In recent years, the work-life balance of employees has been much more contemplated. Experts insist on the importance of achieving and maintaining work-life balance. Who does this concept apply to? The concept of work-life balance can be applied to all employees within the organization both locally and globally.
Various pressures in life will bring stress. Many of the stressful life events are connected to the work environment. Employees who start to feel the pressure to perform are likely to get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations but no increase in job satisfaction.
Many organizations are trying to promote work-life balance by including initiatives such as flexible working hours, part-time work and childcare facilities. However, various studies show that most employees can not balance their professional and personal lives. Few people manage the balance of work and life well (Tewathia, 2014).
In Asian countries, work and family problems have only recently begun to attract attention. A long working culture has exacerbated the pressures of rapid social change and increasing global competition, particularly in countries like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. In addition, female workforce participation increases, more and more Asian workers are now trapped between the needs of work and family life (Luo and Cooper, 2015).
European countries dominate and ranked highly for work-life balance. According to the analysis made by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), following are the best-ranked countries for Work-Life Balance as of December 2020:
Various pressures in life will bring stress. Many of the stressful life events are connected to the work environment. Employees who start to feel the pressure to perform are likely to get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations but no increase in job satisfaction.
Many organizations are trying to promote work-life balance by including initiatives such as flexible working hours, part-time work and childcare facilities. However, various studies show that most employees can not balance their professional and personal lives. Few people manage the balance of work and life well (Tewathia, 2014).
In Asian countries, work and family problems have only recently begun to attract attention. A long working culture has exacerbated the pressures of rapid social change and increasing global competition, particularly in countries like China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and South Korea. In addition, female workforce participation increases, more and more Asian workers are now trapped between the needs of work and family life (Luo and Cooper, 2015).
European countries dominate and ranked highly for work-life balance. According to the analysis made by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD), following are the best-ranked countries for Work-Life Balance as of December 2020:
Figure 1: Top 5 countries with the better Work-Life Balance (Oecdbetterlifeindex, 2020)
Tewathia, N. (2014). Work-Life Balance in the IT Sector, International Journal of Advancements in Research & Technology 3(7).
Luo, L. and Cooper, C.L. (2015). Handbook of research on Work-Life Balance in Asia. Edward Elgar Publishing.
OECD, (2017). Work-Life Balance. [online]. Available at: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/
topics/work-life- balance/ [Accessed 28 December 2020].
Working longer hours, increased responsibilities at work or home can lead to a poor work-life balance.
ReplyDeleteMany of the stressful life events are connected to the work environment. Employees who start to feel the pressure to perform are likely to get caught in a downward spiral of increasing effort to meet rising expectations but no increase in job satisfaction.
ReplyDelete