WORK / LIFE BALANCE
DEFINING WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Work / Life Balance is not a new concept. For years the discussion has been brewing.
How do we get the most out of our people without them burning out?
Do we need to reduce their total hours worked? Do we need to go remote? Should we adopt a 4-day work week?
This discussion has led to a lot of innovation over the years, many of which have improved workplace culture across various industries. However, I have noticed through my consultations that certain industries (mostly blue-collar) have had difficulty breaking the mold without significantly disrupting revenue. The constraints of their supply chain and vendor commitments make it nearly impossible to make any of the adjustments listed above, leaving employees to wonder why their business isn’t adapting like those around them.
I believe this has occurred because organizations are only looking at a single facet of work/life balance: hours on the job. While time is likely the primary factor when it comes to this balance, it is certainly not the only one. A recent study (Mulang 2022) shows that there are actually three factors that contribute to work/life balance:
In the Mulang study they reference a 2009 study where they define work/life balance as a “condition in which a person can set priorities and commit to work and family and feel satisfaction in these roles” (Beauregard & Henry, 2009). So while time may be a primary input in this discussion of work/life balance we must also consider the psychological demands required. As time and stress become imbalanced in either realm, it drastically affected our primary output: perceived performance.
Satisfactory performance is the end game that we should consider when discussing burnout. When employees no longer feel successful at work or home, they may alter their approach, leading to disengagement, poor performance, or seeking other employment opportunities. Burnout can also manifest in personal life, such as marital or family tension, poor habits, or declining physical and mental health.
VISUALIZING WORK/LIFE BALANCE
To illustrate the impact of increased hours and stress on employees, the article provides two scenarios. The visuals presented show a static amount of time spent at work (yellow bars) and personal time (gray bars) over the course of a month. The dotted lines represent the respective levels of stress at work (above) and at home (below). The larger the gaps between the stress levels, the more likely it is that the cumulative stress level will become unmanageable, leading to decreased perceived success.
SCENARIO 1: Employee A starts to feel the pressure approaching busy season in Q2 where normal work hours are typically 30-40% higher. Not only are workdays longer, but off-the-clock responsibilities are also sky-high. Client demands and leadership expectations create a drastic uptick in daily stress, which then spills over to the employee’s personal life. They feel behind at work and behind at home and it’s only April.
By the middle of June, Employee A is exhausted and ready for Q3 when everything usually slows down. Some of the in-office tension has subsided, but the days are still long. Personal investments are at an all-time low. Family relationships, physical health, and hobbies have taken a back seat for months, leaving very little “in the tank”.
As the busy season ends, normal work hours are reinstituted. Leadership provides no acknowledgment of the team’s accomplishments during Q2 but instead focuses on the initiatives that were dropped over the last few months. Employee A is now uncertain of their professional or personal success and struggles to regain footing without recognition or support. Momentum is low and performance continues to decline throughout Q3. Leadership quickly recognizes this and pulls them in for a Performance Improvement Plan.
Rather than waiting around for the axe, Employee A finds a role at another organization and quietly leaves their team, creating additional work and an expertise gap to fill.
SCENARIO 2: Employee A starts to feel the pressure approaching busy season in Q2 where normal work hours are typically 30-40% higher. Work days are longer and there are additional responsibilities and expectations off-the-clock. Leadership understands this and provides clear expectations and boundaries for teams, also giving them the freedom to make adjustments as long as they meet client needs.
Employee A’s team creates a weekly rotation that allows each team member to leave work early one day a week and disconnect from communication until the following day. This time is for family and personal responsibilities/fulfillment and is respected by the team and by leadership.
By the middle of June, Employee A is tired but fulfilled. They are ready for hours to return to normal, but the consistent flow of recognition from leadership has gone a long way. The team has been “in the trenches” together and is stronger now than they were in Q1. Personal investment has taken a minor hit, as was to be expected. Q3 should allow them to turn a corner.
As the busy season ends, normal work hours are reinstituted. Leadership kicks off Q3 with an “All Hands” where they go over the Q2 performance. Recognition is not held back, nor is the openness to feedback. They announce that a short employee assessment will go out later that day to provide an option for anonymous feedback on how to improve busy seasons in the future. While they found moderate success, there is always room for growth. They also announce that each employee will receive 2 additional PTO days to be used in July and August.
Employee A walks away feeling tired but encouraged, proud of what they accomplished, and ready to tackle Q3. And they know exactly what they’re doing with those extra PTO days…
The differences between the two above scenarios are subtle (and free/inexpensive) in nature but had a noticeable difference for the employees involved.
MASTERING WORK/LIFE BALANCE
Mastering work/life balance is not rocket science, nor does it need to be expensive. Following a few key steps can help organizations better prepare and support their employees without compromising performance and revenue.
ACKNOWLEDGE that balance is not simply about when you clock in and out of work
Set clear expectations for off-the-clock work and MODEL IT YOURSELF
Consider how you can support or encourage employees to invest in themselves
Empower teams to manage the demands of busy seasons without compromising KPI
RECOGNIZE the accomplishments and sacrifices of your employees
Don’t overcomplicate this. There is no shortcut here, just say the words out loud. Say them genuinely and say them publicly
Tie this work to divisional or organizational KPIs. Don’t be shy about bridging that gap so people can see EXACTLY how they are impacting the bottom line
REWARD your people in a manner that recognizes the entire person
Bonuses are great but money is not the only (or best) way to improve stress or fulfillment
Time is a finite resource. Get creative about how to reward your people with time.
HUMBLE yourselves and seek feedback from your people
We constantly seek improvement in our operational processes, we should approach our organizational leadership in the same manner
When your employees feel autonomy and ownership they are far more positive in their orientation, especially during difficult times
You are a human being leading human beings. Never lose sight of that truth
CONCLUSIONS
As an organizational leader, you have a responsibility to prioritize work/life balance and create a culture that supports it. This means taking a holistic approach to employee well-being and considering factors beyond just time on the job. By doing so, you can improve workplace culture, reduce burnout, and increase productivity and job satisfaction, all while maintaining a high-performance environment. So let us commit to making work/life balance a priority and take action to create a healthier & better work environment for all.
If you are looking for support to achieve this, please book an introduction and let me know how I can help!
Beauregard, T. A., & Henry, L. C. (2009). Making the link between work-life balance practices and organizational performance. Human Resource Management Review, 19(1), 9–22. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2008.09.001
Hastuti Mulang, Golden Ratio of Human Resource Management, Vol.2, Issue. 2 (2022) https://doi.org/10.52970/grhrm.v2i2.169
