions like the legal departments and law firms (Ralston, 2006). This flex time initiative, also allows workers who work full-time to enjoy some time off at certain times of the year. The notion of flex time could include hours, workdays, weekends, holidays and other work arrangements. In this case, one is given some time outside the normal work place to straighten to establish a rapport with his or her personal life. In some jobs, people tend to work until they lose their head, but with flex times, at least one is relieved of his or her duties on some days. By so doing, flex time helps workers meet the demands of their personal lives (Ralston, 2006). As an initiative established in high risk or involving jobs, flex time is an initiative that relieves someone of work stress and increasing productivity by establishing a balance between personal life and work place. According to studies carried out on the relationship between working at work place and personal life, researchers found out that the two are related. When a person has work problems, he or she has a tendency of extending it into his or her personal life, the same when he or she has a problem in his or her personal life. Hence maintaining a balance between the two aspects is healthy in providing a good working environment (Lee, 2010). Another flex time initiative which is gaining popularity with time is staggered hours. In this staggered hours initiative, a worker can work during unconventional hours that best suit him, or her. In short, when one knows he or she would be more involved in his or her personal affairs in certain weeks, then he or she has to arrange for work compensation. The staggered hour’s initiative allows one to balance between personal life and work life perfect. Staggered hours can be better for women who have school going children and have duties outside the office (Ruffalo, 2010). Hence in as much they would like to spend more of their time in their personal lives, they also would be obliged to have a compensatory mechanism in the work place. By so, one can attain flexibility between the aspects of life. Also, in firms like law firms, staggered hours can be beneficial in addressing the needs of some of the clients by increasing the presence and availability of some employees. Another initiative to ensure one achieves a balance between work place and personal life is the part time employment initiative. One take s a job knowing that he or she would be working partly so as to dedicate more of his or her time to other stuffs. This initiative is more widely used by some firms as it allows one to bond in both places (Brown, 2010). From a study conducted on people who worked part time in New York concluded that people who worked part time concentrated better at work and balance the work life with personal life better. People who work for a shorter time work better compared to permanent employees. Many people nowadays are opting for this as an initiative to have more time for their families. In the U.S.A, it was found out that many women who had issues with their personal lives, preferred this initiative as it provided them with flexibility All in all, balance between work life and personal life is crucial because performance in both aspects in expected. In the essay above, different initiatives in achieving this have been discussed. It is usually a good balance that created a good working environment for one and harmony in one’s personal life (Brown, 2010). References Brown, B. (2003). Part-Time Work and Other Flexible Options. Journal of Compensation and Benefits , 45-46. Lee, M. (2010). The Big Five Personality Traits and Maternal Gatekeeping at the Transition to Parenthood. Journal of family relations , 10-16. Ralston, D. A. (2006). The benefits of Flextime: Real or imagined? Journal of organizational behaviour , 12-16. Ruffalo, M. (2010). Social supports and wome with full-time work and parenting roles: Implications for practice. Journal of marriage and family , 34-36. Shellenbarger, S. (2010). Is Flextime a Casualty of the Recession? Wall Street Journal , 6-7. Read More