WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 1

Final Paper: Work-Life Balance in JESA

Saddiqui Hajar

Al Akhawayn University

HRD 5339 01 - Special Topics in HRD

Dr. Jeong-Ha Yim

December 21, 2021

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 2

Work-Life Balance in JESA

intro

Organization overview

JESA is considered a leading corporation in Africa in several fields such as design,

engineering, and project delivery. It also specializes in asset management services, as it provides

customers with complete, functional, and sustainable solutions for industrial and urban progress.

It was created in 2010 by two giants, OCP and Jacobs engineering. Two years ago, it became a

joint venture between OCP and WORLEY; two worldwide powerhouses respectively in the

fields of phosphate and assets services. As one of the major engineering companies in Africa and

in Morocco specifically, JESA provides tailored solutions through win-win collaborations, local

skills, ecosystems, and knowledge exchange (JESA, n.d.).

JESA provides a range of capabilities based on four business units: mining and industry,

construction and infrastructure, asset management, and advising and digital solutions (JESA,

n.d.). JESA's main activities are profoundly anchored and linked to two main characteristics:

safety and Integrity. JESA considers these two characteristics its fundamental principles, and it

bases all its collaborations on them. It also considers them in its clients, partners, and the local

communities it operates. JESA’s focus is the development of the African continent. Its vision,

according to the website, is to become a “World Class Solutions Provider with African DNA”

(JESA, n.d.). Its main goals are to prioritize the people, go digital, and develop and expand its

business. With 300 active projects, JESA has become a reference and a model to follow.

JESA has a global presence, with offices; in Morocco, Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Benin,

Senegal, and the United States (JESA, n.d.). It is a vital resource and a driving force behind

delivering world-class professional services in Morocco and across Africa. Besides their
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 3

headquarters in Casablanca, the company now has six offices in Rabat, Abidjan, Addis Ababa,

Dakar, Cotonou, and Lakeland. They perform on many sites, for example, in Jorf-Lasfar,

Laayoun, and Khouribga. The company counts nearly 1700 employees with more than 27

nationalities, highlighting one of their values which is “We are Inclusive and Diverse”. In fact,

JESA focuses and builds its organizational culture over four main values: We Care, We Grow

Together, we are Agile, we are Inclusive, and Diverse. Everything they do is aligned with these

four values, whether it is human interaction, social life at JESA, or how they do business and

deliver their service. 

According to JESA’s internal communications specialist, JESA’s safety principle is, in

fact, applied in everything they do, that it became the way they live, and it is applied to their

entire ecosystem. It is also extended beyond the office boundaries to their families and

communities. They tackle safety from all dimensions. When they talk about safety, they

primarily think of employees working on sites who are constantly confronted with a lot of danger

and risks. They are constantly working at height, and dangers related to electricity. However,

JESA takes it beyond that, not only in offices but also in their personal life, as stated by the

internal communications manager, Fethia Lazrak: “so, when we insert safety in our employee's

life, we do not leave safety at work, we make sure that they take it home with them, that is how

we try to put it as a priority in everything we do”. Their organizational culture is focused on

diversity and mutual respect.

For example, they care a lot about the mental and physical health of their employees as

well as their work-life balance. The human resources department has created a lot of programs

and initiatives in the organization catered for the well-being of their people. JESA created a

partnership with Omnium-Pro in order to create a program focused on creating a safe space for
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 4

people to share and feel heard especially during the pandemic. This has become important and

sensitive as a topic, especially during the pandemic. That is why this program was shaped to

make sure their people can be comfortable at the office or at home, focusing on people’s mental

health.

During the first months of covid, when everyone was discovering a new reality, there was

a lot of panic and stress. Meanwhile, Jesa focused a lot on communication, and the IT team did a

really great job. As a matter of fact, within 48 hours they developed tools such as Microsoft

Teams. All of this to make sure that people do not feel the difference, in the sense that the

organization is trying to keep employees connected with each other and understand fully that

they are not alone, and that they are in this together because that is the key factor to keeping

people reassured. A lot of employees in Jesa got confined with their families during the

lockdown in a small house with their kids and elders, which made it hard for them to do theirs

tasks and focus on work.

Balancing work and personal obligations are challenging tasks. People often forget

themselves and get drained into work. Some employees prefer to spend quality time alone, while

others choose to demonstrate their devotion to their profession this way. Role conflict and role

overload are frequently indicators of personal life conflict (Carlson et al., 2000).Work-life

balance may be influenced by a variety of external and internal factors. The way in which work

is arranged has a huge impact on family life (Lareau, 2008). The nature of a job, for example,

can impact an employee's work-life balance.

WLB Problems

Like any big firm, the people of Jesa suffer from this problem such as excessive work

demand, high-stress levels, and problems with time management. The workload increased, so as
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 5

the manager’s demands. This automatically augmented the stress level and the lack of time

management. During the lockdown, managers expected employees to be available to answer

their emails and to be in front of their laptops 24/7. They did not take into consideration the

conditions their employees were working in, leaving offices and going back home, working

remotely from their houses, leaving them with no option to set boundaries, nor the choice of

having a balanced life.

Working late beyond the official working hours is considered excessive work, answering

phone calls or emails after 6 pm, as well as working on weekends are all considered aspects of

imbalance between work and home, leisure time, and social relationships (Schaufeli et al.,

2009, Molino et al., 2012). General views about work show to what extent the employee agrees

with the normative reasons justifying hard work, as well as the perceived oppressiveness of the

organization. This light occurs from an economic necessity, fear of losing one’s job or acting in

accordance with the organization’s culture. In other words, loss of control over work shows the

degree of dependence on work (Paluchowski et al., 2014).

Stress is one of the most researched topics when talking about WLB, Arnold (1960) thinks that

“Stress is any condition that disturbs normal functioning”. According to Beehr & Newman

(1978) “Stress is a condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs and

characterized by changes within people that force them to deviate from their normal

functioning”.

The extent of control an employee has over his/her work plays a big role in managing stress. If

an employee has no or very little control over his or her work then no boundaries are set, the

managers always want and expect more from the employee. (Michi, 2002)
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 6

Overload of work means performing a large amount of work in a very short time. Such

heightened expectations from any individual can cause stress. Here employees start questioning

their capacities and feel stressed. Jesa claims that it puts its people first by creating a myriad of

compaigns regarding work life balance in order to raise awareness regarding this matter.

However, that contradicts its actions towards its employees. This can be noticed in the behavior

of the managers ibn charge. (Panigrahi, C. M. A. (2016) They still bombard their employees, as

well as their interns with assignments and unbelievable deadlines to meet. A past intern of Jesa

stated in her interview that during her internship period, she got assigned several deadlines and

with tight deadlines as well, which compressed her to not perform and give her utmost best. She

believes that she would have performed better with an improved time schedule (JESA, n.d.).

I believe that everything starts with a little bit of stress and lack of time management,

ignoring them can often leave us with burned out yet unhappy employees who are not satisfied

with their work, this is exactly why it is important to maintain a balanced work-life. Most

employees find it difficult to reconcile their social lives with work commitments. An employee’s

performance is critical since it is a significant variable in accomplishing organizational goals and

objectives. As a result, corporations investigate numerous methods of motivating their staff.

Every policy in a company should be aimed at boosting employee performance. This is because

for an organization to stay competitive, it must enhance and monitor the performance of its

employees since failing to do so exposes the business to several obstacles that impede

organizational success (Delecta, 2011).

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 7

Making time for both work and personal obligations is crucial, but how effective is our

approach to balancing the two? Rather than merely implementing flexible or remote working and

calling it a day, some organizations are offering employees a fresh viewpoint on the world of

work, which is the work-life blend.

Interventions

Possible interventions can be applied both at the organizational level or the individual

level.Primary interventions attempt to alter the source of the workplace stress by making changes

such as redesigning jobs to give employees greater flexibility or more decision control.

Secondary intervention help employees to better recognize and manage stress symptoms as they

occur. Examples of secondary interventions include courses that teach skills such mindfulness or

time management. Finally,interventions are designed to help employees recover from stressful

events.

providing employees.

Effective training might also be useful for combating excessive workload

. One one handFirst, effective.

1. Effective training programs can reduce workload by helping employees to develop the

knowledge and specific skills needed to perform their jobs effectively. Having the

requisite required knowledge and skills, in turn, is expected to result in a reduction in

perceived workload.

2. SecondM, management Management training can address the ineffective behaviors of

supervisors, which may often be the source of excessive workload. This training, for

example, could helpmay teachcould help supervisors how to monitor subordinate

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 8

workloads effectively and to detect symptoms of excessive workload.

1.

2. Combating excessive workload via job redesign jJob redesign might also be an effective

means of combating an excessive workload.

3. One solution, for example, might involve reassigning some of the work tasks performed

by an overworked employee to a coworker with a smaller workload. Such an intervention

might be especially useful when one is experiencing high levels of quantitative workload.

1. Alternatively, Tthe qualitative workload could be addressed by re-assigning job tasks of a

qualitatively overloaded worker to a coworker who possesses the KSAs needed to

perform those tasks more easily.

3. Combating excessive workload via job redesign might also be an effective means of

combating an excessive workload. One solution, for example, might involve reassigning

some of the work tasks performed by an overworked employee to a coworker with a

smaller workload. Such an intervention might be especially useful when one is

experiencing high levels of quantitative workload.

4. Alternatively, the qualitative workload could be addressed by re-assigning job tasks of a

qualitatively overloaded worker to a coworker who possesses the KSAs needed to

perform those tasks more easily.

What if we forget about work-life balance for a second and strive for a work-life blend.

This new strategy encourages employees to share more information about their personal

lives with their managers. Thus, if they are preparing for a competition, buying a car, or

taking care of a sick relative, the person to whom they report should be aware of it.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 9

Managers may assist workers in working around those obligations while also instilling a

communication culture that will foster stronger working relationships.

Work and life do not exist in separate bubbles; they frequently bleed into one another,

whether you are working late and missing social commitments as a result of spending time with

your coworkers after hours. It can help employees better arrange their time and prevent work

from feeling like a burden, something they must do in order to enjoy their non-working lives

(lenovo, 2021).

There are clear advantages for employers as well. Employees who are happier are more

productive, and they are more inclined to be loyal to a firm that values them as human beings as

well as employees. Staff will be more inclined to perform better and more efficiently if provided

with the chance to rest, as well as the to create time for their other responsibilities. Taking them

of from the regular nine-to-five timetable can foster innovative thinking and fresh methods of

functioning. And in the workplace, creativity is always a winner.

Instead of Improving the WLB of employees by using traditional ways such as coaching,

improving their performance management using tech can be the solution. Apps like Remember

the Milk and Toggl show you how much time you spend on each task, which might help you

manage your time better. Remember, the Milk may also be synced with Evernote so that your

reminders appear in both applications. Then you may assign them a priority, time estimates,

locations, URLs, and other information.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 10

Reflection & Conclusion

All of the suggested interventions can be applied to different organizations; however, I

belive that they are more specific to JESA. These interventions take into consideration the vision,

mission, values, and culture inside the organization. As a result, Jesa will be able to achieve its

purpose. These intervention efforts are intended to enhance the performance of the company and

to assist managers and supervisors to effectively regulate their teams and organizational

structures. These interventions are also targeting specific work-life balance issues that exist

within JESA, according to interviews with the HR partner, as well as the interns., they will help

improve employees well being within the company which will have a direct impact on their

performance, this will not only benefit Jesa but also its employees.

"No one can have everything and do everything at the same time". Psychologist - Oprah

Winfrey At present, work environment has become more stressful because of diverse role

expectations, cut throat competition, globalization and technological innovations. Such changes

have created several complications on both the domestic and professional fronts of the

employees. The pressure of work has been intensifying and there is growing feeling among

employees that the demands of work begin to dominate life and sense of work-life balance is felt.

The challenge of integrating work and family life is a part of everyday reality for the majority of

employees now-a-days.

Work-life balance and employee wellness is a significant problem in JESA, and it is an

issue of continuing debate. However, the organization has a lack of time management, and

excessive work demand, as well as high-stress levels, in place. Through the interviews I
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 11

conducted with the internal communication manager as well as with the interns and other

employees, I have learned quite a bit about their work-life balance. If only they could improve

their time management, Time management helps you prioritize your tasks so that you ensure you

have enough time available to complete every project. The quality of your work increases when

you're not rushing to complete it ahead of a fast-approaching deadline.

Work-related stress is also a growing problem around the world that affects not only the health

and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of organisations. Most job roles have

elements which can cause the employee to experience stress.

Recent studies have proven that having a good work life balance can significantly help to reduce

stress in the workplace and therefore stress on your heart.

Work-life balance is about creating and maintaining supportive and healthy work environments,

which will enable employees to have balance between work and personal responsibilities and

thus strengthen employee loyalty and productivity.

JESA is a new and still-developing organization, in a developing country where HRD

practices are not commun, JESA cares about her people and you can see that she is trying her

best, by taking into consideration their mental health and implementing programs that are going

to be dedicated for this matter. It will take some time to follow along and catch up with other

organization who have already a developed HR Departement . Open communication, flexibility

and psychological safety, are the key elements , that will help with the implementation of various

interventions to increase employee work-life balance.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 12
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 13

References

https://www.preventica.ma/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Pr%C3%A9sentation-Jacobs-

Engineering-SA.pdf

Forget work-life balance – strive for work-life blend. (2019, July 5). Lenovo Tech Today

Morocco. Retrieved December 21, 2021, from

https://techtoday.lenovo.com/ma/fr/solutions/smb/forget-work-life-balance-strive-work-

life-blend

Collier, W. (2019b, September 13). Company culture can cause stress. Magazine Morocco.

Retrieved December 21, 2021, from

https://www.regus.ma/work-morocco/en-ma/company-culture-can-cause-stress/

Arnold, H.J. (1960). Moderator Variable: A classification of conceptual, analytic and

psychometric issues; Organizational Behaviour and Human Performance, 29, pp 143–

174.

Paluchowski, W. J., Hornowska, E., Haładziñski, P., and Kaczmarek, L. (2014). Czy Praca

szkodzi? Wyniki Badañ Nad Kwestionariuszem Nadmiernego Obcia̧ żania Siê

Praca̧ . Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Scholar.

Chandra, V. (2012). Work-life balance: eastern and western perspectives. The International

Journal of Human Resource Management, 23(5), 1040-1056.

Carlson, D. S., Kacmar, K. M., & Williams, L. J. (2000). Construction and initial validation

of a multidimensional measure of work-family conflict. Journal of Vocational

Behavior, 56(2), 249-276.

Delecta, P. (2011). Work-life balance. International Journal of Current Research, 3(4), 186-

189.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE IN JESA 14

Lareau, A., & Weininger, E. B. (2008, September). Time, Work, and Family Life:

Reconceptualizing Gendered Time Patterns Through the Case of Children’s

Organized Activities 1. In Sociological Forum (Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 419-454).Blackwell

Publishing Ltd.

Carotenuto, A., Molino, I., Fasanaro, A. M., & Amenta, F. (2012). Psychological stress in

seafarers: a review. International maritime health, 63(4), 188-194.

Schaufeli, W. B., Bakker, A. B., & Van Rhenen, W. (2009). How changes in job demands

and resources predict burnout, work engagement, and sickness absenteeism. Journal of

Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and

Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 30(7), 893-917.

Michie, S. (2002). Causes and management of stress at work. Occupational and

environmental medicine, 59(1), 67-72.

Panigrahi, C. M. A. (2016). Managing stress at workplace. Journal of Management

Research and Analysis, 3(4), 154-160.

Beehr TA, Newman JE (1978). Job Stress, employ Health and Organisational Effectiveness- A

fact analysis model and literature reviews. Personal Psychol., 31: 665-669.