While work is still a necessity for survival, it should also be a source of personal satisfaction. One vehicle available to provide a balance between personal and professional goals is a work/life program. Research presented at the Society of Industrial-Organizational Psychology in May 2002 defined work/life programs as not just a series of programs but a culture that emphasizes the value of the individual (Latham, 2002). Although it has been around for more than a decade, work/ life issues are just now gaining momentum. This change is coming out of research being done at universities, as well as an increasing awareness of the importance of organizations to respond to employees needs.
Work/life programs allow employees more control over the structure of their life schedule. Some common benefits include flex-time, job-sharing, telecommuting, childcare, education, referral systems, elder care assistance, sabbaticals, parental and health related leave policies, employee assistance programs, and a spectrum of training and support for managers and employees. In addition, there are many communication tools that help employees gain flexibility by working anywhere and anytime, such as cellular phones, e-mail, voice mail, videoconferences, podcasts, and internet based software. The more popular work/life programs are discussed further.
Flexible work hours let employees decide how to spread the eight hour work day between convenient hours for them, such as 10am to 6 pm or 7am to 3pm. Employees are required to work a specific number of hours a week, but are free to vary their hours around core times (Robbins, 2003). Job sharing allows two or more employees to share the responsibilities of one job, varying the work hours or workdays to fit each schedule. Part-time work schedules involve cutting hours and pay, but can lead to an increase in personal satisfaction. Telecommuting may involve working from a home environment at least a few days a week. Appropriate jobs for this type of arrangement include routine information-handling tasks, mobile activities, and professional or other knowledge-related tasks (Robbins, 2003).
Lotte Bailyn, a researcher of work/life benefits and a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, discovered that the very things hindering a person’s ability to lead a fuller personal life were the same factors hindering workflow and outcomes. Research clearly shows that work/life programs positively impact employees, the organization, and ultimately the bottom line (Martinez, 1997). The newest discovery about the business benefits of work and family programs is their direct correlation with increased customer retention and satisfaction. First Tennessee has found that because of their commitment to work/life programs, they have a customer retention rate of 96%, one of the highest in the industry. Sears found that improving employee satisfaction also improved customer satisfaction and increased revenues (Lombardo, 2002).
Workers with more control over their jobs and schedules tend to be more satisfied, less burned out, take more initiative at work, feel greater loyalty to employers and plan to remain with the company longer than other employees (Lombardo, 2002). Job satisfaction is influenced by mentally challenging work, equitable rewards, supportive working conditions, and the support of colleagues (Robbins, 2003). Programs designed to support employees and provide them with flexibility have a common underlying strategy: to reduce the level of distraction employees feel at work regarding their non-work priorities. When they are at work, they can give 100% to the job. In comparison, programs designed to increase the intrinsic value and rewards associated with work, such as the use of learning programs, are also connected by a common strategy: to increase employees’ commitment to and satisfaction with their jobs. Both programs indicate that focused and satisfied employees are more likely to stay with a company and perform effectively.
An article in TIP called “Work in the 21st Century: The Role of I-O in Work-Life Programs,” discusses multiple strategies available to businesses for increasing people’s ability to meet their life needs through work (May, 1998):
- Design jobs to include assignments and responsibilities that are meaningful and challenging.
- Place people in jobs they find stimulating.
- Involve employees in decisions regarding the content and structure of their jobs.
- Allow employees to spend some of their time doing volunteer work.
- Provide learning opportunities on and off the job.
- Use reward and recognition systems.
- Provide support for employee career development and planning.
Jobs can be redesigned to make them more interesting and motivating for the employees. Such options include cross-training, job enlargement, job enrichment, and team based work designs (Robbins, 2003).
As men start to take advantage of work/life programs it could have profound ramifications for the advancement of women. Until now, it has mostly been mothers, usually the primary caretakers of children, who have made use of the alternative work schedules. While women have been grateful for such policies, the help has come at a cost. There is still a growing wage gap between men and women, and it’s the mothers who are hit the hardest. A study of mothers in the Midwest by Jennifer Glass, chairman of the sociology department at the University Of Iowa, found that the salaries of mothers who used family friendly policies lagged behind those of mothers who didn’t use the policies. All this could change if men insisted that they want more balance in their lives. Women would benefit by no longer being the only parent seeking career flexibility and full-stream advancement (Stein, 2002).
Growing numbers of educated women are seeking to redefine the workplace and create meshed worlds. Work/life balance has taken on new meaning, as the two are barely separate. Michael Silverstein, director of Boston Consulting, indicates that working women still handle 75% of the housework, juggling many roles throughout the day (Pallavi, 2005). As we have discussed, alternative work schedules and programs can alleviate some of the pressures females face. Allowing women to customize the pace of their career advancement without long term damage would also help. If organizations are not willing to change, women have the options of starting their own companies or seeking more women friendly environments. Imagine the design of a business created by females who understood the needs of their gender.
In the last part of the series we will uncover an organizational structure the reshapes the work environment for women with life/work challenges.
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