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What
does my company need to do to take part in Work-Life Balance Day?
What
kind of things can my company do on Work-Life Balance Day?
What is work-life balance?
Work-life
balance is not necessarily about achieving an equal balance and there is
no ‘one size fits all’ approach that companies should be striving
for. It varies for
individuals and changes over time. However,
one definition that is useful is the following from The Work Foundation:
“Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when an individual's right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society.”
Why
is work-life balance relevant?
For
companies committed to CSR focusing on work-life balance is critical.
Employers have a responsibility to ensure that employees are
treated fairly and respected as individuals.
However, it is not merely about being socially responsible.
Increasingly employees are expecting reasonable and flexible
working arrangements, particularly the new generation entering the work
force. Addressing work-life
balance therefore becomes important in terms of an employer’s brand
and being an ‘employer of choice’.
Why
is work-life balance a business issue?
Poor
work life balance has a negative impact on both the employees and the
business. Committing to much
to work can lead to stress, physical illness, depression and mental
illness, comprised safety and damaged relationships of employees.
For the business, productivity may be impaired through
absenteeism, poor performance, injuries, lack of motivation or
engagement or increased errors or faults.
This is supported by the findings of the 2007 Survey which shows:
Poor WLB adversely impacts health and family life
61% report prolonged fatigue and extreme tiredness
44% say they do not have enough time with partner and family
41% say work pressure creates insomnia and poor diet
33% report getting sick easily due to heavy workload
The cost to business is high
33% say productivity and work quality
is reduced due to long working hours
What
are the key issues in
The
key work-life balance issues can be read in our State
of Work-Life Balance in Hong Kong 2007 Survey.
The 2008 Survey will be launched on Work-Life Balance Day on 17 October 2008.
What
can companies do to address work-life balance?
There
are many things that companies can do to address and we have a
collection of Case Studies that
can serve as a source of ideas. However, in general terms promoting
work-life balance requires setting the tone at the top, integrating
work-life balance into the culture of your company, engaging your
employees to understand their interests, defining clear guidelines and
equipping and supporting your staff to implement the policies.
Aren’t
work-life balance policies just for large companies?
This
is a common criticism of work-life balance policies.
However as the collection of case studies shows, there is no one
size that fits all and companies of any profile can take steps to
promote work-life balance in their organisations.
Arguably, smaller organizations can afford a greater deal of
flexibility when it comes to developing work arrangements that
accommodate the needs of specific individuals.
Companies should also consider the cost of not addressing
work-life balance – can companies really afford the cost of lower
productivity, absenteeism and staff turnover that may result from an
overworked and disengaged workforce?
How
can you address work-life balance in one day?
You
cannot. Work-Life Balance
Day on Friday 17 October is primarily about raising awareness of the
importance of work-life balance as a business issue.
It is about challenging mindsets in the hope that change will
take place overtime.
Why
should my company take part in Work-Life Balance Day?
We
are encouraging as many companies as possible in
What
does my company need to do to take part in Work-Life Balance Day?
Just
identify some initiative that your company will do to promote work-life
balance on 17 October 2008 and let us know by signing up here.
Your company logo and name will be added to the growing list of participating
companies currently featured on our website.
What
kind of things can my company do on Work-Life Balance Day?
It
could be as straightforward as encouraging all employees to leave on
time, or providing healthy snacks in the pantry.
Or it could be a more elaborate programme involving your
suppliers and clients to make them aware of your commitment to being a
socially responsible employer. You
may also choose this day to launch a new work-life balance policy or
raise awareness of an existing one – for some ideas please see our Work-Life
Balance Case Studies publication.