Work- Life Balance: A necessity for employees as well as employers Jyoti Bahl1 Meenakshi Sharma2 Abstract Worklife balance

is a broad concept. Work-life balance means different things to different people and different things at different stages of life. Research indicates that failure to achieve the correct balance of effort and rest is linked to a feeling of lack of control over the workload, plus lack of energy to fulfill personal goals and commitments. If the balance is wrong, the result may include fatigue, poor performance, and a poor quality of life. When work-life balance is not in harmony, both the company and employee lose. The employee may experience symptoms such as headache, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, lack of sleep, social withdrawal, loss of sex drive, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, loss of interest in work, passive aggression and rage. Not exactly a list of symptoms likely to reduce productivity at work. An organisations success depends on the satisfaction of their employees, for a company to be successful, their people need to be successful, not just at work, but in all other areas of life too. To ensure the success of both, providing a variety of alternative work arrangements would be beneficial. Offering some kind of flexibility shows an openness and willingness to work with people for the good of the business, the customer, and the employee. Offering these kinds of benefits can help company achieve its targets and also ensuring a balance in the life of the human force working there.

1 2

Jyoti Bahl is Lecturer in Commerce, Udhampur campus, University of Jammu. Meenakshi Sharma is Lecturer in Commerce, Nehru Memorial H Sec School, Udhampur.

Worklife balance is a broad concept including proper prioritizing between "work" i.e., career and ambition on the one hand and "life" i.e., Health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development on the other. This balance was earlier maintained naturally as the work loads were not so much on the employees. However, due to changes in economic conditions and social demands the definition of work has changed much. Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival. Throughout the years, the role of work has evolved and the composition of the workforce has changed. Today, work still is a necessity but it should be a source of personal satisfaction as well. One of the vehicles to help provide attainment of personal and professional goals is work-life benefits and programmes. Many people think of worklife balance only in the framework of what the company does for the individual. However, work-life balance is a two prong approach. The other prong of work-life balance, which many individuals overlook, relates to what individuals do for themselves. According to Jim Bird, CEO of Worklifebalance.com, Worklife balance is meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life. The primary way companies can help facilitate work-life balance for their employees are through work-life programmes and training. Achievement and enjoyment at work is a critical part of anyones work-life balance. Working with the feeling of burden surely turns into imbalance in the work-life. Work-life balance means different things to different people and different things at different stages of life. However, any definition for anyone must include the problems of lack of time and exhaustion. Research indicates that failure to achieve the correct balance of effort and rest is linked to a feeling of lack of control over the workload, plus lack of energy to fulfill personal goals and commitments. If the balance is wrong, the result may include fatigue, poor performance, and a poor quality of life. Origin of the Concept

The work-leisure dichotomy was invented in the mid 1800s. In anthropology, a definition of happiness is to have as little separation as possible between work and play. The expression "Worklife balance" was first used in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s to describe the balance between an individual's work and personal life. In the United States, this phrase was first used in 1986. Over the past twenty-five years, there has been a substantial increase in work which is felt to be due, in part, by information technology and by an intense, competitive work environment. Longterm loyalty and a "sense of corporate community" have been eroded by a performance culture that expects more and more from their employees yet offers little security in return. Many experts predicted that technology would eliminate most household chores and provide people with much more time to enjoy leisure activities; but many ignore this option, encouraged by prevailing consumerist culture and a political agenda that has "elevated the work ethic to unprecedented heights and thereby reinforced the low value and worth attached to parenting. Employee assistance professional say there are many causes for this situation ranging from personal ambition and the pressure of family obligations to the accelerating pace of technology. According to a recent study for the Center for Work-Life Policy, 1.7 million people consider their jobs and their work hours excessive because of globalisation. These difficult and exhausting conditions are having adverse effects. According to a study conducted in the area of work-life balance, fifty percent of top corporate executives are leaving their current positions. Although sixty-four percent of workers feel that their work pressures are "self-inflicted", they state that it is taking a toll on them. Problem of Balancing work and life

Work-life balance refers to the age-old problem of balancing economic life with family, relationships, friends, physical and mental health, personal ambitions, hobbies and pleasure. Ideas about work-life balance vary widely by culture, industry and company. One of the major work-life balance dilemmas is working long hours. When employees are required to work extraordinarily long hours of over 50 hours per week they tend to develop difficulties in their personal life such as health or family problems. Another major work-life balance dilemma is when a workplace becomes stressful either because of the nature of the work or because of conflicts with coworkers. A study by the National Life Insurance Company in the United States indicated that 40% of employees rate their job as stressful or very stressful. When work-life balance is not in harmony both the company and employee lose. The employee may experience symptoms such as headache, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, lack of sleep, social withdrawal, loss of sex drive, alcoholism, drug abuse, depression, loss of interest in work, passive aggression and rage. Not exactly a list of symptoms likely to reduce productivity at work. Many modern companies recognize the need to manage worklife balance issues. Programs such as flexi-time, job-sharing, working from home, compressed working hours, annual hours, work-life balance training programs, workplace nursery, career breaks to name a few can help employees to balance their work and life. Ground breaking companies such as Google are known for the creative and positive atmosphere of their offices and extensive policies to help Employees feel empowered and creative. However, there is a growing gap between the best and worst companies and many companies only do the minimum under the law in their country of operation. Most countries recognize the need to legislate basic rights to allow employees some hope of managing work-life commitments Stress and Work-Life balance

Imbalance in work-life leads to stress. Finding out the reasons and causes this problem has become a major concern to both employers and employees. Due to stress employees are unable to give their fullest. Symptoms of stress are manifested both physiologically and psychologically. Persistent stress can result in cardiovascular disease, sexual health problems, a weaker immune system and frequent headaches, stiff muscles, or backache. Although some employers believe that workers should reduce their own stress by simplifying their lives and making a better effort to care for their health, most experts feel that the chief responsibility for reducing stress should be of the management. Management can help employees move out of their stress by reducing extra work load and undue pressure of completing targets. According to Esther M. Orioli, president of Essi Systems, a stress management consulting firm, Traditional stress-management programs placed the responsibility of reducing stress on the individual rather than on the organization-where it belongs. No matter how healthy individual employees are when they start out, if they work in a dysfunctional system, theyll burn out. Changing life patterns of the people Today there are many young women who do not want to just stay at home and do house work, but want to have their careers. In fact, women may lose their self-esteem and identities when they stay at home; young women hope that their lives will include strong ties to the workplace. Men know that work alone may not provide their lives with meaning. Young men can lose their meaning of life; they want a balance between paid work and personal attachments without being victimized at work. Regarding home life, men and women have similarities with work and home life. Today, home is not a heavenly place which men and women could rest and feel comfort as before, but home is an additional place of work. An increasing number of young children are being raised by a childcare provider or another person other than a parent; older children are more likely today to come home to an empty house and

spend time with video games, television and the internet with less guidance to offset or control the messages coming from these sources. Consequences of an Imbalance Mental health is a balancing act that may be affected by four factors: the influence of unfavourable genes, by wounding trauma, by private pressures and by the stress of working. Many people expose themselves unsolicited to the so-called job stress, because the "hard worker" enjoys a very high social recognition. These aspects can be the cause of an imbalance in the areas of life. But there are also other reasons which can lead to such an imbalance. Remarkable is for example the increase in non-occupational activities with obligation character, which include mainly house and garden work, maintenance and support of family members or volunteer activities. All this can contribute to the perception of a chronic lack of time. This time pressure is, amongst others, influenced by the own age, the age and number of children in the household, marital status, the profession and level of employment as well as the income level.

Responsibility of the employer Companies have begun to realize how important the work-life balance is to the productivity and creativity of their employees. Research by Kenexa Research Institute in 2007 shows that those employees who were more favorable toward their organizations efforts to support worklife balance also indicated a much lower intent to leave the organization,

greater pride in their organization, a willingness to recommend it as a place to work and higher overall job satisfaction. The organisations offer a range of flexible working arrangements to help staff achieve work/life balance. Following are such arrangements: Parental Leave: Parental leave is a right for parents to take time off work to look after a young child or make arrangements for the childs welfare. Parents can use it to spend more time with children and strike a better balance between their work and family commitments. Part-Time Work: For staff that likes to work part-time, priorities other than work can assume more importance. Part-time workers reduce their working week for various reasons including attending to family (children and the elderly); pursuing personal hobbies; voluntary work; studying; and many others. Staff wishing to work part-time may benefit from this policy if their directorate gives its approval, or they may apply for a part-time vacant post. Family leave: Staff may take leave for the serious illness or incapacity of immediate family (spouse, registered non-marital partner, parent or child) on the provision of a medical certificate. Teleworking: Individual staff members may be authorised to carry out part of their activities from home on a regular basis over time. Either of the staff member or the organisation may propose teleworking or it can be accepted or refused by the other party. Unpaid Leave: The organization may also recognise that staff may at some point wish to take a break from their career to address other priorities. The authorization may be for personal or professional reasons. However, the staff remains bound by the rules and regulations of the organization as mentioned in the Articles. The staff can also get the prior permission of the organisation if they wish to take up professional activities during their leave.

Time off to take care for sick children: In the case of a sick child and on presentation of a medical certificate staff may take time off to look after the child. Time off is also authorised if a staff member is called by the crche or school to fetch a sick child. Flexi-time: Staff may take up to a maximum of half days a month, which can be taken any day during the working week without being able to use 2 half days on the same day, provided the normal functioning of work is assured. Crchefacilities: The organizations provide their own crche where the staff can enrol their pre-school children. There is a lot of demand for places and staff is invited to give as much notice as possible if they need a place. Conclusion In a society filled with conflicting responsibilities and

commitments, work/life balance has become a pre-dominant issue in the workplace. Three major factors contribute to the interest in, and the importance of, serious consideration of work/life balance: global competition; renewed interest in personal lives/ family values; and an aging workforce. Research suggests that forward-thinking human resource professionals seeking innovative ways to augment their organizations competitive advantage in the marketplace may find that work/life balance challenges offer a win-win solution. The growing stress on the working population caused by role overload and conflict between work and family responsibilities is both an economic and social problem. Productivity is impaired, costs of production are unnecessarily high, and personal health and family wellbeing are at risk. The dimensions of the problem have increased over the past decade. The stress affects both men and women in both professional

and non-professional jobs. This is a societal issue. Individuals, families, employers and governments can all take actions to moderate the stress, and they can all share in the benefits if action is taken. Most of the actions are cost reducing in both the short and long term. All that is required is a shift in attitudes; a recognition that workers are family members and family members are workers. The need is to encourage people of working age to work and earn their own living. Supporting them in meeting all those responsibilities is a positive sum game. An organisations success depends on the satisfaction of their employees, for a company to be successful, their people need to be successful, not just at work, but in all other areas of life too. To ensure the success of both, providing a variety of alternative work arrangements would be beneficial. Offering some kind of flexibility shows an openness and willingness to work with people for the good of the business, the customer and the employee. Offering these kinds of benefits can help company achieve its targets and also ensuring a balance in the life of the human force working there.

References:

Bender, K A., Susan M. Donohue and John S. Heywood (2005). Job satisfaction and gender segregation, Oxford Economic Papers, vol. 57(3), pp. 479-496. Booth, A. L. and Jan C. van Ours (2008) Job Satisfaction and Family Happiness: The Part-Time Work Puzzle The Economic Journal 118 (526), F77F99. Budd, J W and Mumford, K (2005) "Family-Friendly Work Practices in Britain: Availability and Perceived Accessibility". IZA Discussion Paper No. 1662 Chaplin, J.; Mangla, J.; Purdon, S. and Colin Airey (2005). Technical Report: The Workplace Employment Relations Survey (WERS) 2004 London: DTI Clark, A. E. (1997). Job Satisfaction and Gender: Why are Women so Happy at Work? Labour Economics 4: 341-372. Clark, C S. "Job Stress." CQ Researcher, 4 August 1994. CQ Researcher. Retrieved 1 March 2007 .

 "Effects of Stress." WebMD. 2 June 2005. Healthwise, Incorporated. 3 April 2007. Evans J. M (2002), Work/Family Reconciliation, Gender Wage Equity and Occupational Segregation: The Role of Firms and Public Policy, Canadian Public Policy, 2002, vol. 28, issue s1, pages 187-216. "Kenexa Research Institute finds that when it comes to work-life balance, men and women are not created equal", Kenexa, July 25, 2007. Accessed May 27, 2008. Nick B Gregory, Abigail, Milner, Susan "Work-Life Balance: A Matter of Choice?" Gender, Work & Organization, Vol 16, Issue 1, Pages 1177. O'Bannon, Brent., "Balance Matters: Turning Burnout Into Balance". R&B Publishing, TX: 2007. Whaples, Robert, ed., "Hours of Work in U.S. History". EH.Net Encyclopedia. August 2001. Retrieved 3 April 2007 . Work-Life Balance Defined., 2006.