Understanding the concept of Work-Life balance: Work-Life Balance Explained!

“In organizations and on the home front, the challenge of work/life balance is rising to the top of many employers’ and employees’ consciousness. In today’s fast-paced society, human resource professionals seek options to positively impact the bottom line of their companies, improve employee morale, retain employees with valuable company knowledge, and keep pace with workplace trends.”  (Lockwood,2003)

The phrase "work/life balance" was first used in 1986, although it took several years for it to become widely used in speech. Remarkably, work/life programs date back to the 1930s. The three daily eight-hour hours were replaced with four six-hour shifts at the W.K. Kellogg Company prior to World War II, and the new shifts improved worker morale and productivity.Companies started to provide work/life programs in the 1980s and 1990s. Modern work-life programs are less gender-specific and take individuals' other commitments in addition to their family responsibilities into account, whereas the initial wave of these programs was primarily designed to support women with children.Initiatives for work-life balance  are not exclusive to countries like United States but workers in international communities also desire autonomy and flexibility in their personal and professional life. (Lockwood,2003)

In a world filled with conflicts between obligations and responsibilities, work-life balance has emerged as a key concern among employers as well as employees.In American society, it is reasonable to claim that nearly everyone is trying to find work/life balance. Life is an act of balance. Work/life balance, though, is a concept. The expression is common, and a lot of us lament the lack of it in our lives. Finding a work/life balance can be a painful endeavor for both men and women. This is typically attributed to a lack of time and/or assistance in managing our personal or professional obligations. (Lockwood,2003) 

“Juggling competing demands is tiring if not stressful and brings lower productivity, sickness, and absenteeism, so work/life balance is an issue for all employees and all organizations.” (Lockwood,2003) 

There isn't a single accepted definition or assessment of work-life balance in the literature. Rather the literature is filled with a variety of definitions and measurements by various authors. Lockwood(2003) defines work-life balance simply as the state where a person’s professional and personal obligations are balanced. According to Kirchmeyer(2000) work-life balance is “achieving satisfying experiences in all life domains”. He further explains that to do so one requires personal resources such as time,energy and commitment to be well balanced across the domains. Further Marks and MacDermid(1996) states that the interrole phenomena of work-family balance  is a reflection of an individual’s perspective towards several life roles. However, in contrast to this belief that people automatically arrange their roles in a hierarchy of importance (Marks and MacDermid,1996), Mead(1964) suggests that people can and should show equally positive devotion to various positions in life. In other words, they should have a balanced perspective on a variety of life roles.  

In conclusion, it's clear that work-life initiatives, especially in lean economic times, have the power to dramatically raise employee morale, lower absenteeism, and preserve corporate expertise. It is the responsibility of human resource professionals to comprehend the crucial concerns surrounding work/life balance and to advocate for work-life programs in today's global economy, where businesses are trying to cut expenses. Work-life programs benefit both employers and employees. They help those whose friends or family are called to serve their country, single mothers juggling work and raising children, employees in Generation X and Y who cherish their personal time, couples juggling two careers, and businesses losing valuable knowledge when staff members depart for other opportunities.

References

Greenhaus, J. H., Collins, K. M., & Shaw, J. D. (2003). The relation between work–family balance and quality of life. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 63(3), 510–531.

Kalliath, T. and Brough, P. (2008). Work–life balance: A review of the meaning of the balance construct. Journal of Management & Organization, [online] 14(3), pp.323–327.

Lockwood, N.R. (2003). Research Quarterly. Work/Life Balance Challenges and Solutions.

Sirgy, M. J., & Lee, D.-J. (2017). Work-Life Balance: an Integrative Review. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 13(1), 229–254.