Work life balance issues- How to deal with it.

Work-Life Balance Issues-How to deal with it

Presented By Sandipan Samaddar

New Delhi Institute of Management

“You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life!”

- Heather Schuck (Founder & CEO of

Glamajama)

Definition

Work-life balance is about effectively managing the juggling act between paid work and other activities that are important to us - including spending time with family, taking part in sport and recreation, volunteering or undertaking further study

Components of Work-Life Balance

• Self-Management• Time Management• Stress Management• Change Management• Technology Management• Leisure Management

Effects of Imbalance

If you are working more than fifty-five hours a week, you are out of balance. You are putting at risk at least five very important assets :

• Your health• Your family• Your friends• Your effectiveness• Your example

Case Study

• Marissa Mayer’s job as the CEO of

Yahoo and her pregnancy was

announced simultaneously• She took a maternity leave of only

2 weeks• Ban the company’s work-from-home

policy• Construction of a nursery next to her

office for her four month old son

Ways to perfect work-life balance

• Critique yourself• Knock out big tasks first• Create a schedule• Avoid interruptions• Turn-off autopilot• Learn the power of saying “no”• Perspective• Know when you are done

Work-Life Benefits in Organizations

More than 100 varieties of work/life programs are provided by organizations that fall into the following categories:

• Time• Leave• Benefits• Dependant Care• Counseling and Wellness• Personal Convenience

Case Studies on Work-Life Balance in Large Organizations

Case Study 1 :

Health Promotion at IKEA

Background:• Swedish home furnishing retailer• IKEA’s dream is “to create a better everyday life for the many

people.”• The Swedish national values of commitment to, and time

with, family and community, combined with concern for a healthy environment, are strongly reflected in IKEA’s organizational culture and management practices

Health Promotion:• Health promotion program in IKEA’s Glasgow store• Subsidized healthy meals from the popular public cafeteria• free podiatry and massage sessions during work time.• A range of fitness and occupational health activities during

the “Fit for Week” week

Outcomes :• Increases morale and commitment by improving psychological

contracts• Employees feel that the company cares about them as

individuals and, as a result, gives them a greater sense of loyalty

Learning Points :• Work-life balance is tied closely to organizational culture• Work-life balance is not just about flexibility in work for life

outside work, it also works the other way around• The best way to engage more people in work-life balance

programs is to let co-workers who have experienced it advocate it by word-of-mouth

Case Study 2:

Career Breaks in Lothian and Borders Police Service in

Edinburgh, Scotland

Background :• LBP employs 2,600 police officers and 1,100 support staff• The special diversity unit ensures work-life balance of

employees from different ethnic group• The current work-life balance arrangements for which

employees in LBP can individually apply are:- Flex time

- Job sharing

- Full-time or part-time work

- Special shift arrangements

- Career breaks

- Study leave

- Care leave

- Sick children leave

- Sports achievement leave

Career Break :• Employees can take break from their services pursuing higher

qualifications• Breaks are offered on valid personal reasons• Help to retain people with key skills, reduce turnover, employ

more part-time staff and respond to fewer requests for transfers

Learning points :• Benefits the organization, as the employee come back with

added qualities• Management style is a central part of work-life balance, so it

needs continuous development and support• Work-life balance has to be a balance between what the

organization needs and what the individual needs

5 Tips for better Work-Life Balance• Build downtime into your schedule• Drop activities that sap your time or energy• Rethink your errands• Get moving• Remember that a little relaxation goes a long way

Conclusion

In order to ensure work-life balance, one has to consider the following questions:

• How much time needs to be set aside for work and how much time needs to be reserved for yourself?

• How much time does you family need from you?• Can you meld your personal relaxation time in with family

time, or do you need to separate them?Decide what you need to recharge your batteries, and be honest!

“Never become so busy making a living that you forget to make a life…!!”

Thank You