COLLAPSE SUBDISCUSSIONAngela AndersonYesterdayMay 21 at 7:06pm
Manage Discussion EntryHi Marcus, I agree with your assessment. A work/life balance is defined by Bell (2012) as an “unhealthy anxiety” originated in employees who work under intense and out of the normal conditions that cause stress. Recognizing and acknowledging the complexity of any situation is a key element in creating a work-life balance. I believe that organizations should emphasize the importance of carving out time for individuals to prevent burnout, especially when employees may start saying things like “I don’t have time for self-care” or “I don’t have time to worry about myself.” In addition, it is also an individual responsibility to ensure that you maintain your mental health, especially during this pandemic and as we move toward more advanced technology changes in the future workplaces. I also believe that it is the responsibility of an organization for an employee to avoid a stressful working environment because an employee who works under conditions that are restrictive are denied the opportunity for production, excellence, and success. In fact, a stress-free working environment enables an employee to focus on the positive aspect of their job performance to improve their functioning level. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, and Wright (2019) noted that an employee must be aware of their own strength and weaknesses to balance their work and life. I think that it is an excellent idea if organizations can pay for a portion of an employee’s well-being. That is actually a great way to increase morale and motivation and as a result could result in low turnover in the company. Are you using any of the methods that you discussed in your organization?
References:
Bell, C. R. (2012). Work-life balance. Leadership Excellence, 29(4), 16-17.
Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R. Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2010).Human resources management(11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.
TuesdayMay 18 at 4:35pm
Manage Discussion EntryWork/life balance can be defined as the ability to attend to both work activities and family activities without either being out of equilibrium (Cabrelli, 2018), or it can be defined as a balance between work and non-work activities (Felstad, et al, 2002). The importance and the perception of work/life balance will be determined by the individual personality, external demands, the structure of the work environment, and the social environment (Cabrelli, 2018). Due to these differences, work/life balances will be perceived and pursued very individually. In our company, we foster work/life balance by allowing autonomy in scheduling and applying a lack of micromanagement as a leadership philosophy. The allowance for autonomy in scheduling provides employees the opportunity to schedule their life and family events without spending social capital to accommodate for work events. Lack of micromanagement also allows employees to manage their own work activities without needing to have communication or compromise with work events. Our philosophy is that we don’t’ care when or where you get your job done as long as it’s done. The other way that we foster this philosophy is by offering unlimited time off. The result of these cultural strategies is that our employees report greater satisfaction and perform higher than they would if we were more controlled in our approach.
References:
Cabrelli, D. (2018). 9. Work–Life Balance.Law Trove. https://doi.org/10.1093/he/9780198813149.003.0009
Felstead, A., Jewson, N., Phizacklea, A., & Walters, S. (2002). Opportunities to work at home in the context of work-life balance.Human Resource Management Journal,12(1), 54-76. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-8583.2002.tb00057.x