Work-life Balance
What it is
What it isn’t
How to have it
Henry Ford Health System
Employee Assistance Program
Work-life Balance – What is it?
• Definition of Balance
– The power or ability to decide an outcome by
throwing one’s strength, influence, support, or the
like, to one side or the other
– Fine Arts: composition or placement of elements of
design, as figures, forms, or colors, in such a manner
as to produce an aesthetically pleasing or
harmoniously integrated whole
Work-life Balance – What is it?
• Consider two concepts:
1.Achievement
2.Enjoyment
Work-life Balance – What is it?
• Meaningful daily Achievement and Enjoyment in all
aspects of the person’s life: Work, Family, Friends, and
Self
• A vital factor in achieving a balance is making sure that
the work portion does not overwhelm or dominate; and
also, that it does not cause damage to the individual by
way of negative stress
Negative Stress
• Stress affects individuals differently
• Some people cope, even thrive on pressure while others
find it difficult to cope under the same conditions and
suffer negative stress as a result
• Negative stress – is the point at which stress no longer
promotes performance but overwhelms and distracts
from performance - Where symptoms become evident
Inverted U
Work-life Balance – What is it?
• Definition has changed over time:
– 60s-70s – WLB was mainly considered an issue for working
mothers, trying to balance the demands of their jobs with raising
children
– 80s – Structural changes took place. For example, policies and
procedures, along with benefits were added/changed to support
WLB. Maternity leave, EAP’s, flextime, etc. Also in the 80s, men
began concerns around their own work-life
– 90s – Really solidified WLB as an issue that was vital for
everyone (men, women, singles, couples, parents, non-parents,
etc.) Also generational studies began to show how employees
were making choices about their jobs based on cultures of
companies and their own Worklife issues
– 21st Century – is finding that many companies, though they’ve
adopted policies to support WLB, many were not implementing
them, or implementing them well.
Work-life Balance – What it is not
• Work-life balance does not mean that there must be equal
balance across all aspects of an individual’s life
• The optimum work-life balance will not remain static
but will vary over time
• The best work-life balance will be different for each
person. There is no one size fits all in work-life balance
Activity
• Take out a piece of paper
• List 1-5 along the left side
• Over the past week, name five (5) things you’ve done to
care for yourself or to reduce your stress level
• Share with a partner
Barriers to Balance
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•
•
•
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Time
Feeling Guilty
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
Failure to Set Limits
Can’t Say NO
Symptoms of Being Out of Balance
• Physical:
– Headaches, upset stomach, sleep disturbances,
changes in appetite, muscle tension, fatigue, heart
palpitations
• Emotional:
– Depression, anxiety, irritability, difficulty making
decisions, angry outbursts, resentment, feelings of
powerlessness
• Personal:
– Lost time with friends and loved ones, job burnout,
isolation – stopping social activities, relationship
loss/difficulties, self medicating
Strategies To Improve Balance
1.)Identify the sources in the workplace
2.)Identify the sources in life outside of work
3.)Know what your natural response typically is
Strategies To Improve Balance
• Understand some things are beyond your control to
change
• Take action to reduce or remove the stressor
• Break problems down into smaller more manageable
pieces
• Take a time management course
• Replace negative relationships with positive ones
• Adopt self – care practices
• Develop outside activities – hobbies, social events,
education, etc
• Seek advice from others
• Commit to the notion that managing stress is a
permanent and ongoing activity
Strategies To Improve Balance
•
•
•
•
•
•
Learn to say no
Leave work at work
Track your time
Identify options at work and take advantage of them
Bolster your support system
Know when to seek professional help (Contact EAP)
Common Myths
• Suffering from stress is a weakness
• Keeping stress to yourself is the best approach
• Other people or situations are to blame for your stress
and imbalance
• Cutting back or eliminating social, sporting, or personal
interests will restore balance
• Believing that there is a single solution
The Choice is Yours…
Contract:
I (place your name here) will take back
control of my life. I realize I have chosen
to place (fill in the blank) before my own
needs. Today I will choose to care for
myself in large ways and in small by: (fill
in the blank). I WILL do this now.
Did You Know?
• According to one study, the number of employees
calling in sick because of stress tripled from 1996 to 2000
• An estimated 1 million workers are absent every day
due to stress
• Over half of the 550 million working days lost annually
in the U.S. from absenteeism are stress related
• A 1997 three year study found that 60% of employee
absences could be traced to psychological problems that
were due to job stress
Did You Know?
• Consider these statistics:
– 40% of job turnover is due to stress
– 60-80% of accidents on the job are stress related
– In California, the number of Workers’ Comp claims
for mental stress increased by almost 700 percent over
eight years and 90% were successful with an average
award of $15,000 compared to the national average of
$3,420
– Another study found those individuals working 11
hours a day or more, were 67% more likely to
experience a heart attack. Those who work between
10-11 hours a day had a 45% higher risk
9 Questions to Ask
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
What would Work/Life Balance in your organization look like?
What are the organizational strengths that support Work/Life
Balance at every level?
What are the challenges in creating Work/Life Balance in your
organization?
What needs to be done to over come the challenges?
Who else needs to be involved?
Within your work position what can you do to create Work/Life
Balance for yourself and your organization?
What are you doing to create Work/Life Balance for yourself?
Are there any programs or policies at work that you are not using
that could be helpful?
Are you taking the time to remember to breathe every day?
2 Leg Strategy for Companies
1.
2.
Organizations adopt policies, benefits, and procedures
to address work-life balance problems, however, at it’s
core work-life balance is more an individual issue that
affects the organization, than it is an organizational
issue that affects the individual – Therefore…
Need to address what an individual employee and
manager can do for themselves to create their own best
balance
Suggestions for HR
A. Leg One
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Reinforce through better communications what you are already
doing
Abolish internal Friday afternoon meetings
Give a half day off on Fridays if the individual has put in the
incremental hours earlier in the week
Endorse working from home one day per week
Offer subsidies for off-site exercise
Create and support athletic teams
Provide one or two days off with pay for approved community
involvement
Create and encourage an annual or quarterly “bring your family to
work” day
Establish a “disconnect from work” vacation policy – no cell phones
or lap tops
Create a more accommodating “on and off ramp” policy for those
who leave the firm, especially if it is to spend time with family.
Suggestions for HR
A. Leg Two
 Since work-life balance is as unique as the
individual, a company cannot create it for the
employee - HOWEVER
 An organization can make sure that their
employees and leadership have the skills and
common language to positively create something
for themselves
•
•
Implement a Work-life training program that is “Dual
Purpose” – meaning has application both at work and at
home
i.e. Time management skills, relationship building, project
management tools, work life goal creation and attainment,
etc
Questions
• For any questions regarding these services
or any other EAP concerns, please contact
the HFHS EAP directly at:
– (313) 874-7122 or toll free at (888)-EAP-HFHS