Introduction
Finding a way through the morning traffic and waiting what seems to be millennia for computer log ins to connect are just the minute details of the average business worker’s day. However, these minute details only add to the ever prevalent problems of working extended daily and weekly schedules. Concerns are constantly raised over workplace benefits, ranging from healthcare to childcare. In the end, employees are left with little more than increased stress. In fact, levels of workplace stress have increased very rapidly in recent years. As a result, work life balance programs are the newest development of companies seeking to get the most out of their greatest asset, the employee. Work and life balance includes programs that range from flextime, telecommuting and job sharing to cafeteria benefit plans.
Main body
Increasingly, employees are becoming more frustrated, albeit about different issues, while at work. Goldsmith (2007) says:
In the 1980s work stress studies tended to focus on number of hours worked and flexibility of work schedules… In the 1990s we see more complex approaches including measuring other types of job stressors such as work pressure, lack of autonomy, role ambiguity, and more discussion of the health aspects of overload.
Although this does not automatically signal there is something wrong in the workplace, that has been the case more times than not. Workplace stress is nothing new; however, recent increases have led many companies to look into what they need to do to change the work environment. (McGowan, Gardner, & Fletcher, 2006). The search culminated into developing work life balance programs.
Furthermore, work life balance programs include a variety of options for both the employer and employee. Traditional flextime is defined as working a schedule that has start and end times that the employee has chosen and can include certain core hours. (Valcour, 2007). Flextime has been used to promote the work and life balance by allowing the employees the freedom to determine the length of their schedules. Moreover, many employees began seeking those jobs which offered the chance to work straight from home, or telecommuting. (Fleetwood, 2007). In such cases, Lewison (2006) explains, “some or all the work is done off site at the employee’s home or at local satellite offices where clusters of employees live.” This allows the employees to stay under supervision of their loved ones.
Additionally, social environments and other deadlines have become so critical for some companies, they have moved to a more collaborative workflow. (Hawksley, 2007). These arrangements divide one full-time job or share work between two people, otherwise known as job sharing. Another benefit is that companies can employ the strengths of multiple employees on a single task. Finally, cafeteria plans are just what the name implies: a benefits program that lets the employees decide what they want. (Yemm, 2006). Draft (2004) clarifies that if one employee wanted “to go light on the retirement benefits and get a more complete health plan while a coworker socks away big bucks for child care”, they do just that. Draft (2004) continues, “some of the elements it might offer: accident and health insurance, group term life insurance, dependent-care assistance, elective contributions to a 401 k, elective vacation days and flexible spending accounts for healthcare or dependent care.”
Conclusion
Companies have identified ways to change the workplace environment, so that employees can find enough balance in themselves to reduce the distractions and frustration present at the office. The development of work life balance programs has truly evolved the workforce and employees will seek to continue adding to this program. Whether flextime, telecommuting, job sharing or cafeteria benefits; these programs offer something for everyone. While not all workplaces invest in work life programs, more are doing so. In order to maximize a company’s greatest asset, the employees, they need to make a difference. With work life programs, businesses are doing just that.
References
Draft, D. (2004). What’s on the (Benefits) Menu? Bankrate. 2008. Web.
Fleetwood, S. (2007). Re-Thinking Work-Life Balance. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 18(3), 351-359.
Goldsmith, E. (2007). Stress, Fatigue, and Social Support in the Work and Family Context. Journal of Loss and Trauma, 12(2), 155-169.
Hawksley, B. (2007). Work-Related Stress, Work/Life Balance and Personal Life Coaching. British Journal of Community Nursing, 12(1), 34-36.
Lewison, J. (2006). The Work/Life Balance Sheet so Far: Bottom Line: Create a Good Program and Communicate its Importance to Your Managers. Journal of Accountancy, 202, 19-24.
McGowan, J., Gardner, D., & Fletcher, R. (2006). Positive and Negative Affective Outcomes of Occupational Stress. Journal of Psychology, 35(2), 92-98.
Valcour, M. (2007). Work-Based Resources as Moderators of the Relationship Between Work Hours and Satisfaction With Work-Family Balance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92(6), 1512-1523.
Yemm, G. (2006). Work-Life Balance. Management Services, 50(4), 26-28.