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“Essentials of Work-life balance model in an organization”
Every professional have to play multiple roles in their work life and family life. It is sometimes difficult for an employee to maintain a balance between their work life and family life due to strict working conditions. This would result in to the reduction in the overall efficiency of an employee at the work place. Many organizations have found from their surveys, that it is possible to increase the efficiency of an employee at work place, by ensuring that the employee is able to balance its work life and family life. And so there are many organizations all over the world, who have accepted “work-life balance model” for human resource management.
Work life balance refers to maintaining a balance between your personal life and professional life. It is a boundary between your career and other segments that makes up your life. This sections includes family, fitness, friendships, health and additional. This concept can be illuminated on the basis of three aspects that is Time balance, involvement balance and satisfactory balance. Time balance refers to sustaining a balance between the time given to work and non-work activities. For example if the person is spending eighteen hours in the office and gives only six hours for non-paid activities, then he won’t be able to maintain harmony between work and non-work roles and which would ultimately result in to less productivity and lower efficiency at work and on the other side if the person is spending ten hours in office and other time is spent on non-work activities, then he would be able to manage work and non-work responsibilities efficiently.
Involvement balance refers to the level of psychological involvement or commitment to work and non-work roles. Work life balance model gives importance not only to the physical presence of the employee but also the psychological involvement at work place. If the person is physically present but he is not giving his 100% at work place, then it is of no use. So it is necessary for any organization to encourage flexible working conditions, which would increase psychological involvement of the employees at work place. Employees would be more committed to organization, if the working condition of the employees is flexible so that employees can maintain a balance between their work and non-work roles.
While satisfactory balance means the level of satisfaction with work and non-work roles of an employee. If the person is satisfied in his personal and professional life, then he would be able to fulfil his work and non-work responsibilities more efficiently. If the person is not satisfied in his professional then obviously it is going to affect his personal life and vice versa. If the satisfactory level of the employee is maintained in the organization by changing working conditions according to employee’s requirements, then noticeably it would increase the morale of the employee in the organization. Thus we can say that in work life balance model, employer gives importance, not only to the work roles of the employee, but also non work roles of an employee, to increase the morale of an employee.
Every individual have to play various roles in his personal and professional life. Both work and non-work roles are equally important and it is necessary for an individual to maintain a harmony between his personal and professional life. If this balance is not maintained then it would affect not only his personal life but also his professional life. Sometimes it happens that due to pressure from the work, an individual is not able to fulfil his non work requirements or vice versa. So it is necessary for an individual to have a proper mix of work and non-work roles, to attend contentment from both work and non-work roles. There is a unidirectional relationship between work and non-work roles. For example if the person is not able fulfil his non-work requirements due to strict working conditions , then it would result in to lower level of satisfaction from his work and he would be less committed to work. The person can experience stress for not complying with the demands of the non-work roles. It is found in many surveys that the employees, who are not satisfied from their working conditions and are experiencing stress due to not complying with non-work responsibilities, are less productive and are less devoted to work. Less psychological involvement and increased cases of absenteeism are reported in such employees. There are studies which found mood disorder, anxiety disorder and substance dependence disorder in the employees which are not able to sustain a balance between work and non-work responsibilities.
Work life conflict can be reduced if some points are taken in to consideration. At first an individual should give equal importance to paid work and non-paid work responsibilities. Secondly an individual should learn to say no, if the work is not so important, which is demanded from any of his roles. From the employer’s side, if the employees are allowed to work under flexible conditions, then work life conflicts can be reduced. For example if the employees are allowed to leave one hour before in emergency or if the employees are allowed to leave for child pickup from school. These type of flexible working conditions would help the employees to comply with work and non- work roles and would definitely increase the morale of the employee, which would result in to increased productivity. It is also proved in many studies that if the employees are allowed to work under flexible working condition, then they are more devoted and satisfied with their work.
The main objective of work life balance concept is to achieve both organizational and personal goals of an employee by work life balance programs and training. With the adoption of this concept any organization can achieve its desired goals along with employee’s goals. If the employer gives priority to employees work goals along with his personal goals, it would result in to increased involvement and commitment of an employee at work place. It would upsurge the satisfaction level of the employees and the employees would work more efficiently. If the employees are satisfied with the organization, then the desired goals of an organization can be achieved easily. It is found in one survey report that the companies with highly devoted employees had 112% returns to shareholders compared to 76% in the companies, which had less devoted employees.
As employees forms the important part of any organization, it is necessary to sustain higher level of satisfaction among employees. This is possible with the adoption of work-life concept in an organization. Various programs and training facilities are arranged in an organization to attend higher satisfaction level. Under these programs, employees are allowed to work under flexible working conditions. Additionally employees are allowed to leave one hour early in emergencies. Sometimes employees are allowed to work from home, if the situation demands. Additional facilities like vacation leave and maternity leave is granted to increase the morale of an employees. Thus the main objective of the work life balance concept is to achieve higher level of commitment and satisfaction among the employees of an organization.
In this competitive world, it is difficult for an employee to sustain a balance between his work roles and non -work roles. Employees are overloaded with work and are forced to fulfil all the organizational requirements in time. Moreover due to lower level of employment, they are forced to work under strict working conditions. Employees are forced to be workaholic as they have no time to fulfil their personal goals. This in long run would result in to increased cases of depression among employees due to lower level of satisfaction among employees. This culture has created work life imbalance in employee’s life. So it has now become necessary for the organization to get rid of such imbalances by encouraging welfare programmes for the employees.
Adoption of work life balance model would help to discard such imbalances from employee’s life. As this concept gives importance not only to the physical existence of the employee but also psychological involvement at the work place, it has forced the employers to think in different way. This concept if universally accepted by the organizations would help in increasing the overall efficiency of the employees and thereby with the optimum utilization of human resource, desired goals of the organization can be obtained. As it is said “We work better when we are happy”. This is a fact, that if the person is happy and satisfied, then he is able to work more efficiently. This concept would help to encourage such programmes, which are related to employee’s welfare and are concerned about their family requirements. This type of welfare activities would upsurge the morale of the employees and they would be more committed to an organization. Moreover if priority is given to personal as well professional goals of the employees, then higher satisfaction level among employees can be reported. Additionally it would upsurge the overall efficiency of an employee which help him to achieve not only the personal goals but also his professional goals. Thus we can say that work life balance model would aid in making strategic use of human resource of an organization.
There are numerous benefits of Work Life balance model, if adopted by an organization. If work life balance model is accepted in an organization, it would result in to increased morale of employees in an organization. It would increase the satisfaction level among employees as equal priority is given to their work and non-work goals. It would upsurge the productivity of the employees and help them to work more efficiently. It would be possible for the employees to maintain a balance between their personal goals and professional goals. Employees would experience less stress at work as they can work flexibly. Moreover when employee’s goals are given priority, less cases of absenteeism can be reported. Employees would be able to avail training to manage both work and non-work responsibilities. This would help in increasing the overall efficiency of the employees. It would be possible for employees to give priorities to their non-work goals along with work goals. Employees can give quality time to other stake holders of his life like family, society and life. Facilities like maternity leave andchild care would encourage the women employees. In some organizations leave for parental care is also granted. Employees would be treated as a family and this would encourage them to work more efficiently. If this model is adopted by an organization, then less cases of depression and anxiety are found among employees. Proper training for stress management is given to the employees, which would help them to comply with work and non-work roles efficiently.
Adoption of Work life concept will not only benefit to the employees but also the employers of the organization. It would be possible for the employers to make efficient use of human resource in an organization. Employers would be benefited with efficient work from their employees. Additionally due to flexible working conditions, employers can allot work from home in critical conditions. Moreover employers can easily achieve their targets as employees are encouraged to work more efficiently. It would be possible to maintain proper employer-employee relationship in an organization with the adoption of this concept. Employers would be able to maintain high level of involvement and commitment among employees which would help him in achieving his targets. Employers with their alternative work practices can reduce absenteeism in an organization. It would be possible for employers to encourage higher level of organizational performance.
From the organization point of view, there are several benefits which can be availed, if Work Life balance concept is adopted. Life work balance concept would help to increase the profitability of an organization with the efficient use of human resource. Additionally it aids in human resource management of an organization. All the employees of the organization have less propensity to leave the organization, if this concept is universally adopted. This would result in to reduction in replacement cost. No doubt some cost has to be incurred to adopt this concept in an organization, but it is lower than the replacement cost of an employee. For example the cost of paid maternity leave granted to encourage employee to stick to an organization is less than the replacement cost of the employee. So it is concept which follows “Live and let live “proverb. As it is not only beneficial to the employees but also the organization. With the high level of performance, it would be possible for an organization to attend its desired goals. The organization where the employees are given priority can increase its creditability in the market. Moreover by maintaining satisfaction level, it would be possible to reduce stress level among employees. It would be possible for an organization to increase their share value in the market with higher profitability. Moreover stability could be maintained in the organization because all the employees are encouraged to work efficiently.
Adoption of this concept would also benefit to the stakeholders of an organization. Stakeholders of the company are the individual which are affected by the performance of an organization. They are divided in to two parts that is primary stake holders and secondary stake holders. Primary stake holders refer as the individuals which are economically connected to an organization. They are also known as internal stake holders. Consumers, suppliers, creditors, stockholders and employees are referred as primary stake holders. While secondary stake holders are not economically connected to an organization. Public, media and additional comes under secondary stake holders of an organization. With the adoption of Work life model in an organization, the stakeholders of the organization can be benefited in several ways. Shareholders of the company would get higher returns on their investments as the profitability of the company is up surged with the adoption of this model. The consumers of the company will be benefited as they can avail high quality products at lower cost. Moreover creditors of the company will be benefited as they would be rewarded with regular interest and security of their money is assured due to high profitability. Thus we can say that it is an ideal model, which would benefit all the internal and external members of an organization.
There are various facilities which are provided to the employees of the company, if Work Life balance model is adopted by the company. First of all employees are allowed to work in flexible conditions. Moreover the organization structure is so designed that it facilitates easy communication system in the company. New communications systems are adopted to facilitate this model. Facilities like online meetings and work from home are the examples of work life balance model. Additionally employees are allowed to take child care leave and parental leave, if the situation demands. For the expected working women, maternity leave is granted. Sometimes various training programmes are arranged in an organization for stress management and work management. Additionally some organization gives facility for child pickup to encourage their employees. Occasionally paid leaves are granted in critical conditions. In some organizations, facilities like to leave one hour early are provided to encourage employees. This model also supports in creating a family atmosphere in the organization and time to time changes in the organization structure is made to fulfil employee’s personal requirements along with professional requirements. This model will help the employees to maintain a balance between their work and non-work roles and thereby it would help them to lead a stress less life. In some organization mostly in IT sectors, we can see that people are allowed to work in informal wear. This is one of the examples of Work life model, where employees comfort is given importance. Occasionally employees are allowed to work part time to fulfil their personal requirements. There are many other facilities which are provided by the organizations to encourage their employees under Work life balance model.
Thus we can say that Work Life balance model is an ideal model, which should be adopted by the organization to reduce imbalance in employee’s life. As it is important for an employee to achieve organisational goals to earn his living. In the same way personal goals of an employee which are related to his family, health and society are equally important. And so if the organization gives priority to their personal goals, then they would be more devoted to our organization. Additional it would be possible to increase their morale by encouraging welfare activities. Moreover overall profitability of the organisation can be up surged with the support of this model. It is a model which helps in efficient utilization of human resource and thereby decreases the cost of the organization. As employees are more committed to the organization, it would help to reduce replacement cost. Employees can work without stress as their work and family both are given importance. It is essential for an organization as it is possible to sustain the satisfaction level of the employees, which would result in to higher level of performance. Not only the employees but all the stakeholders of the organization are benefited with the adoption of this model. Additionally it is proved in many theories that it is possible to achieve unexpected results, if Work Life model is implemented properly. In Australia and New Zealand there are many organizations, which has adopted this model to encourage their employees. In Australia Work Life balance concept is accepted universally by the government to encourage the healthy work culture in the country. So now we can say that it is essential for every organization to adopt this model, because employees form the important part of any organization
It is based on following referral links:
http://www.uquebec.ca/observgo/fichiers/42060_2.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work%E2%80%93life_balance
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