Work life Balance of Employees

Discuss about the Work life Balance of Employees.

Introduction

The organizations in Australia and in other major countries are getting increasingly concerned day by day for ensuring that the employees attain work-life balance. The issue that in what way WLB i.e. work-life balance can be accomplished and increased has enormously achieved huge consideration from media, academics, leaders, workforces and employers. Thus due to the shortage of skills and also from the view of an elderly workforce it becomes essential for the organizations to regulate practices of WLB at workplace. With the achievement of work-life balances the potential talent can be fascinate and retain from both the social groups which are untapped as well as from the traditional sources. Social groups such as few minority groups, mature workers and working mothers are the ones who demands greater consideration towards work-life balance. From future perspective for attaining sustainability the organizations are required to make sure that merely encouragement is not enough, they should adopt and regulate a policy for work-life balance at workplace and on a mandatory basis. It would benefit both the organization and the employees by meeting their needs.

The organizations are required to identify and report for the range of unproductive or non-job roles which put an effect over the employees’ working lives for the successful management of work life-balance of the workers (Howard, D’Onofrio& Boles, 2004; Higgins & Duxbury, 2005). Regardless of the academic attention offered to working-life balance in few years, though the modern authors still mention the inadequacy of the notion both in the context of administration as well as definition(Smithson &Stokoe, 2005; Lewis, Rapoport& Gambles, 2003; Hyman & Summers, 2004). This paper will highlight various strategies for overcoming the HRM issues associated with work-life balance of employees.

Literature Review

The Notion of Work-Life Balance

The implication of administering the WLB of workforces has augmented noticeably over the last twenty years (De Bruin & Dupuis, 2004). Number of changes has taken place in various areas which straight away impacts the issue of WLB. To begin with, in present scenario, the jobs have turn out to be highly complex and the workforces are going through tough pressure to deliver quality outcomes with minimum resources and in even though in a short time of period(Hosie, Forster &Servatos, 2004) and as an outcome the definition of ‘standard working hours’ has altered. Another change is the demographic frame of the workforce which comprises of multi-generational offices, religion, couples possessing dual career, ethnicity, gender and many more. And the third change is the employment contract and its nature which has mandated that the organizations must manage the job satisfaction, stress and wellbeing of the workforces efficiently (Greenhaus& Powell, 2006). 

There is a fact which supports that management of WLB also has the interest of organizations. The evidence is that there presents no kind of distrust regarding the notion that the performance of the organization is directly associated with the way the employees are managed at the workplaces (Purcell, 2002). The employment opportunities of work-life balance offered by an organization is turned out to be the effective source for achieving competitive advantage and also worked as the onset for upcoming shortages of skill. To work in an ideal way, the notion of WLB necessitates organizations to successfully incorporate the non-work and work roles of the workforces in a way that the levels of job-dissatisfaction, stress, conflict associated with multiple roles are minimized or evaded(Greenblatt, 2002; De Bruin & Dupuis, 2004).In the efforts to attain a work-life balance, though, a restricted set of policies have been adopted by the western organizations which includes on-abode sleeping accommodation for the workforces, opportunities for telecommuting, on-abode gymnasiums, on-abode facilities concerning child-care (Hyman & Summers, 2004; Hacker &Doolen, 2003). Every organization tries to bring flexibility so that the workforces can perform both their work-roles as well as family-based roles in an effective manner.

Imbalance Work-life: Notion of Work-Life Balance Still an Issue

In spite of of the best intentions and finest practices, there exists considerable conflict in context with the efficacy of the WLB policies of the organizations. The contention is in terms of approaches related to minimizing job-dissatisfaction; trimming stress and delivering flexibility in the contemporary workplaces (Kirrane and Buckley, 2004).There have been recognized two pragmatic inadequacies by the researchers within the literature of work-life balance which have been provided to weaken its practical as well as theoretical efficacy. First one is associated with the concept of WLB that it entirely emphasized on the interface of work-family and sidelining the other significant issues of life balancing. By Buzzanell et al, (2005) it has been remarked that the concept work-life balance mainly represents work or position conflicts for women who are expert, managerial and married with squat focus to other various demographics which are characterized in the contemporary organizations. Wise and Bond (2003) and Shorthose (2004) researched in-depth to mention that the work-life balance concept is actually imperfect and faulty as it appears as typically ‘single dimensional’ and supposes a solo human resource viewpoint. And its fundamental administration is recognized merely as the status-quo instead of implementation of HR policies which are future-oriented and competitive.  Second one is associated with the inability of the concept to evidently describe the interface of non-work and work roles which affects the working life of the workforces. Spinks (2004) and Elloy and Smith (2004), for instance, mention that the non-work roles of an employee are so much distinctive and vague that the organizations are incompetent to recognize that in what manner their performance will affect each employee. Spinks (2004),on the whole propose that the organizations are incompetent or reluctant to comprehend their employees in a deeper aspect and as a consequence running on a ‘one-size-fits-all’ policy which forces the workforces to continue with the work for a extended time period instead of enabling employees to perform their significant non-work acts. The failure of work-life balance policy is very much underlined by Kiger’s (2005) research which discovered that approximately less than 2% of the workforces engage in offered programs of work-life balance. There has been quoted two major reasons behind this squat figure by Dex and Smith (2002). First one associates to equity, by means of number of workforces mentioning that they do not needed special treatment or they do not want to emerge as a special case to their contemporaries. It is evident from the outcomes of thee research of Waters &Bardoel’s (2006) which discover a variety of cultural aspects related to the workplace which minimize the eagerness of the staff of the Australian university to access the options of work-life balance policy. Another reason is that the extensive variety of policies implemented by the organizations has grounded on a false notion of modern WLB, and as a result there presents unproductive formalization in the practices of human resource management. There are several issues which occurred as the outcome for the organizations who not avail a holistic approach against the realization of WLB.  The outcomes are the increased number of issues in the process of attracting employees and retaining them in relation with the shortage of skills in some important occupational groups (Mackay, 1997).The expectations of the employees in present day are much higher and they require huge flexibility for remaining in the business organization for extended time period and the flexibility should also be in accordance with the expectations of the workforces (Henry, 2005). there recognized an upsurge in the number of women possessing goals and values with much greater pressure on WLB who were in a thought to leave the organization and to enter the work related to contracting and consulting so that there they can avail a great control over the conflicts of work-life balance (Beck & Davis, 2005).

The involvement of concept of WLB, thus, emerged imperfect in its efficacy to offer a potential outline for both professionals as well as academics similarly (Hyman &Summers, 2004). Regardless its given name, the concept of work-life balance has continued to be emphasized on the interface of work-family as well as failed to perfectly recognize and define the range of non-work and work roles which affects the levels of job satisfactions and stress of the employees (Pocock, 2005; Noor, 2004;Mellor, et al., 2001;Hacker &Doolen, 2003).

Discussion and Analysis

For overcoming the issues associated with WLB Elloy and Smith (2003) propose that an improved and successful conceptualization is needed of WLB which means that there presents a need of a holistic approach towards HRM that places a greater attentiveness of the overall framework of the daily lives of the employees rather than just for the time period they are at the workplace. Guest (200, 1997 & 1987) proposes that for the work-life balance concept to implement and fit in a holistic approach towards the development of HR policy and HR management there is a need to design and structure it in the following way:

• There should be maintenance of focus by the WLB concept towards the integration of the strategies, aims and vision of the organization with the HR policy. The basic fundamental to this point is the stability among the supportive culture of the organization and the framework of its WLB approach.
• Secondly the execution of policies of WLB produces a set of employment policies which are internally dependable and which are proposed to generate quality, flexibility and employee commitment as the shared commitment and the flexibility is the foundation of the notion of the WLB plan.
• There presents an identification of the responsiveness of HR and the requirement to involve in methods that demonstrates this significance. Thus the employers demonstrate and internalize the significance of human resources is essential for the association among the goals of WLB and their attainment; &
• Lastly, there is a reaction by the workforces towards the policies of WLB which includes the up-take of the opportunities of the WLB of the workforces as well as towards the conduct of line managers which includes the identification by the workforces that the higher authorities are committed towards the attainment of a meaningful work-life balance.

Thus, the extent to which the managers can sustain the accomplishment of effective HR policy or the WLB majorly rely on two chief consideration i.e. the way of defining and formalizing WLB within the policy of HR and in what way the employers respond or react to the requests of the workforces for the work-life balance relief. In regards with formalization, there is a need that organizations must be responsive of the degree to which work-life balance is put into action i.e. whether it is considered as a subject of managerial decision or a right to appeal or a right. Regarding the managerial response, there is need that organizations must decide that what among all will be most relevant i.e.  Whether to incorporate a commitment approach, a paternal approach or an authoritarian approach towards the requests of workforces for WLB relief. It is connection among the business culture, as endorsed, in practices and rituals represented by the leaders of the organization that set the tendency for the responses of the workforces towards the initiatives of WLB. Where the higher authorities or the superiors work for longer period of time, tend to receive few annual leaves and even though in little amounts (Sinclair, 2005) and needed the availability of the workforces at the urge of the leaders and carry on these forfeit as the symbols of honor, it pursue that the workforces are, at finest, vigilant in exploiting work-life balance. The accomplishment of a successful human resource policy-WLB pool has experienced failure in Australia provided the problems and concerns mentioned in the paper, and an investigation of probable improvements or solutions signify the study prospect for the paper.

Effectiveness and Impact of WLB Programs

The effectiveness of WLB programs can be measured by analyzing its impact over the business. For measuring the effectiveness, there is a need to develop and sustain an effective WLB portfolio. The portfolio has three major steps, first assessment of the present situation of work-life of employees; secondly there must be coordination of the elements of the WLB portfolio. And finally, last step which emphasize on evaluating whether the employees are getting the end support which was provided or not. 

WLB Programs	Effectiveness of the WLB Programs
· Dependents’ caring program ü  Elder care ü  Child care	From a study over 4000 working parents in 2010 has experienced effectiveness of this program in terms of · Less stress at workplace · Decreased results of lost productivity · Increased work engagement ·  Increase in switching of jobs by working parents to the companies who provide full child care service centers at workplace.
· Wellness and health programs ü  EAP i.e. Employee Assistance programs ü  Other facilities regarding wellness and health	A survey in 2009-10 named Towers Watson reported effectiveness of these ;programs in following things: · Increased revenue per employee · Increased shareholder returns · Fewer absenteeism · Reduction in hospital claims · Decreased health issues · Decreased attrition rate · Increased employee engagement
· Flexible workplace program ü  Part-time options ü  Full-time options ü  R.O.W.E. approach i.e. Results only work environment	Effectiveness of flexible workplace programs is shown in terms of: · Higher job engagement · Increased job satisfaction · Better health · Improved workers’ retention · Increased motivation · Build organization value
·  Economic security program ·  Financial support ·  401(k) plan · Other programs such as pension, mortgage assistance, reimbursement for adoption etc.	· Increased loyalty towards organization · Minimization of uncertainty and stress faced by employees
· Unpaid and paid time off program ü  Future leave program ü  Buy-back programs ü  Paid family leave program ü  Other programs related to paid and unpaid leaves	· Quality of work improved · Increased work efficiency · Increased job satisfaction · Elevated team communication · Improved retention · Reduced turnover
· Community involvement program ü  Good corporate citizenship ü  Internal sharing ü  External outreach ü  Matching gift program ü  Community volunteer program	· Develop a strengthened bond with colleagues · Higher job engagement · Recruitment of efficient talent · Building of sterling reputation
· Change management program ü  Diversity program ü  Employee interest groups ü  Advancement of women ü  Work redesign ü  Mass Career Customization	· Decreased turnover · Pleased employees · Increased productivity, revenue, satisfaction, morale, engagement and retention · Higher organizational commitment

(Worldatwork, 2011)

*Above mentioned few programs are of the following companies:

• MCC i.e. Mass Career Customization Program implemented by Deloitte LLP
• Cultural change management Program by Ryan, LLC where the work culture was shifted to results achieved from measuring hours worked.
• Caring for Dependents Program by HCA i.e. Hospital Corporation of America.
• Future leave Program by Accenture
• Pepsi Bottling Group offered program named Healthy Money Program to give financial support to the employees
• Flexible workplace Program by Procter & Gamble
• O.W.E by Deloitte LLP
• Flexible Working Hour Program by JP Morgan (Worldatwork, 2011)
• QWL i.e. Quality of Work Life Program by Tarrytown (Guest, 2016)

Role-Conflict, HR Policy and Work-life Balance

For addressing the issues in context with WLB, this paper proposes two strategies or approaches which comprises of an assessment of chief HR practices and policies; particularly in the context of processes  related to performance management, RJP i.e. realistic job  previews, job design and job analysis. Firstly, the implementation of the systems of WLB impact audit are recommended as it considered to be the segment of the organizational functions of job design and job analysis. Usually, the function of job-analysis has provided to characterize every position in terms of communication, lines of authority, responsibilities, duties and tasks within an organization. To complete the portrait of WLB there sustain a need to emphasis on the height of intensity, the job size as well as the degree at which the work affects on non-work point of time by interfering the points for communication which includes emails and mobile phones. Even the emphasis on the technical features has provided a ground for describing the content of a position and job-set, it proves to be little efficient at supporting a practical work preview (Phillips, 1998; Buda &Charnov, 2003). In the array to offer a realistic work preview, the impact audit of WLB will try to characterize that in what way every organization position affects the non-work roles at workplaces and also offer a much edifying source for comprehending the necessities of the position itself. Particularly it is recommended that this type of audit emphasis on both the present position through in-office interviews and for fresh positions which are however to be filled through the external benchmarking statistics. Particularly, it is suggested that the HR managers must implement a practical stance in the process of managing the expectations of the potential and the actual workers and thus the way in which they access their role-taking at workplace.

Another strategy could be the integration of the results of WLB impact audit into the continuing performance management job. This will lay down major accountability for the winning completion of WLB with their line managers. As a result, the line managers are effectively able to consider the concussion of performing the responsibilities on work-life balance and on the contrary straight away with each worker. For this to be provided proper eminence, for the managers the chief performance pointers will be their efficacy and approach in supporting the WLB of workforces. Major point of emphasis for the organizations is to implement a strategic approach for the removal of the barricades and observed discouragements for the workforces to yield the options of WLB (Waters &Bardoel, 2006). At the functional level, the attitude of the managers holds the subject for attention during the communication among the individual and the workgroups.

The impact audit possess a great advantage that through leveraging the positional outlooks in the positional picture, the organisations would be competent to upsurge the possibility that the assumptions related to role-consensus and role-taking are accomplished, as a result minimizing the possibility of role-conflict.

The effects of WLB impact audit are possibly four-fold. Initially, it provides the organization with a chance to advance their value proposition of recruitment by devising a program at the workplace so as to evade or minimize the dysfunctional concerns of role-conflicts. Secondly, the impact audit permits the organization to comprehend the saving of cost and time by letting the latent applicants themselves self-select out from the process of recruitment. It provides the autonomy to the candidates to turn out if they are unwilling to accept the roles or work needed for the unoccupied position. Thirdly, it offers a planned and organized mechanism by its exploitation in the process of performance management for the checking and controlling the range of efficacy of the implementation of WLB over individual workers. Lastly, the application of impact audit needed a check over the strategic similarity among the corporate strategy and work-life balance, the effect of endorsed culture over the enactment of a level of HR policy areas as well as receiving feedback from the workforces and from the potential workforces over the content and structure of work-life balance and other associated policies. It increases the probability of augmented flexibility of the HR policies providing greater diversity in the expectations of the workforces regarding the flexibility at the workplace which is more accurately defined as work and life instead of the present predominant emphasis over ‘family friendly’.

Conclusion

Employee engagement and the WLB became a noticeable standard among the organizations who are performing high which gain the reputational and economic advantages of being widely acknowledged as the employer of choice or the best workplace. Number of organizations who are family-friendly sense the need for WLB which comprises of retention as well as recruitment of valuable mad talented employees, minimized absenteeism, reduced the stress level of employees, better life balance, job satisfaction and health benefits. It has been recognized that for achieving the efficacy of practices and policies of WLB there must be integration of the effects of the culture of the workplace and support from the higher authorities for balancing family responsibilities and work. Developing and preserving a culture which permits and supports the prospect to attain desired WLB and to encourage the advantages of the organization and the workforces. This paper proposes that the impact audit of WLB should be implemented to recognize the regional prospects essential to the individual posts. As a result, the employee and the organization both will produce an improved perception of the way or method in which a variation in the job-role is considered as affecting the non-work or unproductive roles. It has been approved that the intention of the workforces to be a part of the business for extended working hours gets increased by the strong culture of the organization. WLB should be encouraged and supported throughout the levels of the organization which comprises of entire staff, the line managers and the senior managers. An organization that inspires the WLB practices and policies will surely win the advantages of increased employee engagement and moreover a positive result is relying on the culture of the workplace which is supportive enough for exploiting the initiatives of work-life (Susi and Jawaharrani, 2010).

Recommendations

Various recommendations can be given on the basis of the empirical culture and the current thinking which can help the readers to make WLB both a practical approach and a strategic goal:

• Recognize and appreciate the employees whose personal and work lives are balanced and they carry significant advantages for the organization.
• There is need to change the well-established view point that productivity is equals to visibility which means that the emphasis should be given on effectiveness instead of the span of working hours.
• Recognize by the employees that to be at the finest place, they are required to perceive their work as individually significant.
• There should implement a philosophy of ‘give and take’. Both employee and employer are required to bend willing fully for achieving shared benefits (Hudson, 2005). 

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