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Creating Work Life Imbalance

Bad Corporate Plans to Improve Balance in the Workplace

May 25, 2008

Work Life Balance, Stock xchng - Tudodany

Many companies missed the mark in their drive to create work life balance programs in a corporate environment. In fact, many companies sent an ironic message.

In an effort to respond to a workplace demand for more work life balance, many companies took an approach that actually increased the imbalance for most workers. This ironically encouraged more workaholic tendencies.

Below is a list of some of the ironic solutions that companies came up with to improve work life balance in their companies:

Bring in a corporate chef that prepares meals for free or inexpensively – breakfast, lunch and dinner
Started a daycare within the office building – with hours from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Created a games room with foosball, ping pong and pool tables – open from 6 a.m. to midnight

The problems with these initiatives is that they sent the message “stay at work longer” and did not help create a balance between work and downtime with family, friends, hobbies, and other personal pursuits. Hiring a chef to cook corporate breakfasts to be served at 6 a.m. meant children were still sleeping when their parents left for work. The single person that could take a foosball break when working a 12 hour day may have given his eyes a rest from the computer screen but he didn’t have the time or energy to connect with friends or paint a picture.

When creating a work/life balance program, companies need to consider the purpose of the program. The purpose should be to find ways to allow workers to come to the job free of worries that their responsibilities at home are taken care of and that they have the time to pursue the areas of interest that bring them joy outside of their work hours. The other important component of programs that work is that all employees from front line to senior management participate fully. If managers and senior executive continue to demonstrate workaholic tendencies, it will set a bad example.

Good Examples of Work Life Program Ideas

Daycares with the hours of 8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. and an accommodation for drop-in childcare when childcare arrangements outside of work fail or for school holidays
Onsite healthcare services open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for emergency medical issues
Eldercare initiatives such as assessments, referrals to support services, etc.
Leave of absence policies for educational, volunteering or family leaves
Training and development programs offered within the regular work hours, onsite
Incentives to allow spouses to travel with their partners for frequent corporate travelers
Ways to reduce overtime or at least to compensate employees with time off in lieu of overtime

It is imperative that the message behind work life balance programs is “we know there is more to life than work”. Creating a work life balance program that will allow workers to focus on their work for the eight hours they are on the job and have time and energy to pursue other interests will increase productivity, morale, retention and engagement.

Additional information on work life balance can be found at these links:

Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety

HRDC

The copyright of the article Creating Work Life Imbalance in Soft Skills Development is owned by Joni Rose. Permission to republish Creating Work Life Imbalance in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.