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Work-life balance: Why are we talking about it at all?

Una Byrne
Business Information Review 2005 22: 53
DOI: 10.1177/0266382105052268

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Business Information Review Copyright © 2005 SAGE Publications
London, Thousand Oaks and New Delhi, Vol. 22(1): 53–59
[DOI: 10.1177/0266382105052268]
Work-life balance
Why are we talking about it at all?
Una Byrne’s background is in inter-
national marketing and information
services. She is an independent con-
sultant providing career development
planning. Previous roles include:
Recruitment Consultant and Career
Adviser at Sue Hill Recruitment;
Knowledge Manager at Diageo plc, the
world’s largest wine and spirits
Company; Head of Information at
Bankers Trust and at Bain & Company,
a leading global strategic consultancy.
Una holds a lifelong interest in the
information profession; she was one of
the founding members of CiG, the
highly successful City of London based
network of information professionals
and providers, and is a frequent
speaker on topics relating to careers in
the information profession. She is
currently training to be a Life Coach.
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Una Byrne
Independent consultant
‘There is only one rubber ball: work. Drop a rubber ball and it will
bounce back. Drop a glass ball and it’s shattered.’
Abstract
This article discusses the development of the concept of the ‘work-life balance’
as a means of tackling the problem of increasing amounts of stress in the work-
place as people try to juggle a wide range of factors in their life/work environ-
ment, including: work; family; friends; health; and spirit/self. It is argued that,
of the factors involved, work is the one which is most elastic and can be
managed in such a way as to avoiding jeopardizing the other factors. A major
driver of the trend towards achieving work-life balance is the fact that younger
people are not prepared to work in the same way as their parents, wanting
greater control, and a bigger say in the structure of their jobs and what they
could potentially offer in the future. The search for work-life balance is a
process in which people seek to change things in accordance with changes in
their own priorities, physical, psychological or both, and these can be triggered
in their turn by factors such as: age; changes in working conditions; the
demands of new technology; and poor management. Employees benefit
through: having a greater responsibility and a sense of ownership; having
better relations with management; avoiding bringing problems at home to
work, and vice versa; having the time to focus more on life outside work; and
having greater control of their working lives. The achievement of better work-
life balance can yield dividends for employers in terms of: having a more moti-
vated, productive and less stressed workforce that feels valued; attracting a
wider range of candidates, such as older part-time workers and carers;
increased productivity and reduced absenteeism; gaining the reputation of
being an employer of choice; retaining valued employees; achieving reduced
costs; and maximizing available labour. The author considers some of the
issues which might arise when implementing a work-life balance strategy and
offers advice on implementing such a scheme.
Keywords: life coaching, motivation, personal finance, skills, stress, work life
balance, workplace
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 Business Information Review 22(1)

Introduction with pay freezes or even redundancy. Additionally,

conflict issues such as Iraq, or SARS, world poverty or
what is happening to the environment are causing us
We are hearing and reading more and more that work to evaluate more closely the meaning of life and what
related stress is on the increase, that stress is the we want to get out of it. More and more people are
greatest cause of absence from work in all sectors, being turned off by work that is meaningless or
which British workers work the longest hours in unethical. Many individuals who may have made
Europe. Recent research commissioned by the Health millions by their thirties or forties are turning their
and Safety Executive (HSE) has indicated that: backs on these jobs and are moving to less well paid
ones but ones that allow them to give something back
● About half a million people in the UK experience to society.
work related stress at a level they believe is making
them ill.
● Up to five million people in the UK feel ‘very’ or Just how do you juggle five
‘extremely’ stressed by their work and.
balls at once?
● Work related stress costs society about £3.7 billion
every year. [1]
This is what we seem to be asking of ourselves. Without
realizing it, at a minimum we are probably juggling five
It is not just individuals who suffer as a result of
aspects of our lives at any one point in time:
these levels of stress. The pressures of work are taking
their toll inside organizations. Reported cases of
● work
harassment are on the increase, leading to inevitable
internal tensions, a preoccupation by human resources
● family
and legal teams with these cases, and an inevitable
financial burden to the organization – not to mention
● friends
the potential damage to its reputation. Employers like
to be seen as the employer of choice and so the result-
● health
ant (negative) publicity does not help.
Conflict at work is also on the increase. Younger ● spirit (or self).
people do not want to work in the same way as their
parents. They want greater control, a bigger say in These can be viewed as rubber or glass balls. Which
what their jobs look like and what they could poten- is which? Does it matter? My suggestion is: yes it does.
tially offer in the future. They want collaborative There is only one rubber ball: work. Drop a rubber ball
working environments and not just to be told what to and it will bounce back. Drop a glass ball and it’s shat-
do when and by whom. Yet, despite considerable tered. Which is what happens when you neglect or
encouragement from the Government (www.dti.gov. abuse your obligations to family, friends, your health or
uk/worklifebalance) and from those organizations that your personal wellbeing and growth. The damage can
have introduced family friendly working, not many be, and very often is, irreversible. With work, yes, you
organizations have done so as yet. But family friendly may lose your job or not get the promotion you were
work practices are not the only consideration. Other expecting or the pay increase you would have liked but
motivators could include wanting time for studying or it’s not the end of the world. You can accept the situ-
for personal development or maybe contributing to ation or not. You can choose to stay or to move on. With
their local community. personal relationships or your health you will not
always have a choice.
More importantly, though, a lot of current conver-
sations about work are concerned with the lack of
‘meaning’ in the workplace that can affect employee
morale and retention. For example, fat cat pay con-
troversies and corporate scandals, pension provision
(or lack of it) are fuelling a level of mistrust. Our
loyalty to our job and employer is being rewarded

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Why are we asking for a
work-life balance?
Any one of a number of things could be the cause. We
generally look to change things when our personal
priorities, either physical or psychological or both,
change in some way. Age can be a trigger. Perhaps we’ve
reached a landmark birthday or are about to move onto
the next decade of our lives. Equally it could be the
stage we have reached in our working life: first pro-
motion, any promotion, maybe the loss of a supportive
boss and uncertainty about his or her replacement,
possibly the threat of redundancy. Or, perhaps, a stage
in our personal life: having children, children in school,
children in university or children leaving home. Maybe
retirement is approaching. Outside factors could
equally contribute to the reason: our own health or the
health of a close member of the family or maybe even a
death.
Changes in work conditions are also a significant
factor. It is probably true to say that technology domi-
nates our working conditions (and is equally creeping
into our home lives in the same manner). Not that
many years ago the typewriter and telephone (and
maybe a dictating machine depending upon your role)
were the only instruments on your office desk. Today’s
work environment usually means we are slaves to
computers with electronic diaries, email and internet
access, hand-held personal organizers, printers and fax
machines, and the ubiquitous mobile phone with a
need to replicate the main work location at other sites,
and also probably at home.
And with all of this technology there is also the
impact on our privacy, as employers reserve the right
to read our emails and listen to our phone calls.
The last decade or two have produced profound
changes in the global economy and the way in which
we work. As organizations, regardless of whether they
are commercial, academic, governmental or charity,
continuously strive to drive down costs we experience
continuous shifting work climates: downsizing,
mergers and acquisitions, relocation, restructuring, or
outsourcing – changes in the organization that might
erode the traditional value of the community. People
want and need to be a part of a community in which
they can make meaningful contributions. Work is a
social outlet for most people.
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Byrne: Work-life balance
Poor management is another contributing factor.
Either through lack of ongoing training or ineffective
performance evaluation, or simply a poor choice of
person for the role in the first place. Interestingly, a
study carried out by business psychologists Robertson
Cooper, entitled Premiership of Pressure: Britain’s most
stressful jobs, in June 2004, suggests that the most
stressful jobs involve direct contact with the public in
emotionally intense situations (such as teachers, police
or ambulance crews) where the work environment is
governed by strict rules. Although library and infor-
mation professionals did not feature as a group, they
fit well into this category of job – and managers as a
whole came bottom of the league table. [2]
Or there is simply the realization that ‘this is it’, this
is not a rehearsal. That wanting to control ones life
rather than being told what to do or to be led is a choice
we all have available to us. On the other hand
employer expectations from employees have also
altered. Employers want their staff to work longer
hours and be more flexible.
Changes in demographics have also played a signifi-
cant role in a lot of the current debates. ‘The days when
all women gave up work to look after the home and
family and men were the family breadwinners have
long gone. Seventy per cent of women are in paid work,
and two thirds of women who were employed during
pregnancy return to work after maternity leave.’
Equally, parenting is not the only reason for
developing a better work-life balance. The proportion
in our population of very elderly people in Britain is
rising, bringing with it an increasing need for others to
provide care where disability or frailty takes its toll.
The number of carers is projected to rise very sub-
stantially during the twenty first century.
Aspirations are changing too. Those without parent-
ing or caring responsibilities, particularly younger
people, may want leave from work or to work shorter
hours for a variety of reasons. (Equal Opportunities
Commission). [3]
A definition of work-life
balance
So just what do we mean when we talk about a work-
life balance? The Work Foundation (formerly The
Industrial Society) defines it as follows: ‘Work life
55
 Business Information Review 22(1)

balance is about people having a measure of control What does work-life balance
over when, where and how they work. It is achieved
when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and
look like in the workplace?
outside paid work is accepted and respected as the
norm to the mutual benefit of the individual, business From any one to a number of the following:
and society’. [4]
● flexi-time

Why is it important? ● staggered hours

● time off in lieu

For employers it is important because they benefit
from having a more motivated, productive and less ● compressed working hours
stressed workforce resulting in:
● shift swapping
● making employees feel valued
● self-rostering
● attracting a wider range of candidates, such as older
part-time workers and carers ● annualised hours

● increased productivity ● job-sharing

● reduced absenteeism ● term-time working

● the reputation of being an employer of choice ● working from home

● retaining valued employees ● teleworking

● reduced costs ● breaks from work

● maximized available labour. ● flexible benefits.

Employees benefit from being happier at work and

at home: But what sorts of issues
● through a greater responsibility and a sense of might arise?
ownership
● managing the performance of people who are not in
● by having better relations with management
the office the same time as you, equally being
managed by someone who is not in the office the
● as a result of improved self-esteem, health, concen-
same time as you
tration and confidence
● loss of team spirit
● by being shown loyalty and commitment
● perceived favouritism of certain employees over
● through not bringing problems at home to work, and
others
vice versa
● being branded as uncommitted and unmotivated.
● from having the time to focus more on life outside
work

● by having greater control of their working lives.

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Is it for me?
Do you feel stressed in your job? Stress can manifest
itself in a number of ways: bad health, bad temper,
feeling tired all the time, not moving forward. Perhaps
it’s the feeling of not being able to cope, that ‘some-
thing is going to have to give’. Looking beyond the job,
maybe the stress isn’t coming from there or from the
organization itself; maybe it’s the commute. Or
perhaps it might be the demands from a partner, the
family or other commitments. Other reasons could be
because things have changed and you no longer feel
in control. Or perhaps you feel you’d like to retire but
can’t afford to. Or, being realistic, maybe it’s been time
for you to move on for a while but it’s been so long
since you applied for jobs the prospect fills you with
fear.
Are you lacking in motivation? Is getting to work
each day a problem? Do you stay focused at work or is
your mind constantly thinking of other things or other
places you would rather be? Lack of motivation is
destructive for the self, the team and the organization.
Do you feel unsupported at work or at home or both?
As with motivation lack of understanding and support
are destructive, as is the lack of a personal develop-
ment plan.
Do you feel you are progressing, learning and
developing?
And crucially, do you have a good balance between
work, home, friends, hobbies, other commitments and
. . . self?
What to do about it?
If you feel the time has come for things to change but
don’t know exactly what you want to do or where to
start then, before doing anything drastic like leaving
your job or partner or taking any other irrational
action, you should first invest some time in gathering
your thoughts and developing a plan.
Firstly, get a ringbinder or notebook to record things
in. A ringbinder is more versatile as you can keep things
in an orderly way and add to it without much difficulty.
Now hunt out your latest CV and file that.
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Byrne: Work-life balance
Skills factors
Exercise 1: Skills assessment Using your CV, go
through each of your past roles and record the highs
and lows of those roles. Aim for about three of each for
each position.
Do the same for any hobbies or interests.
Go back to the highs and lows and think about the
skills you were using or were not using at the time.
Make a note of them.
Now think about the type of environment you were
working in; both in terms of the type of people around
you and the physical environment.
What did you like about the people and the environ-
ment? What didn’t you like? Make a note of these
thoughts as well.
Do not worry if you do not have a CV; just make a
list of the roles you have had and then start the
exercise.
Useful aides for this are the lists of skills that
feature in What Color is Your Parachute [5] and
Writing a Winning CV [6].
Exercise 2: Identifying additional skills Another
way of identifying skills you might have is to go
through any performance evaluations or any informal
feedback you may have received over the years to see
if others have identified skills you might not credit
yourself with. Brainstorm your memory banks if you
don’t have anything written down. List those as well.
Exercise 3: Transferable skills Of course not all the
skills we have manifest themselves uniquely in our
working day. The next step of your skills assessment is
to look at other areas of your life: parenting skills
perhaps, or skills used in any hobbies or pastimes, or
community or charitable work you might do. List those
skills as well.
Once done, prioritise each list so that you end up
with: the skills you have and enjoy using; the skills you
don’t have but would like to develop; and your
priorities for the type of environment and people you
enjoy working with.
57
 Business Information Review 22(1)

Motivational factors Whose career (life?) is it anyway?

Now we need to look at what motivates us. Each one of Looking back over your career (and other aspects of
us is motivated by different factors and equally these your life), think about how you came to fill your various
may vary at different times in our lives. roles. Did you plan each move at a time that suited you,
or were you just lucky? Did you design your career to
Exercise 4: Motivational factors In 1959, Frederick date or has it ‘just happened’? Do you feel in control of
Herzberg developed a list of motivational factors which your career? Time to take control!
are related to work. Hygiene factors, he believed, must
be present in the job before motivators can be used to Exercise 5: Key questions Take some time to
stimulate the workers. answer the following questions:
Hygiene or Dissatisfiers:
● What is going well?
● working conditions
● What gives you the most enjoyment?
● policies and administrative practices
● What values are important to you?
● salary and benefits
● What are the barriers you perceive to a more satis-
fying career?
● supervision
● Is there someone who is stopping you?
● status
● Can you turn these barriers into opportunities?
● job security
● Who is your career ally?
● fellow workers
● Who do you need to meet to progress your ideas?
● personal life.

Motivators or Satisfiers:
Dream a little, or a lot
● recognition
Allow yourself time to dream or imagine what this new
life you are striving towards looks like. Ask yourself: if
● achievement
I am successful in making changes in my life what will
this success look like?
● advancement
Exercise 6: Dreaming Jot down those thoughts!
● growth
Exercise 7: Life change Think about if you won the
● responsibility
Lottery tomorrow. What aspects of your life would
change?
● job challenge.
Take a break!
Using this list, pick out the factors that currently
motivate you. Might these be the same in the future or
could they change? Rank them and add them to your Personal board of directors
notebook.
All of this is hard going if you try to do it on your own.
Why not think about having a small group – say two
or three – of close family members and/or friends to act
as your own ‘Board of Directors’. To meet regularly and

58
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 Byrne: Work-life balance

bounce ideas or thoughts off and generally to lend you [5] Bolles, Richard Nelson (annual) What Color Is Your
support. Or perhaps something more formal like Parachute?: A Practical Guide for Job-Hunting and Career
engaging a Life Coach. Having a couple of friends or Changes. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
family members being your sounding board is good so [6] Jones, Alan (2000) How to Write a Winning CV.
long as you can be disciplined when you get together London: Random House Business Books.
but there’s a high risk of such meetings degenerating
[7] Ross, Sarah (2004) ‘Draw up a plan for financial well-
into chatting sessions. A Life Coach will help keep you
being’, Financial Times 18/19 September.
focused – especially as you are paying for the sessions
– and will help direct your thinking and be there to
Further Reading
help you over any hurdles or stumbling blocks you may
encounter. Carnegie, Dale (1998) How To Stop Worrying and Start
Living. London: Vermillion.
Clapperton, Guy (2004) ‘Juggling act: everything in
Financial implications moderation’, Guardian, 28 October.
Hammonds, Keith (2004) ‘Balance is Bunk!’, Fast
Company 87, October.
Of course, any action you take will probably have
financial implications and it is necessary to find out Harrold, Fiona (2000) Be Your Own Life Coach. London:
what these will be and address them as early as Hodder & Stoughton.
possible. Talking to your bank manager or financial Jeffers, Susan (1987) Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway:
advisor will be as important as talking to your partner London: Arrow.
or family. Along with the increased use of Life Coaches,
Lowe, Jonquil (2004) Downshift. London: Which? Books.
there is also a growth in the number of financial
advisors offering life planning services rather than Roffey Park. Work-Life Balance: A Guide for Organiz-
straightforward assets and income analysis [7]. ations. Further information: www.roffeypark.com/reports
or telephone +44 (0) 1293 854 064.
Now, with all the thinking behind you it is time to
Williams, Nick (1999) The Work We Were Born To Do.
map it out, plan it and make it happen. If not, then let’s
Shaftesbury, Dorset: Element.
just turn the clock forward and you are old and grey
and in the rocking chair. What thoughts will you have
Websites
about your life? Will they be positive or tinged with
regret? Are you living it as you want to? Remember: Department of Trade & Industry: www.dti.gov.uk/work-
lifebalance
Having a personal life concept is not just for the
lucky few. IVillage: www.ivillage.co.uk/workcareer/worklife
Working Families: www.workingfamilies.org.uk
References
Flexibility: www.flexibility.co.uk
[1] Health and Safety Executive: www.hse.gov.uk/stress
Trades Union Congress: www.tuc.org.uk/changingtimes
[2] Robertson Cooper Limited. Premiership of pressure:
Unison: www.unison.org.uk/worklifebalance
Britain’s most stressful jobs. Research published June
2004. Further details: Tel: +44 (0) 870 3333 591. www.workliferesearch.org
[3] Equal Opportunities Commission: www.eoc.org.uk www.familiesandwork.org
[4] The Work Foundation: www.employersforwork-
lifebalance.org.uk

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