Work-life balance is a fluid concept and means different things to different people. When balance is not possible, integrating life and work is helpful.
The Covid-19 pandemic and world events over the past four years have changed the workplace. More and more people are working from home, part or all of the time. More and more employees are looking for meaning in their work. However, women in leadership positions claim, that work-life balance continues to be an issue.
Obstacles to achieving balance
Due to the dynamics of the labor market and more and more people who work hybrid or remote, one should be always available is more possible than ever. When work is done on a computer, after the end of the working day it is easy to "switch on" back to the office when necessary. However, this poses health risks, including mental health. The lack of boundaries and the inability to "switch off" after the end of the workday prevent balance.
Heads of diversity, equality and inclusion often feel like they are competing for prominence with other business requirements. They work to ensure that the room where decisions are made includes people of different genders, ages and experiences that reflect the company's team. Feeling out of balance creates the conditions for burnout and other mental health problems.
Successful examples of the integration of life and work
For employees in the American unit of Dolby, every second Friday is off. So they enjoy more than 26 three-day weekends a year. At Jumio, employees create their own schedules to better balance their family tasks and prioritize their health.
TriNetX they offer their employees an unlimited number of days of paid leave. McMaster-Carr, on the other hand, values the freedom not to respond to e-mails outside of business hours, which creates space for personal pursuits.
Bounteous observes so-called "quiet hours" - a four-hour block of focus time during which one can work on focus-demanding tasks. Thus, they fight fatigue from online conversations and improve their overall well-being.