As the dust starts to settle and COVID-19 turns to COVID-normal, everyone from researchers to podcast hosts to impending graduates are wondering what the next six months, if not six years of work, will look like.
Image Source: Life @ U of T (RachelC 2019)
The COVID-19 pandemic which struck worldwide in late February-early March 2020 set even those companies with the most admirable work-life balance into disequilibrium, as the
boundaries between home and work life blurred.
A LOOK BACK
Though efforts were made to limit work hours through the institution of the 40-hour workweek in the United States in 1940, the term “work-life balance” was only coined in the 1980s during the UK’s Women’s Liberation Movement. What then sought to provide flexible schedules and maternity leave for women, work-life balance has now taken on a new meaning as a way to avoid role overload, work-to-family interference, and family-to-work interference. The effects of these stresses can be detrimental to workers’ wellbeing, producing impacts on not only employee productivity but also on one’s mental and physical health.
While work-life balance has commonly been achieved through flexible work arrangements, family leave policies, and childcare assistance, some of the world’s most revered organizations have used after-work social events to provide a reprieve, boost employee morale, and avoid burnout. Notably, Acuity, a leader in work-life balance according to Glassdoor, will open a 65-foot Ferris wheel twice a month for employees to bring their families and enjoy.
THE PRESENT
However, with the spread of COVID-19, in-person events are no longer an option and employee engagement and motivation must be recreated at home. The unexpected shift to remote work saw nearly “70% of workers citing COVID-19 as the most stressful moment of their career – even more stressful than other major events like 9/11 and the Great Recession of 2008”. The feeling of needing to be ‘on’ at all times of the day has led digital connectivity to reach unprecedented levels, where workers have logged up to 60 additional hours per month since the onset of the pandemic. This has been exacerbated by the shutdown of many systems designed to support workers such as childcare.
MOVING FORWARD
As future work conditions remain uncertain and the possibility of remote work seems indefinite, companies must not only acknowledge the imbalance presented by these changes but also take deliberate action to communicate clear expectations throughout their enterprise. When it comes down to it, most employees who are offered flexible work arrangements are reluctant to use them out of fear that it will negatively impact their career. Better work-life balance policies must then start with managers who model the behaviors employees themselves should demonstrate. Moreover, taking time off must not simply be tolerated but instead championed by senior leaders. Mental health must also be prioritized on C-suite agendas by encouraging "unplugging" from company devices. By leading with these practices, workers will feel empowered to separate work and home life, reintroducing the many benefits the notion sought to reap in the first place.
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