UNIT V

WORK LIFE BALANCE

DEFINITION Work–life balance is a concept including proper

prioritizing between "work" (career and ambition) and "lifestyle" (health, pleasure, leisure,family and spiritual development/meditation).

According to the work foundation,” Work life balance is about individuals having a measure of control and over when, what and how they work leading them to be able to enjoy an optimal quality of life”

OPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

Employer are developing a wide range of work life balance options covering flexible working arrangements and flexible profits packages.

Some of the key programmes that provides flexibility are as follows:

1)Flexi time : It allows employees, to determine (or be involved in

determining) the start and end times of their working day, provided a certain number of hours is worked. This can allow them to meet family or personal commitments/emergencies (enable employees to respond to both predictable and unpredictable circumstances),

OPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

2)Telecommuting: It is becoming more and more common for people to do at

least some of their regular work from home instead of going into the office. This type of arrangement is often called 'telework' or 'telecommuting' and can be advantageous for employees by allowing them: to organize their work day around their personal and family needs; to decrease work-related expenses; to reduce commuting time; and to work in a less stressful and disruptive environment. It may also help to accommodate employees who, because of particular disabilities, are unable to leave home. The fact that employees who telework can use this added flexibility to capitalize on their personal peak productivity periods can also favourable influence a company’s bottom line.

3)Compressed Work Weeks: A compressed work week is an arrangement whereby

employees work longer shifts in exchange for a reduction in the number of working days in their work cycle (e.g. on a weekly or biweekly basis).

OPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

This can be beneficial for employees in terms of additional days off work (e.g. longer weekends allowing “mini vacations”) and reduced commuting time, whereas employers can extend their daily operating hours, with less need to resort to overtime. Compressed work week arrangements may be particularly useful for employees who wish to reduce the number of days per week spent at work, but who can not financially afford to decrease their working hours.

4)Part-Time Work: Part-time arrangements can also allow people with health

problems, disabilities or limited disposable time (e.g. students) to participate in the labour force, develop their skills and obtain work experience. Finally, they can facilitate re-entry into the workforce for those who have had career breaks — particularly mothers (or fathers) who have stayed at home to raise their children — or provide a gradual exit for employees nearing retirement.

OPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

5)Job sharing: It is an arrangement which allows two (or sometimes more) employees to

jointly fill one fulltime job, with responsibilities and working time shared or divided between them. Job sharing may be appropriate where opportunities for part-time jobs or other arrangements are limited. Apart from the obvious advantage of allowing employees more time for other commitments, including family responsibilities, job sharing also facilitates the development of partnerships, where job sharers can learn from each other while providing mutual support. It can benefit employers as well by improving staff retention, increasing productivity and combining a wider range of skills and experience in a single job

6) Flexible Compensation: Flexible compensation plans permit employees to make yearly elections

to largely determine their compensation package by choosing between taxable cash and numerous benefits. For Eg:

they have considerable attitude in determining how much they will take in the form of salary, insurance, pension contributions and other benefits. Compensation plans permit flexibility in allowing each employee to determine the compensation components that has been satisfy his or her particular needs

OPTIONS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

7)Modified Retirement: Modified retirement is an option that permits older

employees to work fewer than their regular works for a certain period preceding retirement. This option allow an employee to avoid an abrupt change in life style and move gracefully in to retirement.

ADVANTAGES OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

1) Develop Loyalty and Commitment: Employees are likely to demonstrate loyalty and

commitment to the employer if the employer is showing consideration for their needs

2) Increased Productivity: Increased loyalty and commitment lead to better

performance at an individual level and thus increased productivity at an organizational level

3) Reduce Absenteeism: There will be a decrease in sickness absence and

its associated costs4) Reduces Staff Turnover: There will be a lower staff turnover substantially

reducing the employer’s recruitment induction and training costs

ADVANTAGES OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

5) Encourages Employee Participation: A more relaxed and flexible work place culture

can encourage employees to come forward with ideas and suggestions for improvement which inturn can benefit the organization

6) Helps in Attraction and Retention of Employees:

The employer will become an employer of choice and will be more able to attract and retain the best people.

DISADVANTAGES OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

1)By the work life balance improvement in organization performance will take time to become apparent

2) In downsized organization, flexible working arrangements may result in some employees taking on more in order for others to do less

3) If not introduced equitably, some employees may resent others

4) Flexible or remote working may make it difficult to maintain an organization’s structure or culture

5) Once policies are introduced it may be difficult to change them, even if the company runs into difficulties

GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

1)Work-Life Balance Policies Work-life balance policies provide communication and

documentation of a company’s work-life commitment and programs. Written and published policies that define work-life expectations and programs create a culture that encourages employees to manage stress, time and work and enables them to be more productive and happy at work and home. Written policies also prompt managers and supervisors to support work-life balance programs with their employees, improving working relationships and environments.

2) Identify Employee’s Needs: First establish what types of work conflicts employees are

experiencing. Employers might assess their home situation and the consequences of home commitments. Use exit interviews to find out if balance issues contributed to employees departures. Set up focus groups or conduct surveys involving employees from the start will help overcome resistance to change

GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

3)Focus on Organizational Culture: The culture and atmosphere of organization must be conductive

to flexibility, innovative work practices and empowerment. Trust is a vital component. Focus on organization structure, and consider if it enables or constraints work life balance. A traditional hierarchy with a command and control approach may not be suited to effective implementation of the necessary new measures but a flatter organization may make this easier

4) Improve Personal and Organizational Efficiency: An important part of achieving a work life balance is ensuring

that the ‘work’ part of the equation is carried out as smoothly as possible. Time management, delegation, prioritising and handling information to avoid overload, are all skills that can reduce both stress and hours worked, while maintaining the same level of productivity.This might impact on home life Eg: by eliminating the need to take work home or making employees less tired and stressed in the evenings

GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

5) Inform and Train Managers: Managers should receive training in the variety of benefits

available and in counselling employees to choose the right combination. Work life issues could be incorporated into annual training plans and performance appraisals. Bear in mind that a balance cannot be imposed and employers can assist staff in deciding on the most appropriate options. It should be stressed that take up of flexible benefits should in no way affect promotional prospects, recognition or other job opportunities

6) Communicate the Policies and Benefits:

Inform the employees the options available. Consider incorporating the information into a staff handbook in an easy to understand way. Ensure all staff has access to the handbook either in paper or electronic format

7) Evaluate Work Life Balance Success:

By measuring employee satisfaction, performance and assessing factors such as retention rate, the effectiveness of the policies can be

GUIDELINES FOR IMPROVING OF WORK LIFE BALANCE

evaluated. The policies should have a positive impact on the company’s bottom line on staff, on customer satisfaction and retention and on the climate within the organization. Constant monitoring, feedback and adjustment will ensure the policies and their implementation is working well. Publicize successes , make use of internal newsletters and the local press, and encourage employees to take up what is on offer and to spread the word.