Achieving the right balance between working and non-working life is a continuing challenge for many employees, particularly for British men who are working the longest hours in the EU countries (Green, 2013). According to the Work-Life Balance Employee Survey (Tipping et al., 2012:92) 54 per cent of employees overall agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “It’s the employer’s responsibility to help people balance their work with other aspects of their life”. Even if 57 per cent of Britain’s workforce are satisfied with their work-life balance (WLB) (CIPD, 2013), only 37 per cent report that their organisation provides support to manage their work-home interface (CIPD, 2012).
However, in recent years WLB has become a dominant aspect for the vast majority of employers (Straub, 2007). Three-quarters of public organisations provide WLB policies and practices (Visser & Williams, 2006). Nevertheless, whether the underlying motivation behind this increasing activity is to fulfil their operational and organisational requirements or truly to satisfy the employees’ needs is arguable. Key factors driving this development are, in particular, demographic and social change, which have led to a greater participation of women in the workforce and increased employee concern with a better balance between work and home life (Major, 2006; Taylor, 2010). With this, a greater demand for atypical work arrangements has emerged. Furthermore, advances in technology enable to work at any time and any place which thus could contribute to a better integration of employees work and home activities.
Still, there is some disagreement among HR academics and practitioners about the benefits and challenges regarding this concept. The objective of this essay is to critically review the advantages and disadvantages of establishing WLB programmes to both organisations and employees. First of all, in order to set the scene for the examination of the relevance of this notion to both parties, the key term WLB will be defined and current examples of different initiatives offered by employers will be given. After that, benefits and challenges associated with WLB practices will be presented. Two case studies will provide examples of how other organisations have addressed this issue and what the beneficial effects have been. Finally, based on these expositions, the main findings will be summarised and evaluated. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Franklin Kindergarten Association – Work & Life Award despite funding constraints
2. Balfour Beatty – Flexible working in the construction sector
Research Objectives and Themes
The essay aims to critically review the advantages and disadvantages of implementing work-life balance (WLB) initiatives for both organizations and employees, exploring whether such policies fulfill operational requirements or satisfy individual employee needs.
- Definition and conceptual understanding of Work-Life Balance (WLB)
- Benefits of WLB programs for recruitment, retention, and employee well-being
- Challenges, risks, and potential negative outcomes of WLB implementation
- Practical application through case studies in different industry sectors
- The impact of managerial attitudes and organizational culture on WLB success
Excerpt from the Book
Franklin Kindergarten Association – Work & Life Award despite funding constraints
The Franklin Kindergarten Association (FKA), winner of the EEO Trust Work & Life Award 2007, exemplifies that having staff that are satisfied with their WLB is possible despite limited financial resources and flexible working opportunities. As a not-for-profit organisation, FKA had experienced difficulties to attract, retain and motivate its employees. However, due to FKA’s introduction of the below presented WLB practices, which are mainly based on employees’ expressed requirements, benefits for the organisation as well as for the teaching staff could have been be attained.
Summary of Chapters
1. Franklin Kindergarten Association – Work & Life Award despite funding constraints: This chapter analyzes how a not-for-profit organization successfully improved employee retention and satisfaction through cost-effective, employee-focused WLB initiatives.
2. Balfour Beatty – Flexible working in the construction sector: This chapter examines the implementation of flexible working models in the construction industry, highlighting operational efficiency gains alongside improved employee work-life balance.
Keywords
Work-life balance, WLB, flexible working, employee retention, organizational commitment, teleworking, job sharing, human resource management, work intensification, structural support, cultural support, management quality, absenteeism, recruitment, career advancement
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this document?
The document critically reviews the implications, advantages, and disadvantages of implementing work-life balance initiatives within various organizational settings.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
Central themes include the definition of WLB, the organizational benefits of flexible working, the challenges of implementation, and the role of management in supporting WLB practices.
What is the primary objective of this research?
The objective is to evaluate whether WLB programs effectively meet organizational objectives and employee needs, or if they present hidden risks such as work intensification.
Which scientific approach is utilized in this study?
The study employs a literature review combined with the analysis of two specific case studies (Franklin Kindergarten Association and Balfour Beatty) to illustrate real-world outcomes.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body covers theoretical definitions of WLB, the distinction between structural and cultural support, benefits for employer branding, and the potential pitfalls for employees.
Which keywords best describe this work?
Key terms include work-life balance, flexible working, employee retention, organizational culture, and work intensification.
How does the author explain the success of FKA despite budget constraints?
The author notes that FKA focused on initiatives directly derived from employees' expressed requirements, showing that financial resources are secondary to understanding specific staff needs.
What barrier does the text identify regarding flexible working in the construction sector?
The text highlights that long commuting hours and the nature of construction site work were major problems, which were mitigated through practices like compressed hours and cross-training.
Why is the "decision tree" by Ollier-Mallatere mentioned?
It is presented as a useful tool to help managers assess employee awareness, needs, and the effectiveness of various WLB initiatives within their organizations.
- Citar trabajo
- Anna Jung (Autor), 2013, People Resourcing. Advantages and disadvantages to the organisation and employees of implementing work life balance initiatives, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/268120
