Resources
Working 9 to 5?
Carole A. Elam
If Dolly Parton had written her hit song today, she would have had to rename it 'Working somewhere between 7 and whenever'. Our working environments have changed and very few of us commence work at 9 and finish at 5.
This has led to modern workers becoming increasingly concerned with the quality of their lives. We all play different roles at work and at home, but we are the same person in each situation. A lack of satisfaction or imbalance in one area impacts on the other. This is where seeking a work/life balance comes into play.
As an Executive Coach it often becomes apparent whilst working with clients that some of the underlying reasons for their poor performance are related to the stress they experience trying to juggle their work and home lives.
So how do organisations recognise work/life balance problems?
Organisations might find it hard to judge whether they are supporting their employees' need to balance their commitments at work and home. Some of the telling signs of poor work-life balance include:
- employees doing excessive overtime
- a lot of time taken off to deal with 'emergencies' involving children or other dependents
- high levels of stress resulting in absenteeism or sickness
- high levels of staff turnover
There is no right answer or approach that works for every business. The introduction of any new flexible working arrangements should be tailored to your business' operational needs and employees' requests.
Flexible working practices
Many organisations today have implemented flexible working practices and have seen the benefits. This includes part-time working, compressed hours, flexi-time, job sharing, dependency leave and home working. Other flexible arrangements might include unpaid career breaks and paid sabbatical schemes. These are cost-effective ways to retain valued staff or reward long service.
Implementing policies to achieve work/life balance
Achieving a work/life balance should not be viewed as just a one-off exercise, but a long-term commitment to operating your business. Appropriate policies should be formalised and tailored to your business with all levels of employees understanding the process.
There is also the need to recognise the reality of working flexibly is often different from the policies, especially how it's managed at team level. It is important within teams that all members are aware of the working arrangements of their colleagues.
Key points to remember for flexible working
- don't set objectives that require you to work five days a week when you only work three
- plan ahead and learn to trust your colleagues to manage your projects when you are not there
- ensure your colleagues are clear about when you are and when you are not available
- be supportive to your colleagues
- don't make comments about people when you consider 'they are leaving early' or 'having days off' - understand their situation
- stick to your arrangements but be flexible during busy periods
- ensure part-time staff get their fair share of the rewarding tasks
Tip - Flexible working is all about good time management.