Increased hence the need to balance work
Increased pressure in the workplace resulting from issues such as globalization, restructuring, increased competition and organizational, downsizing and rightsizing, can create a dilemma for both employers and employees, namely which comes first ,work or home life? The role of work has changed throughout the world due to economic conditions and social demands. Originally, work was a matter of necessity and survival. Throughout the years, the role of “work” has evolved and the composition of the workforce has changed .Today work still is a necessity but it should be a source of personal satisfaction as well. One of the vehicles that help to provide attainment of personnel and professional goals is work life benefits and programs. Enabling employees to achieve a balance between their working lives and their lives outside work is a crucial issue faced by the employers today.
A traditional view of employers would see them as being focused on cost and productivity, but in today’s society the wider view -one addresses the issue of employee well-being, is necessary for the achievement of corporate and individual goals. A balanced life is one where an individual spread his/her energy and efforts – emotional, intellectual, and imaginative spiritual and physical between the key areas of importance. The neglect of one or more areas, anchor points, may threaten the vitality of the whol.The present era is an age of knowledge workers. The society in which we live has come to be known as knowledge society.
The intellectual pursuits have taken precedence over the physical efforts. Some knowledge workers work for more than 60 hours a week. As a result of this, their personal hobbies and interests clash with their work. Life is a bundle that contains all the strands together and hence the need to balance work life with other related issues.’ One must have both love and work in one’s life to make it healthy. Gone are the days when the priority of employees used to be for physical and material needs. With the increasing shift of the economy towards knowledge economy, the meaning and quality of work life has undergone a drastic change.
