Work-life balance has become an increasingly important issue in today’s society as people strive to find harmony between responsibilities at their jobs and responsibilities outside of work. While the desire to achieve balance between work and personal life is not necessarily a new concept, rapid changes in technology and workplace culture over the past few decades have drastically altered expectations around how, when, and where people work. This has led to greater challenges in separating work from non-work time and maintaining well-being. The purpose of this paper is to examine societal and organizational factors influencing work-life balance, explore common challenges individuals face in balancing responsibilities, and discuss strategies both employees and employers can utilize to promote a healthier integration of work and personal commitments.
To begin, it is important to understand how changes in work culture and expectations have impacted individuals’ ability to achieve work-life balance. In the late 20th century, advances in technology transformed the nature of work as office employees gained increased mobility through laptops and smartphones (Cavanagh, 2019). While this flexibility allowed people to work from more locations, it also blurred boundaries as employees were often expected to be available around the clock via email and work messaging apps. Additionally, the rise of 24-hour business operations and globalization expanded the traditional workday and workweek internationally (Williams et al., 2013). These shifts contributed to a culture where being constantly connected became the norm. Studies indicate that today’s employees check work communications during non-work hours significantly more than just a decade ago, with over half of employees feeling compelled to do so at least occasionally (Fiksenbaum et al., 2019). The expectation of availability outside traditional work schedules, sometimes referred to as the “always on” mentality, has left less room for disengaging from work demands.
Changes in workplace policies and benefits have also impacted individuals’ abilities to balance responsibilities. Reduced parental leave in the United States compared to other developed nations makes it more difficult for new parents to spend significant time away from work (Ray et al., 2008). The decline of the traditional family wage model, where a single income could support a household, means both partners now often work full-time out of financial necessity rather than choice (Sanchez & Thomson, 1997). Budget cuts have also decreased access to flexible work arrangements and telecommuting options at many organizations over the past 20 years (Hill et al., 2008). At the same time, rising costs of living and stagnant wages mean people feel increased pressure to work longer hours to support their families or pursue career advancement for financial stability (Sayer et al., 2009). These societal and workplace factors create challenges that hamper finding equilibrium between different life roles.
Individuals face a number of personal struggles in balancing work responsibilities with other commitments as well. Research suggests work-life conflicts are associated with increased stress, poorer mental health, higher risk of burnout, and physical health problems for employees (Allen et al., 2000; Geurts & Demerouti, 2003; Grzywacz & Bass, 2003). Juggling the demands of work with responsibilities at home, such as childcare, eldercare, and household tasks, taxes people emotionally and causes spill-over stress between domains (Voydanoff, 1988). The notion of being “always on” also blurs boundaries and reduces opportunities for meaningful detachment, rest, and recharging outside of work hours (Derks et al., 2016). Insufficient recovery time is linked to greater fatigue and impairment to productivity (Barnes et al., 2019). Workaholism, or an unhealthy over-commitment to work at the expense of personal life, has also risen and adversely impacts well-being (Aziz & Cunningham, 2008). Finally, societal and workplace expectations around masculinity and career norms exert additional pressures on many men to prioritize work over family life in unhealthy ways (Williams, 2010).
At the organizational level, lack of work-life balance policies and cultures that do not value integrating responsibilities have consequences as well. Challenges integrating work and personal life are a leading cause of turnover, costing businesses time and money spent on recruiting and training replacements (Allen, 2001; Ryff et al., 2021). Companies with supportive cultures experience less absenteeism from illnesses related to overwork and higher engagement and productivity from employees better able to manage well-being (Hammer et al., 2011; Lewis & Cooper, 1999). Organizations in some countries have also felt pressure to better support family care responsibilities of their workers as declining birth rates and aging populations threaten future economic growth and social systems (OECD, 2020). With work-life balance impacting the bottom line as well as individual and public health, there are clear incentives for change at both societal and business levels.
Rapid shifts in technology, workplace norms, policies, and expectations over recent decades have posed challenges to achieving equilibrium between work and personal commitments. Both societal factors like changes to families and lack of benefits as well as workplace cultures that reinforce “always on” mentalities have taxed individuals’ abilities to properly integrate responsibilities and disengage from work demands. Achieving work-life balance is paramount for well-being, health, and productivity, yet supports for managing multiple life roles have weakened. This paper will explore common barriers both large societal shifts and lack of organizational support create for balancing work and life. It will also discuss strategies employees and employers can adopt to carve out more fulfilling integration of these important domains to improve quality of life for individuals and competitiveness for businesses in today’s society.
Andrew Stroud