work life balance - employer and employee information

The last century predicted an age of leisure, where robots and computers took the strain, allowing us to lead rich, rewarding and balanced lives. So where is this world? Those of us who work, work longer and harder; those of us who don't, live in straitened circumstances, unable to enjoy the enforced leisure and domesticity.

Does it have to be like this? Well, without getting political here, the answer is 'no', but the solution is about how we organise our lives - both employers and employees need to be flexible.

Work-life balance is a term we've heard often of late. It's all about getting the balance right between the pursuit and development of your career and your life outside work.

The downsizing and de-layering of many organisations created an ever-increasing demand for graduates to fill increasingly stressful jobs, working for employers with growing expectations. So work can take over if you're not careful.

But many employers are now realising it's in their interest to help employees find a good balance between their career development and personal life; if employee stress levels are reduced, they will become more productive and motivated. In large companies though, it can be hard to stay in touch with everyone, so it's important to talk to your employer if you're finding things tough.

The easiest way to make sure you're getting the balance right is to plan; set yourself some career and personal aims and give yourself a realistic time scale in achieving them.

Below we outline some of the factors that have become central aspects of the discussion on balance.

The family

The core agenda with work-life balance issues is still the family but times are changing. Mothers still take the greater responsibility for childcare but are also more likely to have paid jobs than ever before. Seven out of ten women of working age now have jobs, and half of mothers with children aged under five are in work. Today's women are breadwinners.

Men and women are both taking on multiple roles. Men are doing more of the care responsibilities (according to the Equal Opportunities Commission, a surprising 36% of couples say that the man is the main carer) and women are working more. Polls show that fathers feel they are missing out on time with their children.

With people living longer, more workers are experiencing care demands on elderly relatives as well as children. The fact that women are now having children later in life means that they may end up facing caring responsibilities for both ends of the age spectrum.

Women in the workplace

The attitude of female workers has also changed. Women are growing more ambitious as they become key players in the world of work, contributing to major company successes. The impact of the female boss is considerably more powerful than ever before.

The pressure for women to achieve drives them to work harder and for longer, especially when wanting to prove themselves against their male counterparts.

Technology

Technology both helps and hinders. Email and the internet give people more potential to work flexibly. Some now work for themselves or for their employer entirely from home. This doesn't suit everyone - some find it far too isolating but working from home for part of the week can be a real help.

However, technology can also increase work pressure. The overflowing email inbox and the constantly ringing phone can really step up the stress levels.

The facts

• While 65% of employers claim to offer some kind of family-friendly working arrangements, including part-time working, only 10% of workplaces provide any practical help with childcare.
• Only 5% of employers provide four kinds of family-friendly practices: maternity benefits, paternity leave, childcare arrangements and non-standard working time.
• 17% of employers offer career breaks of at least three month but only 12% offer career breaks to both men and women.
• Just 5% of employers provide extended maternity leave with pay beyond the legal minimum. Women are twice as likely to return to employers where extended maternity has been negotiated.
• 31% of male employees are entitled to some form of paternity leave - usually paid and typically four days - around the time of birth.
• Fewer than one in three employers offer parents flexibility and extended leave around the time of birth.

Source: Family Friendly Working Arrangements in the UK 1996, DfEE Research Series RR16.

Progress on work-life balance is likely to give individual employees much more choice about how and when they work. Research shows that the more control you have over your own work, the less stressed you're likely to get. Organisations, as a whole, need to tackle the issue but you can do your bit too. Make sure you set goals and achieve them, both in the office and out.