Employees in today’s busy world can often feel like they are struggling to juggle their career and social life. However, there are ways to help them attain the balance they need to perform at their best. Matt Henkes reports.

While there is as yet no clear consensus on the exact definition of Work Life Balance (WLB), the term is most often used to describe the equilibrium between responsibilities in and out of work.

The reason a comprehensive definition of WLB is elusive is that the issues involved are not clear cut. Each individual’s optimum angle of balance is different, while for some the distinction between their lives in and out of work may be blurred.

A popular notion is that a persons’ level of WLB is directly related to the number of hours they work. And with an admittedly widespread ‘long hours culture’ in the UK, the truth of this assertion can not be totally denied. The Work Foundation (TWF) says that shifting the focus from attendance to achievements is something that many companies try to achieve when introducing work-life policies. “Although averaging hours out can disguise it, we still have a number of people working long hours, and not all of them wish to do so,” it says.

A term that can often be heard flying around in the vicinity of any WLB debate is “control”. If an employee can feel that they are in the driving seat in terms of when and where they fulfil each of their responsibilities, they are in control, and are going to find attaining WLB far easier.

TWF says that the benefits for business of attending to this balance within their workforce include increased productivity, improved recruitment and retention levels, lower rates of absenteeism and reduced overheads. “Many UK businesses are starting to take this up,” says TWF’s Laura Williams. “They are starting to talk about how it has benefited them, so it’s something that is going to continue.”

In 2003, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) found that half of companies who had introduced a WLB strategy saw a positive increase in levels of productivity. Over 94 percent of employers questioned said that people work best when they can achieve a balance between their work and home life.

The Work and Families Act 2006 introduced a series of measures aiming to “establish a balanced package of rights and responsibilities for both employers and employees”. The regulations are due to come into force in April, and include provisions for extended maternity and adoption pay, increased rights to flexible working hours and paternity leave.

The Act also includes measures to help employers manage the administration of leave, plan ahead with greater certainty and improve communication with employees on leave.

What to do?

The Chartered Institute of Personal Development (CIPD) says that there are a variety of initiatives that companies can adopt, but adds that employers should be aware of the need to offer a variety of practices that appeal to all employees, “perhaps as part of a flexible menu of benefits”.

Flexible working patterns are a common method that can give employees a level of control over when they fulfil their work obligations. Popular schemes include job sharing, flexitime, working from home and part-time working. However, there are concerns over the effect that part-time working can have on the career development opportunities available to workers.

Offering arrangements for extended leave can be beneficial in certain circumstances, says CIPD, though they can be inappropriate for some organisations. Employers can choose to offer career breaks for parents or carers, sabbaticals or study leave.

Increasing the amount and variety of support offered to employers can also have a beneficial affect, says CIPD. Financial services, workplace facilities such as a crèche or medical centre, gym membership and loans or allowances to pay for childcare are among the initiatives that employers can use to take the pressure off.

Making it work

One company that places particular value in its employees’ well-being is Rok Property Solutions, which has reduced its annual staff turnover to 17 percent and seen itself placed in the Times’ 100 best companies list for the last two years.

“We believe that a happy and motivated workforce leads to higher levels of services and in turn to greater customer satisfaction,” says Rok’s Vicky Banham.

The company pays particular attention, at its 37 sites around the country, to its presence in the local community.

“Our strategy has meant we actively recruit locally and encourage community involvement which clearly enhances our people’s work life balance,” says Banham. “We introduced a wide range of benefits for all our employees who all enjoy the same terms and conditions, such as sick pay, 25 days’ holiday and health insurance.”

But is a happy workforce worth it in business terms?

“Companies whose employees show a high percentage of favourable answers in surveys of their workplace experiences are among the more successful commercially, so we are quite certain it is worth it,” answers Banham. “Our latest people survey had a high overall favourable response rate with more than 80% saying they would recommend us as a good employer.”

She says the most important principles in introducing work-life policies are ensuring career development and job satisfaction, good and fair terms and conditions and flexible benefits. “Listen to what the employees are saying through surveys, forums and focus groups,” she says.

Laura Williams of The Work Foundation says that the success or failure of a company’s work-life policies depend on communication. “It’s not so much about the details of the policies,” she says. “It’s the conversation that takes place between managers and their employees, and very often it is the lack of this dialogue that presents a massive barrier.”