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#Work life balance definitions professional#

The roles that people perform in their life and the importance they assign to these roles change.Their performance and function across life domains should not clash. People should feel satisfied with their own performance in various life domains and should function optimally in these domains.People should be able to commit equal amounts of time and energy to all roles.People perform different roles in their life, including a work role and a personal life role, and the demands of one role can carry over to the demands of another.Kalliath and Brough (2008) provide the following set of statements that synthesize the various definitions of WLB provided in the literature:

Both domains require attention and investment, but not at the sacrifice of each other. However, the common understanding is that there are (at least) two domains in life: work and personal. There’s no cohesive, agreed-upon definition of work–life balance in the literature (Kalliath & Brough, 2008). As a result, some workers may consider work as a separate, dynamic aspect of life that doesn’t require absolute commitment. Specifically, the likelihood of remaining employed at one company has declined since the 1990s (Eby, Butts, & Lockwood, 2003). One such example is how societal attitudes toward work and life have changed from one generation to the next (Thijssen, Van der Heijden, & Rocco, 2008 Wey Smola & Sutton, 2002). WLB has also been driven by changes in individual attitudes and values. For example, working overtime and on weekends leads to less time available to spend on personal life interests. These changing work demands lead to inevitable changes in personal lives. Expectations of superb customer service have become higher.The expected response times for communication have become shorter.Deadlines have become increasingly tight.

Technological advancements have increased work pressure.

Other changes in the work environment have contributed to concerns about WLB. This is why the concept changed from work– family life balance to work– life balance, since our personal lives are not limited only to familial needs (Lockwood, 2003). Thus, societal pressures for equal labor opportunities and conditions, coupled with general shifts in industries and attitudes toward gender roles, resulted in more attention on WLB.

Gay couples also have to juggle both work and family-life responsibilities.įurthermore, couples who do not have children and individuals who are not in relationships should not be excluded from issues around WLB.

Men are not always the primary breadwinner in heterosexual couples.

Men also play an essential role in child rearing.

However, the concept of WLB doesn’t affect women only. However, when women could engage in formal employment, the result was that they had to juggle both work and family-life responsibilities. The workforce primarily comprised men, whereas women were often employed informally. This was partly due to concerns surrounding women joining the workforce (Fleetwood, 2007). In the 1970s, the concept of WLB was initially framed as one concerning work–family balance (Lockwood, 2003).

History surrounding the concept of ‘work–life balance’ The perceived increase in these demands can be traced to three factors (Guest, 2002): Work–life balance (WLB) is a somewhat recent phenomenon, arising from employees’ concerns about the demands expected by their work (Guest, 2002).

Work–Life Balance vs Work–Life Integration.

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Is Balance Important? 3 Benefits According to Research.

The general feeling is that employers have a responsibility to the health of their employees apart from the moral responsibility, stressed-out employees are less productive and more likely to make errors. In the information economy mental stress has been identified as a significant economic and health problem, causing by a perceived need of employees to do more in less time.Ī key issue in the work-life balance debate is where responsibility lies for ensuring employees have a good work-life balance. Stress is a common feature of a poor work-life balance.

#Work life balance definitions professional#

Previously it was difficult or impossible to take work from home and so there was a clear line between professional and personal. Work-life balance is a topical issue due to the increased amount of technology that removes the importance of physical location in defining the work-life balance. Work-life balance refers to the level of prioritisation between personal and professional activities in an individual’s life and the level to which activities related to their job are present in the home.