Importance of a Work-Life Balance - Essay Example

Work-Life Balance: Why Is It Important? 2007 Work-life balance is a term meaning that people have ‘a measure of control over when, where and how theywork’, combining achievement and enjoyment of life, and not forgetting about themselves as personalities. Work-life balance can be achieved only in case ‘an individuals right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society’ (The Work Foundation 2005). Jennifer Smith and Dianne Gardner (2007) innumerate some initiatives providing work-life balance, including: ‘flexible work arrangements (e.g. working from home, compressed work weeks and flexible working hours), leave arrangements (e.g. maternity leave, paternity leave, and leave to care for a sick dependent), dependent care assistance (e.g. on-site daycare, subsidised daycare, eldercare, and referral to child care), and general services (e.g. employee assistant programs, seminars and programs related to family needs)’. These initiatives give employees work flexibility and ensure that those depended on them, children and the elderly parents, are cared about, thus reducing the family-work conflict, as well as providing time to be spent for personal interests and hobbies, which reduces stress and increases employees’ satisfaction with life and work. The issue of work-life balance was aroused in the USA in the mid of 1980s, yet since then it has become only more vital. This was caused by a number of reasons. In this paper we are going to discuss the sources of the problem and highlight the aspects making it a problem, as well as benefits of work-life balance. Work-life balance initiatives are essential for creating normal conditions of work for people. Reports and surveys indicating the problem have been released and conducted for several decades already. However, the issue continues acquiring its vitality. In May 2005 Europe was worried by the report released by the European Industrial Relations Observatory (EIRO) showing that the workers in 10 new state entrants to the European Union worked three weeks more than employees in 15 core EU countries. Voters blamed politicians for shrinking vacation period. The 22 days of paid vacations in Estonia, Lithuania, Poland ad Slovenia were perceived as the violation of human rights. Meanwhile, according to the Families and Work Institute report 79 percent of US employees got no more than 16,6 days of paid vacation in 2001, the figure having dropped to 14,6 days by 2004. About 37 percent of US workers took less than a 7-day vacation, including weekend days, 12 percent took 1-3 days, while 25 percent took 4-6 days, informed the study. A survey of 450 employers conducted in 2004 by the Society for Human Resource Management revealed that the number of workplaces offering paid vacation time decreased from 87 percent in 2003 to 68 percent in 2004, only 29 percent of employees reporting to have been offered paid leave as recruited. However, even if US workers are offered vacation time, they seldom take it. Most of executives do no use their vacation instead staying in the office to tackle the increased workloads. Decreasing vacation time employers hope to increase productivity of workers (Anderson 2005). A recent study from the Center for Work-Life Policy demonstrated that the 70-hour week has become almost a norm in the USA and that ‘1.7 million people consider their jobs and their work hours extreme, thanks to globalization, BlackBerries, corporate expectations and their own Type A personalities’ (In Weiss 2007). For the most part of its history the US has been the country where people overworked. However, the mid of the twentieth century was the time when people used to work only from Monday to Friday and no more than 8-9 hours a day. The situation started changing quickly in the last decades of the twentieth century. The reasons are multiple. Global economy and tough competition make employers decrease the workforce, increasing their expectations on the workers. People feel pressure to work longer and produce more, while they believe it is the only way to protect their work. International business makes work continue 24/7. Many employees are to be constantly on call. This opportunity has been provided by advanced technologies. Today people may work from their homes, cars, even being on vacation. And many managers expect that. Most of people know that if you want to make a career you should spend more time at work to achieve and exceed the expectations (Mayo Clinic 2006). The overtime hours are to be paid to the employees, and nowadays this law is strictly checked by the federal services, however, many employees choose to keep to this unlawful custom, infringing upon their human rights. Smith and Gardner (2007) consider demographic and workplace factors affecting employee use of work-life balance initiatives. Demographic factors suppose that young male single employees use less WLB initiative than the mid-life employees, married employees or employed mothers and carers. Organizational factors suggest that “for employees to use of WLB initiatives they must first be aware that those initiatives are offered by the organization” (p.5), so the managerial support becomes the major predictor of implementation of WLB initiatives. However, even availability of WLB does not mean that they will be used. Peer pressure, unspoken rules, perceived negative consequences from the organization inhibit workers from using the initiatives (Smith and Gardner 2007). Meanwhile, the composition of the workforce has changed in the last decades. The nontraditional workers including women, students, the disabled, fathers with family responsibilities, require flexible time-schedule. Women, who used to be nontraditional workers, have comprised the major workforce. Earlier, women fulfilled the roles of wives and mothers, supporting their husbands’ careers. Today women work, having also to care of children, husbands and the elderly parents. Women are often afraid to interrupt their work for the maternity leave, being afraid to lose the good position. As they return to work, they need positions allowing more flexibility. As a result, they get low paid jobs, not corresponding to their qualification and abilities. Older workers are often unable to meet the rigid full time work schedule, as well as students who need flexible part-time jobs. People with disabilities need special treatment. The work-family, work-life conflict becomes a heavy burden on these groups. They feel pressure and experience stress (Saltzstein, Ting & Saltzstein 2001). A 2007 study by Harvard and McGill University showed that “the United States lags behind virtually all wealthy countries with regards to family-oriented workplace policies such as maternity leave, paid sick days and support for breast-feeding” (Associated Press 2007). The study read: “workplace policies for families in the United States are weaker than those of all high-income countries and many middle- and low-income countries”. The US was named one of only five countries out of 173 that did not guarantee paid maternity leave, the other four countries being Lesotho, Liberia, Swaziland and Papua New Guinea. The study found that: 65 countries grant fathers with paid paternity leave, comprising at least 14 weeks of paid leaves in 31 countries and working women have right for breast-feeding in 107 countries, the breaks being paid for in 73 of them (neither of the rights being guaranteed in the USA); at least 145 countries guarantee paid sick leaves, comprising a week or more annually in 127 of them (in the US The Family and Medical Leave Act guarantees unpaid sick leave only for some groups of workers); at least 134 countries have laws limiting the hours of working week (no such laws exist in the USA) (Associated Press 2007). Though the US has been shown as the leader in providing the equal labor opportunities, even this exception, in fact, is aimed at increasing the productivity of the US economy. “More countries are providing the workplace protections that millions of Americans can only dream of,” concluded the study’s lead author, Jody Heymann (Associated Press 2007). As the result many US employees, ranging from blue-collars to upper management, experience burnout. In 2000 survey after survey had demonstrated that employees were stressed at work. A study by Northwestern National Life Co. revealed that about 40 percent of workers felt their work was extremely stressful, while 25 percent viewed their job as number one stressor in their lives. Yale University in New Haven, Conn., found that 29 percent of their workers felt ‘quite a bit or extremely stressed’ at work. The Princeton Survey Research Associates in Princeton, N.J., conducted a survey showing that 75 percent of employees considered that present day workers had more job related stress than a generation ago. The American Institute of Stress in Yonkers, N.Y. counted that “stress cost U.S. businesses between $200 billion and $300 billion a year in lost productivity, increased workers compensation claims, increased turnover, and increased health care costs”. Stress was recognized to contribute to 60 – 80 percent of all work-related injuries, to be the major reason for 75 – 90 percent of primary care physician visits, and be a major factor in 40 percent of turnover. About one-third of all workers’ compensation claims were reported to be associated with job stress, while chronic job stress may result in “mood and sleep disturbances, upset stomach and headaches, disturbed relationships with family and friends, and workplace injuries” and “have the potential to lead to chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, and psychological disorders” (In Atkinson 2000). Numerous surveys provided evidences that job stress was associated with health complaints stronger than financial and family problems, ‘increased risk of cardiovascular disease among people experiencing even mild stress’, ‘up to one million employee absences per day’, increased health expenditures (In Atkinson 2000). Problems caused by stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Permanent ongoing stress can also result in sexual health problems, backaches, a weaker immune system, stiff muscles, poor coping skills, exhaustion, jumpiness, irritability, insecurity, and difficulty concentrating. It contributes to or leads to smoking, binge eating, and alcohol consumption (WebMD 2005). Some examples of the significance of work-life balance can be found in magazine and online articles. The term downsider referring to employees, who left upper managerial positions in order to have more time for themselves and their lives, has become the reality of our days. Barbara Agoglia left her job as a director on American Expresses business unit, while she was on the edge of burnout. She spent more than 50 hours per week at work, and had to be at reach 24/7. As she told, “the breaking point came when her son started kindergarten and she didnt have time to wait with him at the bus stop”. She was tired of her “hamster-on-the-wheel” life and quitted to take a lower position with more family friendly time schedule (Weiss 2007). Instead of increasing productivity, companies lose valuable workers and spend huge sums on recruitment. Implementing work-life balance initiatives companies could get more benefits, including increased productivity, lower rates of absenteeism, improved recruitment and retention, an improved customer experience, reduced overheads, a more motivated, satisfied and equitable workforce (The Work Foundation 2005). Besides, decreasing the level of stress and burnout work-life balance initiatives are likely to attract new employees, retain staff, improve morale, build diversity in skills and personnel, enhance working relationships between colleagues, and encourage employees to show more initiative and teamwork (CCOSH 2002). As we can see the issue of work-life balance stays of high importance in the USA. Notwithstanding the fact that the debates around the problem were aroused more than three decades ago, the situation has only worsened. The consumerist psychology of Americans and the increasing competitiveness in the global market make people turn into robots, who are treated as replenished workforce. However, such an approach has proved to be non-beneficial for both employers and employees. References: Anderson, Jennifer 2005, Report Highlights Gap Between European and US Vacation Time, May 16, Available at Ergoweb.com, URL: www.ergoweb.com/news/detail.cfm?id=1106 - 23k (11.13.07.) Associated Press 2007, Survey: U.S. workplace not family-oriented, Nation lags behind virtually all wealthy countries in work-life balance, May 22. Available at msnbc.com Business>Careers URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17030672/ (11.13.07.) Atkinson, William 2000, Strategies for Workplace Stress, Risk and Insurance, October 15. Available at Findarticl.com URL: findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0BJK/is_13_11/ai_66930268 - 27k (11.13.07.) Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety 2002, OSH Answers: Work-Life balance. February 12. URL: www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/psychosocial/worklife_balance.html - 28k (11.13.07.) Mayo Clinic 2006, Work-Life Balance: Ways to restore harmony and reduce stress, URL: www.mayoclinic.com/health/work-life-balance/WL00056 - 37k (11.13.07.) Saltzstein, Alan L., Ting Yuan, & Saltzstein Grace Hall 2001, Work-Family Balance and Job Satisfaction: The Impact of Family-Friendly Policies on Attitudes of Federal Government Employees, Public Administration Review. Volume: 61. Issue: 4. pp.452-469 Smith, Jennifer and Gardner, Dianne 2007, Factors Affecting Employee Use of Work-Life Balance Initiatives New Zealand Journal of Psychology. Volume: 36. Issue: 1. pp.3-15 WebMD Health Search 2005, Stress Effects, URL: www.webmd.com (11.13.07.) Weiss, Tara 2007, How extreme is your job? There is a danger of the 70-hour workweek becoming the new standard. Forbes, February 18, 2007. Available at msnbc.com URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17030672/ (11.13.07.) The Work Foundation 2005, Work-life balance – Factsheet. Available at Employers for Work-life balance, URL: www.employersforwork-lifebalance.org.uk/ - 14k (11.13.07.) Read More