Work life balance or work life integration?

Finding a work-life balance has been talked about for a long time. An employee who has time for his family, for quality rest, for developing his passions and social contacts, is less exposed to burnout, and it is easier for him to be motivated. Tips on how to achieve and maintain this balance can even be found on the website of the government project „Family and work – it pays off”, implemented by the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Policy. However, the idea of work-life balance, known since the 70s of the last century, is still evolving, and the covid realities have further accelerated this process.

One of the proofs of this evolution is the concept of work-life integration, which began to enjoy increasing popularity even before the pandemic. It presupposes not the separation, but the coexistence of the professional and personal worlds. Sanitary restrictions introduced (both by states and companies) have made this idea a part of many employees regardless of their will.

Since spring 2020, thousands of companies have switched to remote work. Thus, the employees’ homes became their offices at the same time. This resulted in a quick and necessary change in the definition of place, and often also working time. The desk, on which next to the work laptop lie textbooks for elementary school or a cat’s toy, ceased to surprise anyone. Just like walking the dog during the lunch break or inserting a washing machine during a visit to the bathroom (who has not done it once, let him throw the buckle first). Some employers, realizing the need to combine professional duties with simultaneous childcare, have also introduced more flexible working hours. In practice, this often meant going to bed in the evening with a computer to complete a task from which at noon we were distracted, for example, by problems with logging in an eight-year-old for a remote lesson.

Among the positive effects of this revolution, we can mention saving time (no need to commute to the office) and easier reconciliation of household and professional duties (such as the aforementioned walk with a pet or inserting a washing machine). The negative is the weakening of ties with co-workers, difficult communication between teams, sometimes a decrease in motivation and, paradoxically, greater fatigue (simultaneous work from home and caring for a few-year-old is sometimes compared to working two jobs in parallel, in addition, flexibility in the implementation of employee tasks so helpful, e.g. in the case of children’s online learning, causes the feeling that working hours have been significantly extended). Not without significance is also the issue of housing conditions: after all, you work differently from a separate room in a house over 100 meters high, and differently from a table inserted by force into a studio apartment, in which at the same time your spouse works remotely and a Maltese barks.

The loosening of restrictions has caused some companies to return (at least temporarily) to the usual stationary mode of operation. The positive experiences of many companies have meant that the home office has remained in them as a regular option and yet, I feel that we are spending more and more time back in the offices. Partly for more effective cooperation, partly for rebuilding a sense of belonging, strengthening communication or exchanging knowledge. Partly for attentive f2f meetings or comfortable working conditions. Regardless of the needs, questions about how to reconcile private life with work outside the home are becoming relevant again.

Employers try to meet the expectations of employees by offering a number of (often extremely creative) opportunities to combine personal and professional life. The most popular solutions include:

  • Possibility of bringing a child or pet to the company
  • Consierge from ordinary and unusual tasks

Laundry, car wash, shopping, returns, shoeshine or official matters.  There are as many opportunities as the needs of employees.

  • Community manager,

which helps employees in solving life matters. Do you need a nanny, doctor or handyman? Such support can be invaluable.

  • Company gadgets in the service of healthy habits and sports activity

Regardless of the current state of restrictions and the current mode of work, taking care of health, building healthy habits or supporting sports activities is always a good idea. In addition to the health aspect, we also have an element of building employer recognition, because trifles with the employer’s logo, which can be used (and boast about) outside the company are very popular.

  • Flexible working hours
  • Office in a good location
  • Joint events for families

Another way to reconcile family and professional commitments is to organize picnics, trips and other company events, to which the families of employees are also invited. In the pandemic version, these can be additional online activities for children, animations or cooking together. Thanks to them, not only employees, but also their loved ones integrate with each other. This is conducive to both making lasting friendships and greater attachment of the employee to the organization.

These times bring with them many challenges. Employers and employees not only test new opportunities, but also experience and learn about the resulting risks or limitations. It seems, however, that a hard separation of the private and professional spheres is not necessary to maintain a balance between them. Openness to mutual needs and the courage to say „I don’t know” is – I have the impression – the key to finding the golden mean. What is he like? Different for everyone. However, regardless of whether we are an employer or an employee, one thing is certain: work-life integration does not mean that we spend our whole lives at work. On the contrary: it shows that in professional situations we can still successfully remain ourselves.

Source: https://wroclaw.timocom.pl/work-life-balance-vs-integration/

Region Gdański NSZZ „Solidarność”

Projekt otrzymał dofinansowanie z Norwegii poprzez Fundusze Norweskie 2014-2021, w ramach programu „Dialog społeczny – godna praca”.

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