Describes work life balance and its strategies

1. WORK-LIFE
BALANCE
By:
Dr.D. D.Shoba
Assistant Professor, Guru Nanak College,
Chennai.

2. Introduction
What is work and life balance?
- management/prioritisation
- flexibility
- control
- interests/career goals
(Hobson, Delunas & Kesic, 2001)
• Individuals each have unique
responsibilities; what happens if these are
compromised with multiple roles?

3. Overview
• The importance of work-life balance.
• What work-life balance impacts on.
• Strategies to improve your balance.
• Communication in relation to stress and
work-life balance.
• Organisations and Departments.

4. Importance of Work-Life
Balance

5. Why is it so Important?
• Basically, stress “forces
us to deviate from
normal functioning”.
• A small amount of stress
can be a useful tool,
which helps us become
motivated and efficient.
But severe occupational
stress impacts negatively
both personally and
professionally.

6. • Patient Care: Stress
has the ability to
negatively impact on
the quality of care we
give our patients.
• Job satisfaction: Stress
can question our job
happiness.
• Achieve nursing
retention: We have the
highest rates of
turnover in any other
industry!

7. • Nursing occupational
stress leads to an
increase in morbidity and
mortality.
• Good balance prevents
burnout, which is when
we feel emotionally
exhausted and our
sense of personal
accomplishment is
diminished.

8. Balance
=
healthy and
satisfying lives
both personally
and
professionally

9. • Work-life balance
has gained increasing
prominence in recent
years.
• Working hours
emerges as one of
the issues of great
concern.
What Work-Life Balance
Impacts on

10. What Work-Life Balance
Impacts on
• Rotation between
nights and days.
• Difficulty focusing on
even the simplest thing.

11. What Work-Life Balance
Impacts on
• Burnout and
emotional distress.
• Stress may also lead
to binge eating,
smoking and alcohol
consumption.

12. • Finally...

13. • DEMOGRAPHICS: According to Australian
bureau of statistics in 2001, one in three working
adults suffer from work- related stress.
• In the world of globalization, economic
rationalization, downsizing and longer shift hours
there is no getting away from stress, it is the way
you deal with it that counts.
• Getting the balance right is a challenge to every
organsation and individuals.
• According to the National occupational health and
safety commission’s reports mental stress is 6%
of all work injury claimed, up from 3% in 1997/98.
Strategies For Work Life
Balance

14. • It is the responsibility of all employers to protect
their employees to achieve a better balance
between work, family and life commitments.
• This can be achieved by creating a positive work
life balance” thinking” by treating staff as adults
who are balancing their work with commitments.
• Be positive about making flexible changes in the
work place in all aspects of employee relations.
• Create a work life balance policy which enable all
employees to balance work and family
responsibilities.
• Increase employee sense of control and choice.
Strategies For Work Life
Balance For Employers

15. • Increase awareness of employees entitlements to
access flexible working arrangements
• Implement flexible work place which include
supervisors, managers and senior staff by
allowing flexible working hours, rosters and leave
arrangements to accommodate family.
• Increase the ability to attract and retain skilled
employees.
• Reducing staff turnover rates and increasing
retention in the work place.
• Conduct work life balance survey to identify staff
needs in balancing work and family commitment.
• Incorporate results into human resource
management plan and staff work planning
arrangement.
Strategies For Work Life
Balance For Employers

16.  Staff leave organisation for many reasons such as
career advancement, better job opportunities and
retirement, these departures may be difficult to
prevent.
 However, another reason staff leave their jobs,
particularly women is to find a better work life
balance.
 These include flexible working hours, time off or
leave arrangement, a lack of access to suitable
childcare arrangement.
 Undue stress and tension in the workplace which
make working life more difficult and unpleasant.
 Long working hours and unstable rosters.
Reasons Why Staff Leave
Their Jobs

17.  To retain staff and better work life, there is need to
provide:
 Flexible working hours and consultative rostering
arrangement to all employees including managers
and supervisors.
 Flexible leave arrangements and purchased leave as
well as extended leave without pay.
 Introduce leave in single days.
 Increase job mobility within wards and transfer
between hospitals, work areas and health services
 Improving safety wellbeing and respect for all
employees in workplace
Retention and Attraction
Strategy

18. Communication
• Recent studies show
most stress results from
poor communication.

19. • Whilst employers can provide assistance to
employees through various benefits and resources,
much of the pursuit of balance lies in the hands of
the individual and effective communication.
Communication

20. Communication
• Studies have indicated that nurses experience the
highest levels of workplace stress!
• In addition, evidence suggests that nurses suffer
higher rates of mortality, psychiatric admissions and
physical illness than workers outside the healthcare
environment!

21. Organisations and
Departments
• Where to seek professional assistance...

22. • WH acknowledges that staff have a right to work in a
safe and supportive environment.
• Aims to provide an environment which attracts,
develops and retains people who work together to
achieve a shared vision of excellence.
• WH provides a counselling and
psychology program to staff who
are affected by stress which affects
their work performance and / or
wellness.
Professional Assistance
Western Health (WH)

23. Professional Assistance
Western Health (WH)
 Filomena Bua, a Registered
Psychologist with over 20 years
clinical experience, manages the
Employee Assistance Program
(EAP) and Critical Incident Stress
Management (CISM) Program
and provides on site support to all
WH employees across all
Campuses.
 All service delivery is confidential
and includes defusing and
debriefing either in one-on-one
sessions / Group sessions and
includes follow up and / or referral
where appropriate.
Filomena Bua – CISM / EAP Program
Manager / Psychologist & Kerri Williams –
Employee Services and Remuneration
Manager

24. Examples of issues that staff may
attend EAP for are, but not limited
to:
 Work issues such as conflict &
Tension
 Family issues i.e. Separation / Divorce
or relationship issues
 Emotional stress / Personal crisis
 Loss, Grief & Bereavement
 Anxiety & Depression / Self esteem
concerns
 Alcohol & Drug problems
 Health
Examples of issues that may affect
staff that may attend CISM are:
 suicide
 death of a patient or series of deaths
 actual threatened harm to self or
others
 needle stick injury
 being taken hostage
 exposure to gruesome sights e.g.
body parts
 prolonged and / or unsuccessful
resuscitation
 equipment failure
 fire
 bomb threat
Any staff member can self-refer at any time.
This service is available Monday to Friday, during business hours.
8345 6583 or 56689.
Leave you name and contact details (your call will be responded to ASAP).
Professional Assistance
Western Health (WH)

25. • Studies have shown that staff who have
attended counselling, have not only seen an
improvement in their personal lives, but also
have experienced an improvement in work
performance, work attitude and working
relationships. It has shown a reduction in the
number of sick days and / or resignations
(Elliott and Williams, 2002).
Professional Assistance
Western Health (WH)

26. Conclusion
• Managing stress
• The need to provide flexibility, awareness and
respect
• Voice out your opinion – without
communication there’s no compromise
• Don’t waste the resources available, use them
if need be
• We need work and life balance!!!

27. References
Achieving work life balance: Retention or Attraction strategies for WA
health, viewed 17 October, 09
www.health.wa.gov.au
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strategies: progress & problems in Australian organizations.

28. Hobson, C.J., Delunas, L. & Kesic, D. (2001). Compelling evidence of
the need for corportate work/life balance initiatives: results from a
national survey of stressful life events. Journal of Employment,
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Mac Kenzie Siusan 2005, work life balance strategies as a workforce
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