AMERICAN

WORK-LIFE BALANCE
NATHAN LAMB
 The phrase work-life balance has been tossed around frequently over the past decade.
While it seems to be have gotten an increasing amount of publicity in recent years, it isn’t
a new phenomenon. What has changed, however, is a shift in the values that determine
the very definition, and what an acceptable work-life balance looks like. Understanding
generational attitudes among employees today will prove critical to governments and
management in maintaining a healthy and productive workforce.

Baby Boomers
The U.S. is the only nation that does not
require paid time off and parental leave (1).
This policy of unpaid leave likely stems
from a cultural mindset born of the
struggle, free enterprise, and an
understanding that hard work yields
achievement. Baby boomers were the first
generation born after World War II;
consequently, they were raised to value https://www.lynda.com/Leadership-Management-tutorials/Busting-
myths-about-generations-workplace/625917/669627-4.html
commitment and steady jobs that would
enable them to provide for their families
Generation X watched their parents work the
adequately and consistently. They often
long and tireless hours, often missing their
prioritize work over time spent with family,
children’s events and rarely getting away to
feeling as though it is the best way to love
vacations and fun. As this new generation
and serve them. The majority worked and
went into the workforce themselves, they
continue to work hard and long hours but
began to develop a preference for freedom
feel that it is expected of them. With such
from work (2). In the past decades, we have
loyalty to their companies, many baby
seen a noticeable shift in work-life values
boomers are just now retiring or are still
thanks this generation. Because of them,
working in executive and managerial
many companies now offer better flexibility,
positions, and they have shaped the
including paid time off. With the surge in
culture of our businesses and the overall
technological advances we have also seen an
workforce.
increase in working remotely and at varying
hours. However, the problem clearly isn’t
Generation X solved yet. Flexibility has increased, but work
load and stress have continued to rise. As of
As Generation X now fills a large majority
2015, 41% of Americans didn’t even use the
of the work scene, we have witnessed an
paid vacation days they were given (3).
interesting clash of cultural ideals.
More than national policy, this is the result
of a culture within the American workplace.
41% of Americans
didn't use the paid
vacation days given
For the last decade, we have witnessed
employees hesitant to take the vacation
days offered because of the message it
may send. With upper management often in
a different mindset, doing so may signal that
he or she is not fully committed to the
company. In a dog-eat-dog business world
filled with a generation raised with the
tendency “to rely more on themselves” and
to “make their own opportunities” they feel
they can’t afford to do anything less (2). It is
not uncommon to sit in a break room of co-
workers or with friends and listen to others
boast about how they only get four hours of
sleep each night, are running three projects
at once and haven’t taken a vacation day in
years. It is seen as a status symbol and a
boost to your ego and self-worth. It is very
likely that the previous generational values
are driving this type of workaholic culture. It
is the expectation that employees respond
to emails late into the night, arrive early and
stick around past regular hours. Blue- and
white-collar jobs alike have merely
continued to see long physical hours at
work and although they may receive
vacation time, they never actually leave the
office mentally.
Currently the United States ranks in the
bottom 10% in the category of work-life
balance according to the OECD Better Life
Index (5). With a push for greater flexibility
colliding with old baby boomer habits, the
lines between work and life have simply
blurred if not meshed completely.
Millennials
The Millennial generation is just now
entering the workforce, and once again, a
new definition of work-life balance has
entered the scene. More than any other
generation of workers, they are seeking a
lifestyle over a job. It is not just leisure time
that this group values, but more importantly,
physical and mental health, relationships,
and social contribution. Research has been
done to analyze the current work-life
balance and its implications. As a whole,
“the notion that working long hours and not
taking holidays makes for a more
productive work force is a managerial myth”
(5).Greg McKeown, in his book
Essentialism, explains the downfalls of such
a thought process: “If we underinvest in
ourselves, and by that, I mean our minds,
our bodies and our spirits, we damage the
very tool we need to make our highest
contribution. . . Sleep will enhance your
ability to explore, make connections, and do
less but better throughout your waking
hours” (6).
 In essence, getting leisure time and
adequate rest allows us to make better
use out of fewer hours. Exploration,
innovation, making connections, and
problem solving are some of the most
important skills to contributing to the
massive growth and advancements seen
in Americas history. “The effects of
introducing work-life balance practices on
employee attitudes and perceptions
include job satisfaction, organizational
commitment, job stress and turnover
intention. All of these factors, in turn,
affect job performance, direct and indirect
absenteeism costs, costs associated with
the loss and replacement of valued
employees, customer satisfaction, and
organizational productivity” (7). Once
again, this generation doesn’t want to
repeat the perceived mistakes of their
parents who overworked themselves and
were too often stressed despite the
efforts of employers to offer fixes.
“[Millennials] believe that the quality of
their work is more important than the
number of hours worked. Their goal is to
balance workplace success with a
healthy lifestyle (8)”.
“Millennials believe
that the quality of their
work is more important
than the number of
hours worked"
Moving Forward
Today’s businesses are a mix of three
generational cohorts all with varying
experiences, cultural inclinations and values.
However, “with the millennial generation of
workers projected to take up to 75% of the
workforce by 2025,” it’s more critical than ever
to understand how they view work-life balance
and to adapt, accordingly (10).
VS.
National policy can and should be changed to
help every business have a standard for time
off, but true change starts from the inside out
and from the top down. Accomplishing this
could come in a variety of ways, and will be
unique to each business. As a general rule,
“It’s important to stay up to date on what new
generations want. . . The key is to listen to
your workers about what matters to them.
Knowing what each demographic in your
organization values will help you make the
adjustments necessary to retain top talent and
attract promising new recruits" (11).
Ultimately, as John Morrey, vice president and
general manager at Expedia.com, said "No
one retires wishing they'd spent more time at
their desk!" (12). It is time to lead from the
front by creating a new culture and redefining
work-life balance for the success of the
business and employee alike.
 References

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3) Rueters, P. (2015, July 07). 'Americans are definitely workaholics'. Retrieved from https://www.businessinsider.com/r-checking-work-emails-at-
home-its-part-of-the-job-for-most-americans-2015-7
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Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 27 Issue: 3, pp.453-472, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-12-2013-0538
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