Best Practice Policy on Providing Work-Life Balance - Literature review Example

Best Practice’ Policy on Providing Work-Life Balance Report Executive summary Most business administrators and management scholars argue that market competitiveness and proper management skills are the key factors to improve organizational sustainability that coincides closely with work life balance. Despite the fact that actual findings concerning the above issues have not been clearly identified, possible results already point out to work life balance as a critical element towards a better-organizational management. Moreover, it is noted that for an organization to attain its highest production levels, it must have proper policies governing management practices and well-defined employee with work life clearly addressed. Stress management together with work life balance has always enhanced the attitude of competitiveness and employee natured environment to the realization of superior management that is critical in outdoing the competitors. The latest research has shown that most organizations have not endorsed the use of work life balance while considering alternative choices where such policies have already existed. Latest statistical comparison between the United States and the United Kingdom show that companies that have embraced a policy of work life balance and employees relationship are ranked best performers. Introduction The United Kingdom has undergone a drastic shift of transitioning in the recent past with the population of the female gender taking a 50% share of the workforce population while the remaining positions are shared across various industries. Whereas young children require somebody to take care of health especially where there is a need of medical attention, parents have nowadays resorted to attending advanced education that has resulted into a serious work life imbalance between parents and the employment institutions. With the emergence of conflicts of interest, there is a need to harmonize and resolve a flexible operation between employees and the employer. The issue of flexibility can always be drawn depending on how workers physically operates, the working environment and the provisions of infrastructure that enables workers to perform their duties and obligations freely without feeling constrained between active duties and family lines (Dex & Scheibl, 2001). It is within the law that all the employers in the United States and the United Kingdom provide employees with privileges in achieving better work and family balance. However, such rights mainly depend on whether an employee is on contract or permanent basis. From the above report there is a clear indication between economy, factual development of the state and the flexibility between workforce policies. Despite the fact that the implementation of such policies are quite necessary, education and profession still play a constructive role in determining how such implementation should be made (Dex, & Scheibl, 2001). Most of the employers have endorsed a policy to implement flexibility at every institution work, but variations have always enhanced by the position of an individual’s at workplace. Conspicuously, some workers who have gained many skills are better placed to receive more recognition in terms of flexibility as compared to novices in senior management positions. Based on Forsyth (2002), assumptions of the previous decades, the United States has undergone a drastic transition in its societal point of view. First, some years back before the population influx, it was the responsibility of the mothers to take care of daily family chores including children while fathers were entitled to full-time employment. However, the situation has since changed to where almost all parents in every family are either occupied in a full-time labor force with very minimal time to be in charge of children as it was previously. The report points out on failure by the organization to introduce sufficient measures to harmonize workforce balance, with flexibility within definite sectors of the organization have been a point of concern. Globally, there is a concern that companies should adopt the recognition of workforce balance and flexibility towards the realization of better returns and improved organizational performance especially where there is a high rate of competition. Moreover, the report clarifies that firms that are organized and well managed often tend to be more productive in terms of returns characterized by better-workflow balance and governance policies. Stress management policies within an organization According to Forsyth (2002), stress entails physical or mental demands resulting from strain and influence from the working environments that distort the perceived capacity to deliver. Stress often originates from various sources, but this report discusses stress with respect to organizational employees and workplace performance. It is the mandate of the employers to ensure that workers enjoy a conducive and free working environment so as to enhance organizational productivity. The management should ensure total reduction of both stress and stressors at institutions of work by implementing relevant policies and systems at various levels of the organization. Stress affects employees in different ways, and such experiences may lead to unique dysfunctional behavior that in the long run contributes to retarded health in the life of an individual and low productivity levels in the organization. In most cases, stresses contribute to trauma and psychometric disorders in people resulting to absenteeism from active duty or simply prevents worker from being active in the future line of duty (Hobson, 2014). The report identifies that it is quite demanding for an employee to maintain a balance between work operations and positive status of health while still able to exercise a positive conduct. The reality is far much from over because stress and workforce imbalance have contributed to various negativity thus leading to deterioration in the immune system of a healthy person. Notably, if a larger percentage of employees have felt the effect of stress in one way, or another, it may challenge the performance and production levels of the organization. An organization must therefore practice stress management policies because an unhealthy institution may not get the best performances from the workers. It may not only lead to a reduction in the organizational performances, but also, actual competitive edge of the company its future prosperity within the market environment clarifies (Allen et al. 2000). Importance of stress management policy Stress management policy is critical to the reduction of work stress in a number of ways that vary from one department to the other depending on the level and source of stress. For instance, in very big organizations, stress management policies are introduced either as part of the ergonomics or in the form of work and environmental design. If areas where the above two ways have been deployed and proven unsuccessful, organizational and management development can be used as an alternative means to curb the menace. Since the organization in itself is a leading contributor to different kinds of risks, it is highly recommended to train the employees on stress management programs and the need of a similar policy towards the realization of organizational effectiveness and sustainability (Allen et al. 2000). Besides, there should be contemporary management initiatives that are aimed at curbing chances of such a menace before it actually occurs because it will help unprecedented dominate to the organization. As part of the management role in creating awareness and prevention of the organizational stress among employees, the employer must have work management schedule and design management as a factor to prevent feasible problems that are generated by avoidable stress. Such schedule clearly identifies the structure and functions of the organization. Besides, it should state selection and staffs recruitment procedure as a way of creating a clear distinction between employees against the job requirements as it will avoid conflicts of interests. Stress management policy embraces proper communication channels between the executive and staffs as it would indicate a sign of organizational commitment towards the welfare of the staffs. According to health and development work order status, it is within the obligation of the management to ensure that health and safety welfare of staffs is free from unreasonable stress and related syndrome. Therefore, stress management policy is vital in ensuring that the management has taken relevant steps in curbing potential threat of stress within the workplace environment. Ultimately, stress management policies are quite significant in identifying stress related illness while ensuring appropriate precautions are implemented to prevent further escalation (Allen et al. 2000). Work-life balance Most of the business articles published in the United Kingdom and parts of Asia support the notion that very few employers embrace the concept of work life balance as part of concerns to enhance organizational productivity. However, there is a global rising concern for work life balance. Some reports reveal that majority of employees never have good work life balance at their institutions of work, and the trend has been escalating each year. Despite variation in status of imbalance from one organization to the other, most companies still remain adamant to address the issues of work life and taking care of the family. With the current increase in workforce recognition and levels of education, must employers to allocate sufficient time to staffs to play an active role in ensuring a positive welfare of the family (Ichniowski & Shaw, 1997). Social life and well being of the society demands that workers who are always on active duties must consider a reduction in the work life timeline as a factor to ensure that there is a balance between family responsibilities and taking active role in the organizational engagement. In order to prevent overindulgence in a working environment, must the amendment of the policy to incorporate technological aspects as a factor to reduce access amount of time that could have been spent in doing the daily chores manually. As such, it improves the possible available time in doing other constructive duties (Ichniowski & Shaw, 1997). There is an increasing need to balance employment duties and household activities, but such an implementation can always be futile as long as employers are not committed to its execution. Therefore, training between employers and members of the staffs with much focus on flexibility, work trimmings and physical locations of work must be instituted (Griffin & Moorhead, 2010). With a substantial increase in the organizational awareness and the benefits accrued to the human resource department, must a policy to create moderation between work and life commitments. Notably, the current transformation in the organizational structure is a clear indication that managing has become moderated to the point that eases life to employees. According to Ichniowski & Shaw (1997), the governance of the current human resource policies and procedures organizations are advised to adopt appropriate strategies and modern mechanisms that bring balance between work life needs and modern workforce. Since the adoption of new strategies and policies always attribute to various challenges that affect the employer mostly, the management and employee must create strategies that would see the organization benefiting from higher productivity and improved performance on the part of staffs. Through the world, every organization seeks for the best-possible solution that would see employers getting the potential to recruit, motivate and maintain a more stable staff throughout the whole seasons for sustainable competitive advantage. The report also identifies the issue of work life balance as a critical concept that requires an adoption at all levels of the organization for the survival of the organization. Due to the presence and diverse labor opportunities, organizations must, therefore, ensure that they embrace human resource strategies and tactics thus bringing balance to work and life environment. Moreover, it is within the obligation of the organizational management to ensure that it addresses the concern of laxity and conflicts that arise between managing family life and workforce diversity (Rossi, 2006). However, presence of conflicts cannot just be dismissed because it is always within the interest of the employees that the management should consider allocating employees flexible time so that they can handle individual chores while the organization in itself is committed towards attaining progressive returns. Conclusions On the contrary to the past, modern type of business has given positive evidence for the need to adopt strategies that help in stress management policies and work life balance. The report gives various evidences how organizational adoption and work life balance help to improve reliability from employees thus improving organizational productivity in the long run. It has been identified that employees forceful engagement in the line of duty may not generate many returns. Instead, it attributes too numerous problems hence subjecting an organization to unbearable costs. For instance, an employee who takes much of his time at work without sufficient relaxation is highly susceptible to chance of injuries thus causing more damages to the organization. Therefore, organizational, involvement into negotiations while giving employees to negotiate the duration that they should be engaged on active duties is quite vital in curbing the risk associated by imbalance between life and working environment. Initiating policies to govern life and working environment of employees is very important in mitigating misfortunes associated by overindulgence in active duty while also reducing chances associated by pressure from families or among fellow staff that lowers the chances of productivity. Moreover, the report also clarifies that policies instituted to help in the management of work and life is quite relevant in improving the health and sustainability of employees, which leads to an improvement in the organizational returns. It has been identified that policies that govern work life and stress management varies from one organization to the other depending on the size of the industry, but the trend remains sustainable in all categories. Whereas big firms may appear to be worst hit, small firms have not been left out. Recommendations The most-important consideration inhuman resource practices are to ensure that workers get fair control of the organizational activities. It is, therefore, recommended that employers must restrain from subjecting workers to intensive workforce to avoid derailing the success of the organizational productivity. with the increasing demand in educational as part of sustainable workforce experience, employers are also advised to consider post-secondary education as one of the critical elements at the mid-level of management because it will bring harmonization to the workforce balance while reducing chances of stress to a recommendable level. With only half of the employers allowing employees to have a transition in schedule time, it is recommended that employer must consider proper work schedule that would see both would see a proper means of communication between management and employees. the above will reduce chances of conflicts thus an appropriate way of managing organizational stress. Since employers may not be furnished by exact cost benefits analysis concerning the importance of work life balance, it is, therefore, necessary that a more comprehensive research must be carried that give simple data concerning the importance of workplace flexibility. Ultimately, the need for stress management policy and organizational productivity must be properly addressed. Reference list: Dex, S & Scheibl, F. (2001). Flexible and Family-Friendly Working Arrangements in UK-Based SMEs: Business Cases. British Journal of Industrial Relations39:3 pp. 411-431. Forsyth, S. (2002) the value of balance Employment Today. Australia; Mason, OH: South- Western/Cengage Learning Allen, T et al. (2000). Consequences associated with work-to-family conflict: A review and agenda for future research, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(2): 278–308 Ichniowski, C & Shaw, K. (1997). The Effects of Human Resource Management: A Study of Steel Finishing Lines. American Economic Review, 87, pp. 291-313 Rossi, A. (2006). Stress and quality of working life: current perspectives in occupational health. Greenwich, Conn.: Information Age Publ. Griffin, R & Moorhead, G. (2010). Organizational behavior: managing people and organizations. Australia; Mason, OH: South-Western/Cengage Learning. Hobson, B. (2014). Work life balance: the agency and capabilities gap. Oxford: Oxford University Press, Read More