We all need to strike a healthy balance between our working lives and our personal lives. A good work-life balance does not necessarily mean having an even split between the time you spend at work and the time you spend on other things. A good work-life balance has to suit you personally. Have a look at the conversation below and highlight the words and phrases you might find useful when discussing this topic.
Expressions in context
Greg had to take time off because of stress-related problems. On his return to the office, he discusses his situation with Sara from HR.
Sara: It’s good to see you back, Greg. How are you feeling?
Greg: Much better, thanks. I’m determined not to let things get on top of me again.
Sara: Good. And to help you do that, I suggest you have regular sessions with Angela, our work-life-balance coach.
Greg: What would that involve?
Sara: She could help you create a set of rules for yourself to strike the right balance between your work and your personal life.
Greg: Great! I certainly don’t want to experience burnout again!
Sara: Angela can help you establish clear boundaries between work and non-work items so that you don’t overdo things.
Greg: I must admit I used to answer e-mails at home after the kids were in bed – and I would work on holiday, too.
Sara: Angela has some tools that can help you prioritize your tasks and set achievable goals for yourself.
Greg: One of my problems is that I find it difficult to say “no” to people.
Sara: Sometimes, you just have to – and that’s OK. Angela can certainly help you with that.
Greg: Feeling stressed out is no fun! It wasn’t fun for me, and it certainly wasn’t fun for my family either.
Sara: So, let’s make sure you get your work-life balance right from now on. Later on, we can discuss whether you want to work in a more flexible way – maybe you’d like to work from home a couple of days a week.
Greg: That sounds great. I think that would help a lot.
Remember
There are many things an employer can do to help staff find the right work-life balance:
- Offer remote and flexible working: People want to feel that they are trusted to manage their own time.
- Increase support for parents: This might involve offering part-time work or job-sharing. It could also involve offering good benefits, such as parental leave or a company crèche.
- Encourage regular breaks: Some companies have rooms set aside for creative work or simply for relaxation.
- Encourage healthy living: Provide healthy meals in a canteen or healthy snacks instead of biscuits and sweets. Subsidize gym membership or offer free fitness classes.
- Ask staff for their views: Get regular feedback on what staff think would improve their work experience.
- Offer options for stress management: In the dialogue, Sara offered Greg work-life- balance coaching. An employer could also offer time management courses, relaxation training and meditation programmes. Keeping stress levels down is the core factor in a good work-life balance.