The work/leisure concept was invented in the 1800s with the supporting definition that happiness was to have as little separation as possible between work and play. The expression “work/life balance” was first used in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s to describe an individual’s balance between work and personal life.
Employee assistance professionals suggest that there are many reasons for the increasing conflict between work/life balance, one being that parents who are affected by work may avoid family life in order to manage their work obligations and the accelerating pace of technology.
Companies are now realising the importance of work/life balance in their employees’ productivity and creativity. Recent research has shown that employees who saw that their company’s efforts to support work/life balance were favourable and as such employees indicated lower intentions to leave their organisation, and were more likely to recommend it as a place to work due to improved job satisfaction.
Employers are now able to offer a range of initiatives such as flexible working hours, with more proactive employers providing compulsory leave and strict maximum working hours that encourage employees to go home on time, and not work after hours.
In Europe, the Working Time Directive has implemented a maximum 48 hour working week, although many other countries have opted for fewer working hours. The European Quality of Life survey discovered that countries in South Eastern Europe had the most common work/life balance problems. In Croatia and Greece, 70% of working citizens suggested that they were too tired to complete household chores at least several times a month because of work pressure.
In Britain, legislation has been granted to allow parents of children under six years old to request a more flexible work schedule. Employers must approve this request as long as it doesn’t damage the business.
Read our tips to leaving work at the door to take further steps to improve your work/life balance.
