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you are here: > Self > 21.
Ekasys
| 21.3 | The importance of work-life balance |
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| In the poorest places on planet Earth, there remains no such thing as work life balance, only work for survival. If this means picking up cow dung, or washing laundry 18 hours a day, or building toys, making shoes, clothes or computers 16 hours a day for western markets then that is what “lucky” people in poor communities do. | ||
| The same was true two hundred years ago across most of Europe when the children of poor families in places like England and Germany sent their youngest children off to work in the mines or in milling factories. The industrial revolution and many of the fabulous country homes of England were built on the backs of child labour as virtual slaves. | ||
| Up until the past ten to fifteen years, middle class income earners in western nations were lucky enough to enjoy a general work life balance that kept their work hours around 45 hours per week or less. | ||
| It meant time for recreation, time for family and a dramatically improved quality of life compared to most of our great grand parents and older. | ||
| The wonderful age of the computer and email | ||
| But since the age of the ubiquitous computer and now the internet, our time has gradually been stolen back into work and semi-work activities. Whereas people used to attend meetings and then return to take action, many executives attend endless meetings from which no action points are effected, but generate huge additional amounts of email and documentation. | ||
| Our personal activity ability has increased, but our effectiveness, our real productivity has plummeted. The result is increased levels of stress, especially amongst high paid executives, growing dissatisfaction and a loss of work-life balance. | ||
| The age of the “sea-changers” | ||
| In a number of countries, they are called the sea changers, the former high flying CEO’s and high paid executives who have turned in their lavish and high stress lifestyles to become farmers, and boat builders, to live in rural bliss, or by the sea. | ||
| More and more these quality executives have opted out of the “rat-race” and in turn have reconnected themselves to a lifestyle of balance. | ||
| Unfortunately for many of us, such choices are not apparent within our immediate reach given the day to day survival of paying bills and making a living. | ||
| However, it does give hope to the future when corporations may finally be forced to re-evaluate their job demands and sourcing of skills versus the demands of work-life balance. | ||
| Certainly, the cost of securing talented people has never been higher. As a result, many large companies have opted for more “college style” work environments that promote better services and conditions to retain high value staff. | ||
| While only a start, it is encouraging for what the future might hold for more of us. | ||
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