Definition Of Work Life Balance

Work/Life Balance: A state of equilibrium in which the demands of both a person’s job and personal life are equal.

The meaning of work/life balance has chameleon characteristics. It means different things to different groups, and the meaning often depends on the context of the conversation and the speaker’s viewpoint. The following are working definitions of terms used regarding work/life balance; some definitions overlap and some are continuing to evolve.

• Work/family: a term more frequently used in the past than today. The current trend is to use titles that include the phrase work/life, giving a broader work/life connotation or labeling referring to specific areas of support (e.g., quality of life, flexible work options, life balance,

The concept of work- life balance is based on the notion that paid work and personal life should be seen less as competing priorities than as complementary elements of a full life. The way to achieve this is to adopt an approach that is conceptualized as a two way process involving a consideration of the needs of employees as well as those of employers.

The term “Work-Life Balance” (WLB) was coined in 1986 to react to the growing concerns by individuals and organizations alike that work can impinge upon the quality of family life and vice-versa. Work life balancing means the harmonious and holistic integration of work and non work, so that both men and women can achieve their potential across the domains in which they play out their role. Work-Life Balance does not mean an equal balance but trying to schedule an appropriate number of hours for each of the various work and personal activities. Work-Life Balance is usually unrewarding and unrealistic

In response, most major organization took actions to make their workplaces more family friendly. They introduced programs such on-site child care, summer day camps, flextime, job sharing, leaves for school functions, telecom muting, and part-time employment. But organizations quickly are releasing that work/life conflicts were not experienced only by female employees with children but also male employees.

1.2. Factors Influencing Work-life Balance

Over the past generation there have been considerable demographic changes, which have influenced our working practices, examples of this include:

• Increased number of women working – 70% in 2000 compared to 47% in 1959

• Majority of women with dependent children working – 65% compared to 90% of men

• Majority of women return to paid employment after childbirth

• Increased incidence of one-parent families (a household consisting of at least one dependent child and the mother or father, the other parent being dead or permanently absent)

• Increased life expectancy is resulting in an ageing