Introduction
Finding the ideal balance between work and family has always been difficult, especially for Generation Y. Everyone’s schedules are busier than ever, which leads to much stress that affects various things, including health and job development and general well-being and satisfaction. The issue is addressed from the employee’s perspective in the book Business Ethics by Crane & Matten, which only touches on the concepts of excessive working hours, presenteeism, and flexible working schedules. Thus, work-life balance is introduced, which refers to how individuals prioritize their personal and professional activities and how much of their work is visible in their homes. The advantages of maintaining a healthy work-life balance are no longer in dispute. From the perspective of an employee, someone who spends the majority of the week engaged in work-related activities and is unable to find time for other significant components like family, friends, spiritual pursuits, and self-care activities feels stressed and unhappy, which makes them less productive and more likely to commit mistakes.
Due to the changing nature of work and how it affects people’s lives, the idea of work-life balance (WLB) has received much focus lately. There was little overlap between job and personal life in the past because they were seen as distinct entities. However, the distinction between job and personal life has become hazier with the development of technology and the emergence of the gig economy. Working professionals today encounter various obstacles that limit their ability to reach an acceptable WLB. Some of these difficulties include long working hours, heavy workloads, demanding job requirements, job insecurity, and few opportunities for career development (Brough 483). These elements impact people’s general well-being by causing stress, burnout, and ill health. To better comprehend the needs and expectations of young working professionals, it is crucial to investigate their perspectives on WLB. This research aims to look into the elements that go into achieving WLB and pinpoint the opportunities and difficulties that come with it. By doing this, we hope to offer perceptions into how businesses can support their staff members more effectively in achieving a satisfactory WLB, enhancing their general well-being and work satisfaction.
Literature Background
Work-life balance has lately captured the interest of executives and researchers. Almost everyone with a professional job is interested in this topic. The fact that it offers insight into all facets of living contributes to its broad appeal. For those who believe that earning a living is the primary goal in life, their profession becomes the center of their existence. However, due to time constraints, individuals must engage in numerous activities besides their jobs. There can be many accidents in both if there is not an equilibrium between the two. In this research, the organizational context is used to evaluate work-life balance. Work-life balance is essential for employee satisfaction and can impact productivity. Across centuries, its significance has remained constant. The Millennial group is frequently perceived as entitled. This myth dates back to the late 2000s and early 2010s when millennials first began to join the workforce. The correct interpretation would be that millennials are aware of their value (Brough 484). They are aware that other things define them in addition to their job. More recent surveys indicate that millennials and others continue to advocate for a healthy work-life balance. Since finding the proper work-life balance is essential to people of all generations, employers who want happy, engaged employees must support it. Here is how to prevent employee burnout and guarantee your staff members have a healthy work-life balance.
Recent research has confirmed the findings regarding the beneficial effects of WLB on employee well-being and outcomes linked to the workplace. For instance, Malone (2020) discovered that WLB is favorably correlated with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and life satisfaction among Korean workers. Employees who have a better WLB are more likely to have greater levels of work engagement and lower levels of work-family conflict, according to a different study by Mazzetti (480). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the problem of WLB, as many workers have been forced to juggle work and personal obligations while working from home. According to AARGÜN (315), the pandemic has created new difficulties for obtaining a successful WLB, including blending work and personal life, increased workload, and insufficient work resources. The study concludes that for employees to keep a satisfactory WLB amid these difficulties, organizations must give them the support they need.
The idea of work-life balance has been explained using a variety of theoretical theories. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is among the most frequently used theories. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a well-known incentive theory widely used in corporate behavior research. According to the theory, several basic wants must be satisfied before people can progress to more complex requirements (Foo 640). According to Maslow, these requirements are organized in an order, and before handling higher-level wants, a person must first handle lower-level ones. The most basic requirements are at the bottom of this order, and the most important demands are at the summit. According to this paradigm, people have various requirements that must be fulfilled in order to achieve self-actualization. Physiological requirements such as food, drink, and sleep are at the bottom of the order, followed by protection, affection and connection, respect, and self-actualization needs. Maslow’s ladder of needs states that a person’s bodily and safety demands must be met before they can focus on attaining work-life harmony.
Maslow’s hierarchy of requirements suggests that an individual’s bodily and safety demands must be satisfied before they can attain a work-life balance ((Foo 648). This is because metabolic and safety requirements are at the bottom of the order. For example, if a person is having difficulty meeting their basic physiological needs, such as getting enough sleep or eating a healthy diet, it may be difficult for them to focus on the task of striking a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. After satisfying these needs, the person can focus on satisfying higher-level needs such as love, connection, respect, and self-actualization. This could include finding a job that enables them to apply their beliefs and interests, pursuing pastimes and interests outside of work, or simply spending more time with their loved ones and friends.
Maslow’s hierarchy of requirements is just one of many theoretical models that can be used to understand work-life balance. Vroom’s anticipation theory and Herzberg’s two-factor theory are two other theories that argue that an individual’s hopes and views about the outcomes of their actions can influence the desire to attain work-life balance. According to Herzberg’s two-factor theory, a person’s hopes and views about the results of their activities can impact their desire to attain work-life harmony. Using these models to guide study and practice, organizations can better understand the factors that influence work-life balance and develop strategies to support the productivity and well-being of their staff.
Analysis
A poll of 30 people was done to understand how the younger population felt about work-life balance. 60% of the responses were female, and 70% were between the ages of 24 and 34. The poll aimed to investigate the elements that respondents thought were crucial for attaining work-life balance. According to the poll, the essential elements for achieving work-life balance were freedom, work-life merging, and corporate support. Participants felt that flexible working options, such as variable hours and online work, enabled them to handle their personal and professional obligations successfully. Work-life merging was also necessary because it enabled them to combine their personal and professional lives, lowering the tension of juggling the two. Participants also stressed the significance of corporate support, such as employee aid programs, well-being programs, and mental health tools.
The study also showed that individuals believed attaining work-life harmony had several beneficial effects on their lives. When participants could attain work-life harmony, they reported feeling less overwhelmed and more pleased with their job and domestic situations. Furthermore, they believed that having a work-life balance improved their drive and involvement at work, which resulted in better job happiness and efficiency. Work-life balance also enabled participants to emphasize their personal lives, such as spending time with family and friends, pursuing interests, and participating in self-care activities. However, there were some difficulties in attaining work-life harmony. Participants stated that job obligations, such as extended work hours and a heavy burden, made achieving work-life harmony challenging. Furthermore, some individuals felt terrible about taking time off work or felt pressure always to be accessible to their boss, making work-life harmony challenging. Because of the extra duties and demands connected with their jobs, some individuals stated that attaining work-life harmony was more difficult for those in management or leadership positions.
Work-life balance was often challenging for some individuals due to long working hours, unachievable targets, and a dearth of support from their managers and coworkers. They voiced worries about being unable to disengage from work, which resulted in exhaustion, reduced job happiness, and bad mental health. They reported having to forgo personal time, interests, and social events in some instances to satisfy job expectations. Participants also stated that attaining work-life harmony was especially difficult for those who cared for infants or aging family members. They emphasized the need for more help and freedom from companies to manage personal and professional obligations successfully.
Conclusion
Work-life harmony is crucial in the contemporary workplace, especially for newer employees. According to the research, achieving work-life harmony improves employees’ well-being, happiness, and efficiency. Flexibility, work-life merging, and corporate assistance were essential for attaining work-life harmony. Organizations must provide flexible working options, such as variable hours and online work, to allow employees to handle their personal and professional obligations successfully. Work-life merging is also essential because it enables employees to combine their personal and professional lives, lowering the tension of balancing the two. Furthermore, offering corporate support, such as employee aid programs, well-being programs, and mental health tools, is essential for the well-being and efficiency of employees. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an important paradigm that companies can use to describe why satisfying workers’ fundamental requirements is critical before adopting work-life balance efforts. Before adopting work-life balance programs, companies must guarantee that workers’ fundamental health and safety requirements are fulfilled. Organizations can do this by creating a more fruitful and gratifying work atmosphere for their workers, resulting in a more involved and dedicated staff.
Aside from the abovementioned methods, companies can take several other actions to improve work-life harmony. Employers, for example, can give part-time or job-sharing agreements that allow workers to work fewer hours while keeping their position in the business. This strategy can help decrease the burden and free up time for personal obligations. Another strategy for improving work-life harmony is to encourage employee liberty and control. Employees who have more influence over their plans and duties are more likely to feel satisfaction and equilibrium in their lives. Giving workers the authority to choose their job can improve their feeling of duty and accountability. Furthermore, companies can adopt rules that urge workers to disengage from work during non-work hours, such as banning work-related emails or phone conversations after hours. This method allows workers to devote full attention to their personal affairs, decreasing tension and improving job happiness.
As a result, because these newer groups make up a sizable percentage of the workforce, organizations must emphasize work-life balance in order to recruit and keep top talent. Employees who have a better work-life balance are more involved and dedicated to their job, which leads to greater efficiency and better company results, according to research. Companies must take strategic measures to help their workers achieve work-life harmony. Offering flexible working options, encouraging work-life integration, giving mental health tools and well-being initiatives, and building a culture prioritizing work-life balance are all examples of how this can be accomplished. Organizations can improve their workers’ well-being, employment happiness, and efficiency in this way, resulting in improved results for both the employees and the company.
Works Cited
AĞARGÜN, Asiye Yüksel, and Tülay TURGUT. “Remote Working and Work-Family Conflict During the Covid-19 Outbreak.” İşletme Bilimi Dergisi 10.3: 315-336. https://doi.org/10.22139/jobs.1120712
Brough, Paula, et al. “Work–life balance: Definitions, causes, and consequences.” Handbook of socioeconomic determinants of occupational health: From macro-level to micro-level evidence (2020): 473-487. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-31438-5_20
Foo, Isaac YN, and Sabrinah Adam. “A review on the impact of work-life balance in reducing turnover intention through work from home intervention in Malaysia real estate market.” Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci 11 (2021): 634-647.
Malone, E. Kent, and Raja RA Issa. “Predictive models for work-life balance and organizational commitment of women in the US construction industry.” Journal of construction engineering and management 140.3 (2014): 04013064. DOI:10.1061/(ASCE)CO.1943-7862.0000809
Mazzetti, G., Biolcati, R., Guglielmi, D., Vallesi, C., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2016). The role of core self-evaluations and social support in the relationship between work–family conflict and burnout. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31(3), 479-492.
write