Work Life Balance Re10[1]
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This document summarizes a PhD research study on work-life balance issues facing older workers in the fire and rescue service. The study examines the impact of organizational and legislative policies on work-life balance. It involves comparing perceptions of work-life balance across gender, roles, ranks, and locations. The methods include questionnaires sent every few weeks and interviews with both retired and current employees to understand their views on work-life balance, factors influencing their decisions to join and remain in the fire service, and the support provided by their organization. Preliminary findings indicate that many workers already work longer than their contracted hours, and spending cuts could worsen work-life balance. Poor management and unsupportive policies also increase work-family conflict.
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Work Life Balance Re10[1]
- 1. Work Life Balance in the Fire & Rescue Service Anita Pickerden University of Leicester Centre for Labour Market Studies
Editor's Notes
- I work full time in the field of Higher Education and I’m doing my PhD part time at Leicester – the Centre for Labour Market Studies (brilliant)
- I evaluated an ESF project and that sparked my interest as different organisations and different countries have such different ways of approaching this. I observed behaviour of students – so many of them really struggled to manage a full time job, a life with family and an intensive and challenging course – often just following promotion. This is a very timely activity given the pressures on the public sector at the moment – people are being expected to work longer until they get their pension, and at the same time lots of public sector workers being laid off. Health & Safety? Well there’s lots of research that suggests that poor work life balance can lead to stress, which impacts decision making, and poor decisions could have a very serious effect on you, your family and your colleagues. – I intend to take this aspect further in my analysis of my findings.
- So, what is an “older worker”? 50+ BUT I wanted to capture the final few years of staff who might retire at 50, so I chose 45+. I am one! And there are more and more of us as the population ages, and we make up a larger proportion of the workforce. Lots of research on families with children, and on younger workers, and less on older workers. Older workers may not have the physical energy to continue to work the current shift and rota patterns. They are often having to deal with children (or to pay for teenagers at university) as well as caring for elderly relatives. They are often perceived as being a waste of space by younger workers And sometimes, if they realise they are not going to make it to the top of their profession they can get disgruntled and become hard to manage . Interest in how people plan for, and transition into and through retirement. Well being includes health – and there is a real public need for us to do “active aging” rather than steady decline, and become a drain on the NHS. 22% of men in England and Wales die before the age of 65 (compared to 13% of women) 42% die before 75 (compared to 26% of women)
- Not much research on work life balance, and not on an age cohort before. Very diverse workforce – lots of opportunity for comparison Low turnover = opportunity for longitudinal research, So, shamelessly using my connections I approached the Chief Fire Officer of my local FRS, who arranged for the HR dept to support my research, and send out questionnaires to all workers over the age of 45.
- Designed to satisfy 3 requirements I wanted to compare groups Everyone knows what they mean by work life balance, but they don’t all mean the same thing, So I wanted to work with the phrases and the metaphors that individuals use. (Spinning plates, juggling, switch off, work life blend) 3. I wanted this to have a benefit to organisations
- National groups CFOA, APFO, FOA, FBU, RFU, Unison, GMB, NWFS Detailed questionnaire to over 400 employees over the age of 45, 113 responses, 25 offers of interviews/extra questions So, 27 Women ( 6 uniformed) , 86 men (66 uniformed) 108 White British Ages: 13 -45, 18 – 46, 8 – 47, 16 – 48, 12 – 49, 11 – 50, 2 – 51, 2 – 52, 1 – 53, 3 – 54, 2 – 55, 2 – 56, 3 – 57, 2 – 58, 0 – 59, 4 – 60, 2 – 61, 9 – didn’t say. But of those who didn’t say, 7 said they intended to retire between 50-55 so must have been younger. Email to see how their perceptions were changing due to stuff happening at home or work Retired – Nov –December Current Jan-April
- 113 definitions of work life balance Not simply about sharing time between paid work and the rest of life – many show a real desire to do a good job for the employer as well as caring for family. (78) Three quarters mentioned family responsibilities, with 19 of those mentioning looking after elderly relatives. Shifts: if you don’t earn the money then you can’t look after the family. Question: do you ever work longer than your contracted hours? Why? Only (27/113) a quarter said they never work longer than their contracted hours, (40) half of those who do, work extra hours regularly, weekly, daily or often (26 out of 113) Nearly a quarter don’t take their annual leave or rota days Why? Feeling that I’m letting my team down by not doing things that cannot be completed in normal office hours, Because there’s nobody telling you not to! Keen, Obligated, conscientious, its expected, want to get promotion, I want to be available if needed, I want to set a good example to my team. Its not a sign of loyalty - In Switzerland you’d be disciplined for not managing your workload properly! 40 people reckoned their work life balance had got better or much better, 44 said it had got worse, or much worse, 23 said no change and the others didn’t say.
- Why join? Public Service, altruism, Wanted to do a good job, family members Also the hours suited, the work was interesting. Why stay? Love the job but also kept there by the pension (24) FRS help with WLB? 44 say yes, 31 say definitely no, and the rest say it depends on the manager. Policies? Occ health, On-site parking, Flexible working, fitness facilities, family related leave inc mat/pat leave. Retirement? 43 Not planning – inc 13 women. What next? 2- nothing, 35 voluntary work, 47 paid work, either with same or different employer or as self employed.
- Poor managers - Many managers seem to think that they are the only ones with work life balance issues, and that fire fighters and admin / non-uniformed people don’t suffer at all. However, tiredness after shifts, increases in expected workload as well as home or family issues can affect anybody, and managers may wish to consider how they can enhance the work life balance of their colleagues – or at least not make it any worse!
- “ I have retired from the operational side and am employed as a civilian …….. The pressure to perform for promotion has gone. The strain of operational duty and shift work has also gone. I am happier in my work due to the control I have over my job and workload. Flexible working hours is greatest benefit in my work/life balance. I am financially secure and socially better off, enjoying my day to day work.”
- Where and how should this fit in the organisation? Are managers close enough to their team to understand WLB?