Work life balance
When an individual maintains a balance between his personal and professional life, this phenomenon is called work-life balance. This expression has great value because it is very important to have a balance between personal and professional life. Work-life balance is at the forefront of the world of work. Kaizen, the Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement, along with the role of Information Technology (IT) assists and guides management, to obtain maximum production with the help of available resources.
The balance between personal and professional life varies from person to person and the organization in which they work. When an individual does not maintain balance and work too much within the organizational framework, it may cause some medical, psychological and behavioral consequences, as a result of which his or her productivity will also be low. Studies have shown that the stress of working life is harmful to employees. Sitting late and working too much can cause an imbalance in one’s personal and professional life; However, there are some techniques for managing the stress of work life, such as time management, task management, relaxation, flexible working hours, working from home and doing sports etc. Work-life balance improves an individual’s health, job satisfaction, commitment, and engagement, and reduces absenteeism and absenteeism (the state of being physically present but not productive). Despite the progress made in improving maintaining a work-life balance, much remains to be done.
An important factor is the degree to which work-life balance is generally applicable across the entire hierarchy of an organisation. Those at the bottom of the organizational hierarchy are sometimes not entitled to certain benefits or are not familiar with relevant company policies. Work-life balance can help employers and employees be healthy and productive in their personal and professional lives.
“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.” – Betsy Jacobson.
For some people, spending more time in the organization is more important than the time they spend at home. However, there are people who prioritize personal and family life. In this technological age, some organizations also offer flexible working hours. One can carry a laptop, PDA, blackberry and is connected to suppliers and sellers online 24 hours a day. The moment he gets any query, he replies to it. There are some workaholics who take their laptops and PDAs to vacation and have their spouse’s annoyance while checking emails.
People are more interested in looking for a job that gives them flexibility in working. Arrangements for work-life balance are required by all workers at different times in their lives because balance is essential in quality initiatives by preparing the individual to deal with change. An individual can only do his best in a conducive environment, e.g. students want to study and work at the same time; Parents want to spend time with their children and an older worker who is nearing retirement for the opportunity to stay in the workforce at reduced hours. Employers and employees mostly agree that organizational goals are more important, so it is the business owner’s duty to help people achieve work-life balance.
