Work/life balance: challenges and solutions - 2003 Research Quarterly

HR Magazine, June, 2003 by Nancy R. Lockwood

* Work/life initiatives: policies and procedures established by an organization with the goal to enable employees to get their jobs done and at the same time provide flexibility to handle personal/family concerns.

* Work/family culture: the extent to which an organization's culture acknowledges and respects the family responsibilities and obligations of its employees and encourages management and employees to work together to meet their personal and work needs.

Personal Lives and Family Values to the Forefront

The American work ethic remains intact, yet in recent years personal and family lives have become critical values that Americans are less willing to put on hold, put aside, or ignore, for the sake of work. Over time, the American workforce has begun to change course from being willing to spend every hour working to learning to manage the complexities of modern living. In addition, the impact of the terrorist attacks of September 11 has led many people to re-evaluate their lives and consider the meaning of work.

Consequently, Americans are looking for options that allow for both a personal and family life, and many seek ways to have it all. As a result, the U.S. management philosophy that expects employees to put work first, ahead of personal lives and family commitments, is becoming less accepted.

* In a 2001 survey conducted by the Radcliff Public Policy Center, 82% of men and 85% of women ages 20 to 39 placed family time at the top of their work/life priorities.

* In a 2001 study by Rutgers University and the University of Connecticut, 90% of working adults said they are concerned they do not spend enough time with their families.

The Changing Face of Family

With the growing diversity of family structures represented in the workforce in the new millennium, it is important that human resource professionals better understand the interface of work and family relationships and the resulting impact in the workplace.

Research by Parasuraman and Greenhaus (2002) documented that segments of the workforce may be subject to unique work/family pressures, yet often have few sources of support. (4) The under-representation of these groups of individuals with potentially difficult types of work/family pressures represents a major gap in work/family research and employers' understanding of their needs. Typically, studies have focused on employed men and women who are married or living with a partner or those with children. Omitted from research are single-earner mothers and fathers, single and childless employees with extensive responsibility for eldercare, blended families with children from both partners' prior marriages, families with shared custody of children, and grandparents raising their grandchildren.

* From both the employer and employee viewpoint, the changing nature of what constitutes family is one of the complications of today's society.

* As human resource professionals design policies and programs to address employee retention, job satisfaction, employee morale, and productivity, this research warrants serious consideration.