Working Ourselves to Death

Australian unionist from the early 20th century would roll over in their graves if they were to know the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ most recent Census results. 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the 40-hour working week, a hard-won struggle if ever there was one. Yet Australians are putting in longer hours than ever and, for many, work-life balance is a thing of the past.

The problem with this 180-degree turnaround is that it harks back to the traditional and inaccurate view that the more hours an employee works, the higher their productivity. Combine this with the accoutrements of our high-bandwidth lifestyles – BlackBerry, laptop and Wi-Fi – and some people are never clocking off. Human beings simply are not designed to be wound up like tightly coiled springs. Overstretched employees are more likely to suffer from ill health and high levels of stress, resulting in absenteeism and a lack of commitment to both employer and colleagues. The outcome, poor overall performance, satisfies no one. That said, I am not advocating an inverted Orwellian scenario, where staff are ejected at 5pm on the dot, laptops and PDAs handed in at the door. If a tight deadline requires it or you are angling for a promotion, working late is a rational approach. But the key is moderation.

So how can employers steer people away from an array of potential misfortunes, ranging from failed personal relationships to a heart attack? Ensuring that employees possess the ability to manage their workload and balance competing interests falls within the scope of corporate social responsibility. We are not born inherently knowing how best to manage our time, delegate or prioritise tasks. These are skills that we have to learn, whether it is through on-the-job training, guidance from a manager or mentor, or a formal training solution.

Understanding how to manage priorities is relevant for people at all levels, in just about every industry. Specifically, learning how to ask for help and how to say ‘no’ are fundamental building blocks in the pursuit of work-life balance. Employees need to appreciate the significance of accountability. People who opt not to take on more than they can handle are more productive than those who accept every project that comes their way and end up overwhelmed. Educating staff about the goals and business objectives of your organisation will improve their ability to judge which elements of their role are most crucial to the company’s success.

Companies that offer little in the way of work-life balance inevitably suffer from higher rates of staff turnover. As record low unemployment cements the seller’s market position for job hunters, few companies can afford to do the expensive and time-consuming recruitment process more than absolutely necessary. Work-life balance should not, however, be perceived as a quick fix. Companies that try to paper over existing problems without research, planning and a rigorous evaluation framework will not reap the benefits. Ultimately, work-life balance is not a ‘feel-good’ policy but a strategic imperative for all businesses, requiring both employer and employee to commit to a positive change management process.

The organisation’s investment entails developing relevant skills and accepting that individuals can work fewer hours while maintaining or even improving their productivity. And the employee needs to willingly modify ingrained behavioural patters and trust an organisation.