Policies which help employees balance their work and non-

work priorities have become increasingly popular among

employers in recent years. Find out why in this Briefing.
Policies which help employees balance their work and non-work priorities have become
increasingly popular among employers in recent years. Find out why in this Briefing.
1. Work-life policy: does it do exactly what it says on the tin?
Policies which help employees balance their work and non-work priorities have become
increasingly popular among UK employers in recent years. Along with a legislative
imperative for family leave-related policies, employers are being encouraged to introduce
work-life policies and make them more inclusive in order to enhance their business
performance.
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2. Lacking balance?: Work-life employment practices in the modern economy
The UK has operated a lightly regulated approach to help employees balance their work
and domestic obligations, an approach which employers have welcomed and which they
and Government consider to be successful. On the basis of empirical studies this paper
challenges these assumptions and outcomes.
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3. Employee self-rostering for work-family balance: Leading examples in Austria
This article examines two leading cases of Austrian organisations providing employee
self-rostering for work-family balance, a little-reported area of employment relations
innovation. These cases highlight that such schemes can be successful for managements
and employees even in highly routine, mechanised production environments.
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4. Work-life balance initiatives: implications for women
This article uses evidence from a piece of action research conducted in the UK hospitality
industry to explore the effectiveness of work-life balance initiatives in helping women
progress to senior management. It explores the main barriers to women's progression and
highlights the long hours associated with managerial roles as a major problem.
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5. Work/life balance: senior management champions or laggards?
This article seeks to examines the experience of, and attitudes towards, work/life balance
(WLB) by female and male senior managers in a major Irish organisation for which WLB
is now a strategic corporate objective.
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6. Gendered dilemmas of the work-life balance in Hungary
The aim of this paper is to examine the gendered nature of work-life policies in and the
work-life conflicts of managers in a multinational corporation in Hungary.
Work-life balance focus is shifting to employee health and well-being, flexibility
As organizations strive to manage rising health-care costs, more work-life professionals are
sharpening their focus on proactive health and wellness programs in the workplace. Professionals
charged with helping employees create work-life effectiveness are focusing mostly on programs
related to health and well-being and flexibility in 2006, according to a survey published by the
Alliance for Work-Life Progress (AWLP).
Balance initiatives are priority. Respondents were asked to identify which of seven areas of
work-life effectiveness would receive the most attention from their organization in 2006 in order
to attract, motivate and retain employees. The seven areas include: workplace flexibility,
paid/unpaid time off, health and well-being, dependent care assistance, financial support,
community involvement, and culture change interventions.
Of the seven areas central to the AWLP model of work-life effectiveness, health and well-being
and workplace flexibility compete for top priority on practitioners 2006 agendas. According to
the annual State of the Work-Life Profession survey, the greatest emphasis in 2006 will be on
health and well-being initiatives (34 percent in 2006, up from 29 percent in 2005). Workplace
flexibility, including alternative work schedules and telework arrangements, was mentioned as a
close second priority at 30 percent. Research has demonstrated the positive impact of flexibility
on business results, while employees consistently rank workplace flexibility at the top of their
total rewards wish lists.
"This ranking is not accidental," stated Kathie Lingle, AWLP Director. "The National Study of
the Changing Workforce (Families and Work Institute, 2002) reveals that people in workplaces
characterized by high levels of flexibility are both mentally and physically healthier than
employees in more rigid environments." About 24 percent of respondents said their organization
would be working on culture change initiatives, an organizational imperative for facilitating
implementation of the work-life portfolio.
Who performs work-life functions? Are work-life issues reserved to a specialist in the work-
life area or do generalists assume the responsibilities? When asked if either a generalist or a
specialist occupied the organizational work-life function during the past year, about half of all
respondents (47percent) said that their organization has a work-life specialist in the role.
Like last year, the CEO and organization leaders in HR and work-life remain the primary
advocates, with slightly more involvement from top work-life professionals and employees.
Eighty-six percent of participants report that their organization has at least one full-time
employee position dedicated to work-life effectiveness. Approximately 11 percent of
respondents indicate employees are the biggest proponents of work-life effectiveness, suggesting
that employees may be taking ownership and better communicating their needs to organizational
leadership.
Where does the funding come from? Like any programs within a budget, work-life
effectiveness must be funded. Where does the money come from? Twenty-five percent of survey
participants have a specific work-life budget or line item within their organizational budget,
while 38 percent of respondents do not have a work-life budget and must fund such programs
entirely through other budgets. This year, the largest percentage of respondents, 39 percent,
indicate their work-life budget is a combination of specific work-life line items and parts of other
budgets.























10 ways to improve your work life balance
"Work life balance means different things to different people," says Ian Sanders, author of
Juggle: Rethink Work, Reclaim Your Life and the forthcoming book Mash Up.
Balance depends on what your personal drivers are, he says. A lot of people set up businesses
because they are passionate about what they do so working on Saturday mornings or in the
evenings may not be a problem for them. Its your life and your balance you have to do it
your way.
But being too focused can be unhealthy, he cautions. Youve got to know when you are so
stressed that you are not being productive anymore. You need to make sure you are spending
time with your family and looking after your own physical and mental health.
Work life balance is no longer about working nine to five though. Its hard to separate work and
non-work, especially when you are a micro-business or a one-man band, says Ian. But what
you get is more flexibility. You might be able to pick your kids up from school. But then youre
likely to be sitting on the sofa at ten oclock with the laptop on your knee.
Thanks to technology, the boundaries are blurring between work and home. And that allows
business owners to manage their businesses 24-7. For instance, my iPhone is my office, says
Ian. I can work anywhere.
Social media is also blurring these boundaries. My clients often ask me whether they should
have separate Twitter accounts for business and personal use, says Ian. For many small firms,
the owner is the brand, and it makes sense for them to have one Twitter presence.
Holidays can be difficult, says Ian. On holiday, I check emails every day. I think a lot of
business owners like the fact that they can stay connected.
On one of my best holidays, I could only access the internet on the hotel computer so I caught
up with work for half an hour a day and had the rest of the time off, he says.
Ian recommends creating a personal dashboard where you set out the things you want in life and
the reasons why you are doing them. You should write down all the things that are important to
you, whether it is making money, creative stimulation, spending time with your kids or playing
tennis. These are your definition of happiness and success. Then you can monitor this regularly
to see how you are doing.
Improve your work life balance in ten steps:
1. Create your own personal definition of success
2. Set some boundaries and stick to them
3. Schedule time with family and friends
4. Take regular exercise
5. Find ways to switch off mentally
6. Watch for signs of burn-out
7. Investigate ways to work smarter
8. Take regular short breaks
9. Get some perspective by talking to a mentor
10. Remind yourself why you set up in the first place




BENEFITS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE
Finding a perfect balance between work and life is rare. The nature of that balance is different
for every person, and changes over time for each person. So we
shouldnt strive for perfection, but to constantly be aware of making choices that will benefit all
aspects of our lives.
Achieving work/life balance is an investment it does take time and effort to implement the
changes necessary. But its worth the effort! Work/life balance
offers some major rewards. Here are some of the potential benefits:
AT WORK
Feeling more rested and energized
Working more productively and getting more accomplished, leading to greater career success
More fulfillment from work
IN LIFE
Improving relationships with family and friends
Better physical and mental health
Making choices about your priorities, rather than sacrifices among them
More leisure time to spend with loved ones, or time for yourself








Work-life Initiatives
Work-life balance has been a buzzword for some time. However, it has now become a key
differentiating factor that greatly influences talent attraction and retention. It is not a soft option
or a matter of just being nice; it is a business imperative.
While there is recognition that work-life balance is important, organisations have found it
challenging to make it a reality. Giving employees greater control over how, when or where to
perform work requires a flexible, open-minded and mature attitude from managers at all levels.
In other words, it needs a culture shift. The complexity of devising effective work-life strategies
is further compounded by the fact that, work-life effectiveness means different things to different
people at different stages of life.
We believe effective work-life culture requires sharing a set of beliefs and values regarding
sustainable work-life balance.
We work with organisations to build a supportive work-life culture. This requires developing
work-life policies and initiatives, building skills, and bringing about a positive attitude change in
employees and managers. We propose a 12-18 month program that has a range of initiatives,
beginning with awareness sessions.
Institutionalizing a culture that reinforces work-life balance requires communication,
commitment, engagement, skills and team cohesion.












Effective flexibility works for both
employer and employees

Flex Time & Place
Regular or short notice flex time
Compressed workweeks
Telecommuting

Flex Careers
Sabbaticals

Dialing careers up & down

Phased retiremen

Reduced Time
Part time & part year work

Time Off
Paid vacations & sick leave
Time off for caregiving

Choices in Managing Time

Self scheduling & shift trading