Let’s Own the Work-Life (Life-Work) Discussion

By David B. Bohl | May 1, 2007 | One Response

Until we take responsibility for our own balance and decide as individuals how to balance work, family, personal life and our lifestyle unnecessarily-adversarial relationships will exist between us and our employers.I believe that one of the most important lifestyle issues of today is that of work-life balance. Surprised? Not only that, I believe that this will hold true for many years to come.

As I’ve opined previously, the current discussion is being “owned” and “championed” by employers. As a result, company initiatives and programs are founded and administered based upon the theory that employers are responsible to employees for providing them with work-life balance.

Even when workers are engaged in the conversation, they’re “educated” or “trained” by the very companies they work for to accept and implement certain attitudes and behaviors that the company views as beneficial to employees achieving the company’s ideal of a balanced life.

It’s no wonder that stress levels are on the rise and job satisfaction is on the decline.

Now, I’m all for encouraging companies to provide all kinds of support to their employees, from Employee Assistance Programs to childcare to concierge services. Whether companies do this as a matter of being conscientious to their employees or as a way of attracting talent are matters for you and the free market to decide.

Ultimately, however, each of us must take responsibility for our own balance. We must decide as individuals how to balance our work, family, and personal lives and lifestyles.

Until we do - until we take ownership of the work-life discussion and its outcomes - I’m afraid that unnecessarily-adversarial relationships will continue to exist between us and our employers.

Anthony Baggett of Antbag got it right in his Work-Life Balance post when he said:

“The fact is that to achieve a balance between work and the rest of your life, that’s something that you will have to do for yourself. Waiting on your employer to provide that, is like waiting for the government to provide it……..as they fix all your other problems as well.”