![]() “Later on, as kids arrive, their careers may be given second place, only to accelerate again when the children are a bit more autonomous.”ĭr. ![]() “For instance, before having a family, many people might be happy to work long hours and to dedicate most of their time to building their expertise,” says Lupu. Not only do different people have radically different ideas of what a healthy balance is, but the same person may change their ideas about work-life balance dramatically over the course of their lives. She reveals: “some people thrive in imbalance, and enjoy a fast-paced work life that occupies most of their time during the week.” However, her research into attitudes towards work-life balance in knowledge workers reveals a very different picture. Ioana Lupu, an Associate Professor at ESSEC Business School and a leading researcher in organisational behaviour, told us that the idea of work-life balance implies that there is a perfect balance that everyone should aspire to. However, the term may also be misleading. A healthy work-life balance, therefore, is one in which both sectors of our lives are rewarding, our work stress levels are under control, and our time is spent in ways that enrich and enliven us. Generally speaking, work-life balance refers to the amount of time and energy we dedicate to our work and our personal lives. What Is Work-Life Balance?įor such a widely used term, work-life balance can be surprisingly tricky to define. In this article, we’ll outline simple measures that leaders and People teams can take to redress the damage of the last few years and help employees get their mojo back. The good news is that helping workers to improve their work-life balance needn’t be expensive or complex. The onus is on HR teams to take urgent steps to improve this situation before their employees burn out – or simply quit, joining the ranks of the “Great Resignation.” ![]() Worse, if this problem is not resolved, ongoing workplace stress could damage employee engagement, hinder productivity and increase turnover – not to mention having a lasting impact on employee health. ![]() In short, employees’ efforts to maintain a healthy work-life balance have been seriously undermined. More than 30% of those say they are also struggling with emotional exhaustion, physical fatigue, lack of motivation at work, and “cognitive weariness.” According to a survey by the American Psychological Association (APA) earlier this year, a massive 79% of US workers reported severe work-related stress. For example, a report published in the New York Times last year found that parents spent an additional one to two hours a day looking after their children, with women – especially single mothers – hit particularly hard. ![]() Meanwhile, the closure of schools and other support systems have forced parents and caregivers into exhausting multitasking. Research published by workplace software firm Atlassian found that today’s employees are working longer average days and working more frequently on the weekends. The last two years have played merry hell with work-life balance. ![]()
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