WORK LIFE BALANCE:

Every human that is existing does not exist on his own. One has to balance his existence with all forces competing for his attention. You have yourself to satisfy, other individuals, your community, your work place, your friends etc.

What is work Life Balance?

It is the ability to effectively manage the juggling act between paid work and other activities that are important to people. For example Family/Friends, Recreation, Spiritual and Health/Wellness.

WORK LIFE BALANCE describes the balance between an individual's work and personal life. This is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business, and society. 

Let us deviate a little from the topics: Who is a good employee?

Is it the one that works 24 hours a day? Or the one that sleeps in the office every day to ensure that all tasks are accomplished? Better still, the one that leaves the office last every day? Or the one that uses his break time to work and never observes his break?  Of course No! 

Did you know that too Long hours of work can lead to the following?

—  Lower productivity

—  Increased workplace injuries and errors

—  Increased levels of ill health

—  Work-family conflict

So working long hours without break or sleeping in the office to  prove that you work hard or working 24 hours a day will only do you more harm than good and will definitely affect your productivity negatively.

Consequences of Work-Life Balance Struggles:

It is very important that one ensures that his work-life is in balance as anything less than this will affect him negatively. Work life balance struggles will lead to the following:

ž It diminishes your overall happiness and well-being and negatively impacts your life in far-reaching ways.

ž It has adverse health consequences, such as stress-related illnesses, can result when you are chronically tense or upset.

ž Overworked and overstressed employees are more likely to get sick and have high absentee rates.

ž A lack of work/life balance affects an employee’s attitude. Unhappy workers are typically less efficient and can destroy morale.

ž Burnout directly affects turnover rates. Employees get frustrated and leave a company.

ž Many people are caught in the middle of inner conflicts that make it hard for them to make changes to create the healthier and happier balance they would like.

WORK LIFE BALANCE ADVANTAGES TO THE COMPANY:

Work-life balance has many advantages which is why it is highly advised that one should ensure his work-life is always in a state of balance at all times. Some of the advantages of work-life balance to the company or employer are:

¢ Employee satisfaction

¢ Decrease in labour turnover

¢ Increases employee productivity

¢ Improved reputation of the firm

¢ Decrease in absenteeism

¢ Improved business results

¢ Higher quality work

¢ More loyalty to employer

¢ An overall more enjoyable workplace.

¢ More innovative ideas as employees care about their job.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS FROM WORK LIFE BALANCE:

Just as the employer benefits immensely from work –life balance, employees too benefit as well from Work life balance. The following are the benefits from the employee aspect:

¢ Decrease in work pressure.

¢ Employees are able to better meet work, personal and society commitments.

¢ Employees have more time to do other things.

¢ Time is created for Travel/Education.

¢ There is enough recreation time.

FACTORS AFFECTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE:

¢ WORKING HOURS: Many employees who struggle with work life balance are mostly those who work extra house or long hours each day. This affects so much their personal life.

¢ WORK LOADS: Those who have high workloads also are much affected with work –life balance as the work load eats into the time for other personal engagements.

¢ MULTIPLE ROLES: Employees who have multiple roles in the work place are also affected as their work-life is never in balance.

¢ FAMILY REQUIREMENTS: Family requirements also affect work life balance as employees have existence with their families before becoming employees. This really affects their work.

¢ PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT: Any physical discomfort affects work –life balance.

Ways to tell that your work-life is not in balance:

When your work life is not in balance, it is easy to notice this. This is because, your work or your personal life will be directly affected. When you begin to notice the following, please check your work-life balance:

¢ You’re always tired, depressed, anxious, and tensed.

¢  Your work performance isn’t as good as it used to be.

¢  You’re missing work more often than you should.

¢ Your personal relationships are suffering.

¢  You feel like you’re running in circles and getting nowhere.

¢  You feel like you have no choices and no control.

¢ Your life is happening to you rather than you managing your life.

¢ You don’t feel in control of your own time.

¢  You can think of more things that aren’t getting done than the ones actually done.

¢  You feel like one part of your life is dominating your time and energy.

Steps To Maintain » WORK-LIFE « Balance:

When you notice that your work life is not in balance. You need to take the following steps to bring it back to balance:

ž Identify the priorities: You are not supposed to do everything. Find out only the things that are essential, important and necessary and concentrate on them.

ž Be sure to ask: Ask questions when you are confused. Do not allow your life to happen just like that. You need a guide.

ž Set a time frame: You need to plan your life. There should be a time frame to achieve anything you want to achieve.

ž Find a balance mentor: Many have passed through the road you are passing through now. Seek for a mentor who will guide you through the tide.

ž Share the Load—( At Home share tasks---In the Office Delegate)

ž Use technology to your advantage: Thank God for technology today, you can actually achieve more today via technology. So use it to your advantage.

ž Communicate: Yes communicate. Open up. Talk to people around you.

ž Understand your company policies: Having a good understanding of your company policy will help you plan your personal life to ensure it does not affect your work life.

ž Edit yourself personally and professionally: This is very important. Always edit your life, remove the excess loads that are not required and bring in the required things that you have ignored before now.

ž Separate work and leisure: Work and leisure are two different things. Do not mix leisure with work.

ž Take a holiday: At your spare time, take a holiday. Visit places you have never been. Make your life worthwhile.

ž Do not bring work home unless absolutely necessary: This is very important, if it is not important, why bring work home? Your family needs your attention when you return from work. After all you have been at work since morning!

ž Enjoy life: Make your life enjoyable. What you call your dog is what it will answer. So make your life an enjoyable one.

ž Take care of your Health: Always carry out check up on your body. Many always service their cars every two or three months. But ask them, when last did they go for medical checkup?

ž Don’t Postpone tasks—Never procrastinate do what can be done today and leave tomorrow with its own problems. Besides you don’t know what tomorrow holds!

ž Take Charge—Plan ahead.

The three O’s to Balance;

In summary it will be nice to mention the 3 “O” of Balance. These are “Ourselves”, “Others “and “Obligations” .If we must have a work-life balance, these 3 “O” must be considered and prioritized.

Ourselves: For your life to be in balance you need to ensure your physical life, emotions, mental state and spiritual life are planned in a way that they do not struggle against one another or interfere with your work.

OTHERS: For other people in your life, you owe them your time and attention. You Love/sex life must not be left unsatisfied. Your family, friends, pets, hobbies /fun must be considered as well.

OBLIGATIONS:  You owe obligation aside from to yourself, your work, your home/yard and your community. Aside from these, you have a civic and financial obligation to yourself and others as well.

Note that those who make the worst use of their time are the first to complain of its shortness. If you don’t take anything away from this write up, Note that Time Isn’t Money… It’s your LIFE!  SO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR WORK!

WORK ETHICS NEEDED TO STAY AFLOAT IN THE WORK PLACE

The importance of developing a strong work ethic and how the work ethic you develop will impact your future as an employee can never be over emphasized.

What is Work Ethic? Simply put, it is a standard of conduct and values for job performance. It is the acceptable standard for performance in every work environment.

What does an employer want? A winning Employee! Yes that is correct. No employer that wants to be successful will ever employ you because you are pretty or handsome. Every successful employer would have employed employees who have winning mentality. Winning employees are the ones that are ready to add value and have all it takes to add value to the system. Having said that, let us look at the top ten work ethics that will make one a winning employee:

Top 10 Work Ethics

(i)   Attendance

(ii) Character

(iii)  Team Work

(iv)  Appearance

(v)  Attitude

(vi) Productivity

(vii)   Organizational Skills

(viii)  Communication

(ix)  Cooperation

(x)  Respect

Traits of a Winning Employee

Ø Limit Absences: To be a winning employee you must not be seen as a late comer. You must limit your absences to work. If you must be absent to work, it must be very necessary. Be at work every day (if possible). Plan your absences and never abuse leave time.

Ø Come to work on time: Every company has resumption time. To be a wining employee, you must respect your company resumption time. As much as possible, be punctual every day.

Ø Be honest: Honesty is the single most important factor having a direct bearing on the final success of every individual, corporation, or product. To grow in any establishment, honesty is a trait and ethics that cannot be toiled with.

Ø Be dependable: A dependable employee is a winning employee. If any employee will get a promotion in the work place, it is a dependable employee. If any employee will grow on the job, it is a dependable employee. To be a dependable employee, you must Complete assigned tasks correctly and promptly too.

Ø Be loyal: To grow in any establishment, you must be loyal to the company and the management. You must speak well at all times about the company. You must be a good ambassador of the company.

Ø Be willing to learn: Look to improve your skills. The difference between two employees with the same degree and employed at the same time is in the additional skills acquired by one that the other does not have. Once you stop learning, you stop growing. You must continue to learn and acquire new skills if you must grow and become a winning employee.

Ø Be a team player: You must have what it takes to relate to your team. You must be able to relate with your managers and your subordinates alike. The ability to get along with others – including those you don’t        necessarily like is required to be a good team player.

Ø Leadership abilities: This is the ability to lead and/or to become a leader. To grow in any establishment you must aspire to be a leader. Leaders are groomed to become Supervisors and Managers. Wining employees always have leadership  abilities.

Ø Be a contributing member: Do not just be part of the team. Do not just make up numbers in a team or group. Have the ability to carry your own weight and help others who are struggling in your team to accomplish their tasks.

Ø Accept compromise: Recognize when to speak up with an idea and when to compromise             by blending ideas together. Know when to bend the rule for the best of the establishment.

Ø Dress Appropriately: Most companies have their dress codes. No matter your level in the organization, you need to abide by the rules of the establishment, and of which the dress code is one. Dress for Success and always set your best foot forward when it comes to dressing smart.

Ø Personal hygiene: As an employee, you do not have to play with your personal hygiene. The office accommodates other employees, so your personal hygiene will affect the other employees whether good or bad. Do not come to the office unkempt. Always observe high level of personal hygiene for your sake and sake of other employees.

Ø Good manners: Build and imbibe good manners at work. Be bold, cheerful and open minded always. Do not avoid handshakes and eye contact when interacting with other colleagues. Remember that the first impression of who you are can last a lifetime.

Ø Have a good attitude: Listen to suggestions, be positive and accept responsibility for your work. If you make a mistake, admit it and effect needed corrections.

Ø Do the work correctly: Quality of your work and timeliness are highly prized. To be a winning employee, you must ensure that quality of your work is always top notch. Learn to work and deliver on targets as expected.

Ø Get along with co-workers: No man is an Ireland. Everyone is needed for the work to move on. You must always remember that you need one another in the work place. You cannot do it alone; otherwise others will not be employed. Note that Cooperation is the key to productivity.

Ø Help out whenever asked:  Always be ready to do “extras” without being asked. Take pride in your work and do things the best you know how at all times.

Ø Make an effort to improve: Learn ways to better yourself. Do not be comfortable being just who you are and what you are. Ensure you aspire to grow , add new skills and be a better person.

Ø Time Management: Utilize time and resources to get the most out of both. Managers always rely on employees who deliver targets on time.

Ø Written Communications: You must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently both in writing and verbally. You must be  able to correctly write

            Reports and memos.  You cannot do without these two in a work environment.

Ø Follow company rules and policies: Every company has its rules and policies. For one to grow in any company one has to respect the company policies and rules. Disobeying company rules is the fastest way to being disciplined.

Ø Appreciate privileges and don’t abuse them: Privileges are favors and benefits. That you are opportune to be employed does not mean you are the best candidate out there. It is a privilege and opportunity, so you need to reciprocate by giving your best.

Ø Work hard: Work to the best of your ability. Do the work and take it as if your life depends on it. Carry out orders, do what’s asked the first time.

Ø Show respect: Accept and acknowledge an individual’s talents and knowledge. No matter the age or qualification of your boss, supervisor or Manager, you are expected to respect him for the fact that he is your boss.

Why People Lose Their Jobs:

People lose their jobs everyday in work places. Aside from voluntary resignation there are only two ways people may lose their jobs. They get laid off. In this way the job loss is not their fault. The other option is they get fired. And here the job loss is because of their actions.

Common Reasons Why Employees are Fired

These include reasons the Law upholds as “just cause” for firing any employee. They include:

Ø Being late or absent from work. These simply show lack of responsibility. It definitely will hinder productivity and is not acceptable by any employer.

Ø Being dishonest: This is the opposite of honesty. No employer will keep any employer that is dishonest. Note that Trust, once lost, is hard to regain.

Ø Being unreliable: This has to do with dependability. If you are not reliable, you can never be dependable. Dependability is an employee asset.

Ø Abusing drugs or alcohol: I don’t see any company that will approve of drug abuse, weather in the office or at home. It is dangerous to the person indulging in it as well as people around him. It can create health/safety issues , that is why companies disengage employees who get involved in drug or alcohol abuse.

Ø Bossing others around: Giving orders is the boss’s job. So why give orders and boss others around when you are not the boss? You are putting your hand where it does not fit and you will get burnt.

Ø Not carrying your weight: You are employed to work. To add value and fill an existing gap before your employment. Not doing your part – relying on         others to do your job for you will definitely lead to job loss.

Ø Dress Code: Like I said earlier, most companies have their dress code. Not adhering to the dress code means you are defiant. Indiscipline is one of the things that lead to termination of appointment. Remember that you are a representative of your company how you dress and act can reflect on the company.

Ø Being a troublemaker: Stirring up dissent among others, Causing arguments and problems unnecessarily means fighting against your employer indirectly. No employer will tolerate or accept that.

Ø Being rude and using abusive language: Every work environment is an organized set up and there is always orderliness. You don’t talk to people any how or use abusive languages in the work place.  Inappropriate behavior is inexcusable and will surely lead to job loss.

Ø Failing to do the task properly: Not doing your job as expected can be costly. And costly errors hurt the business and surely lead to losses and may also be HSE issue.

Ø Being lazy: It’s a form of theft. You are paid to work. If you do not do the work you are being paid for, then you are a thief. If it is discovered, you are fired. Same applies to being careless; it can lead to accidents/profit loss.

Ø Lack of Time Management: You must meet deadlines and targets as expected.

Time is money and not meeting deadlines will definitely lead to loss of man hours and money.

Ø Not being prepared: Not ready for meetings or presentations. That shows one is not serious and no company will keep and unserious employee.

Ø Poor communication skills: Every worker will communicate all the time. You either communicate in writing or verbally. Whichever way, your communication must be effective. Being unable to properly express ones thoughts and ideas or being unable to interpret instructions and directions will definitely lead to termination of appointment.

•         Not getting along with others: Team work is key. No employee can do it all alone without the cooperation of other employees. Together Every One Achieves More.

Ø Failing to follow rules and policies: Not following instructions and “Doing your own thing”. Being disrespectful, argumentative and confrontational. Making fun of colleagues, harassing, or discriminating against others etc. These aside from causing one his job could also land in court!

Ø Being dissatisfied all the time: Most employees keep complaining about their poor salaries and this affects their productivity. Meanwhile the employee agreed to the work/pay/hours before commencing the job, so why complain always.

Ø Theft: Of course this is a case of summary dismissal. No employer will retain or give a second chance to any employee caught stealing.

Ø Incompetence: This is lack of ability to perform assigned tasks. Every employee is employed to do his or her job. Not being able to do the work you are employed to do simply means, you are fired!

Positive Actions to Take if You’re Fired

Most successful employees and employers today have been fired at one time or the other in their careers. Being fired does not mean the world has come to an end. You need to find out why you were fired, take necessary corrective actions and move on to become a better employee. So if you lose your job what do you do?

Ø  Correct your faults move forward.

Ø  Don’t repeat your mistakes, learn from them.

Ø  Think positively about your next job