| So what are we talking about when we talk about | | | | school holidays, |
| work/life balance? | | | | - career breaks and leave without pay to pursue other |
| It is certainly not about spending equal amounts of time | | | | interests, like travel, flexibility in transition to retirement |
| between our work and our personal lives. Long gone | | | | and for women returning to work after giving birth. |
| are the days of 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leisure, 8 | | | | Having flexibility in the way people go about doing their |
| hours of rest. This depended on women being at | | | | work is also important. It is quite stressful for most |
| home in the role of homemaker. It is no longer relevant | | | | people when they are required to log their work in 6-10 |
| - or meaningful - in the world in which we live. It is not | | | | minute intervals and have their productivity (and |
| necessarily about working less than we are at present | | | | therefore value to the organisation) measured in that |
| either. | | | | way. |
| It is much more about having flexibility around our work, | | | | There is also considerable stress for people who feel |
| that ability to balance what is important in our work | | | | that their productivity is measured by the number of |
| against what is important in our personal lives. | | | | hours they work. Even when they efficiently manage |
| What appears to cause stress and difficulties for | | | | their role and their time, they do not feel they can |
| people is where either their work and/or their personal | | | | leave the office at a reasonable time because they |
| lives demand of them rigid adherence to procedure | | | | will be seen to be less committed and so be excluded |
| and routine. They are caught between their two lives, | | | | from the organisational pipeline that leads to promotion |
| being pulled in two directions, often at once, but having | | | | and career advancement. |
| no control over what happens in either. This is | | | | When organisations offer flexible work opportunities to |
| determined by someone or something other than | | | | their people, and they are able to negotiate flexible |
| themselves. For most people, the most | | | | arrangements both at work and at home, they usually |
| stress-provoking experience they have is when they | | | | experience far less stress, greater productivity and |
| feel they have lost control over their lives. | | | | much higher levels of commitment and engagement |
| Ironically, people can often work longer hours, yet feel | | | | both at work and at home. |
| far less stressed because they have been able to fit | | | | Work/Life balance is not just the employer's or |
| the hours around what is important for them outside of | | | | organisation's responsibility, it is also the employee's. |
| work. | | | | They need to be able to manage their lives in such a |
| Many people are prepared to work long and hard, if | | | | way that they remain as stress free as possible. |
| they can take a Friday off and have a long week-end | | | | Prepare Your Case for Flexibility in Your Work. |
| every now and then, or can go to their child's sports | | | | If you are feeling that you would like more flexibility in |
| day at school or take time to pick them up from | | | | your working life, that you would like to negotiate for |
| school in an emergency. | | | | some of the arrangements suggested above, then go |
| The stress is enormous for a working mother if there | | | | for it! |
| is no flexibility in her workplace and she has a sick child. | | | | More and more organisations are prepared to be |
| Does she leave the child with someone else for the | | | | flexible. They want to keep their talented people and |
| day and worry about the child and feed her guilt about | | | | they will often do whatever they can to ensure they |
| putting her work first? Does she take the day off and | | | | stay. They do, however, want their businesses to |
| lie about the reason? Whatever decision she makes | | | | function well and not be negatively affected by the |
| creates a stress that sees her less productive and | | | | flexible arrangements their staff request. |
| often contemplating resigning or going part-time. | | | | So prepare your case for management with that in |
| Having flexibility is also about how people manage their | | | | mind. |
| own work - whether they can commence work later | | | | - Make it a win/win both for you and your organisation. |
| and stay later, whether they can work from home | | | | - Anticipate management's concerns and make sure |
| some days, whether they can job share or work | | | | your request addresses those concerns. |
| part-time. | | | | - Have an ideal Plan A, but be flexible yourself and |
| There are a whole variety of options in this area, for | | | | have a less ideal Plan B. |
| example - | | | | - Bounce it off someone else first who can pick up |
| - 9 day fortnights, | | | | any flaws in your argument so that you can improve |
| - 10 month working year, | | | | your case. |
| - purchasing extra leave to allow for child care over | | | | |