Balancing Act
Ah. The oft fabled work-life balance. Employees tell of it. Employers scoff at it. It’s the golden standard which no one can liv… — wait, what? No, no, no.
Employees can live it — and some forward-thinking employers have already realized the importance it plays in the productivity and subsequent success of their companies. With a number of credible studies, high-profile news articles and respected business leaders coming forward testifying to the benefits of a strong work-life balance, the emphasis should become less on quantity of time put in and more on the quality of work completed.
That sounds pretty clear-cut. What gives? Why don’t you have this magical position where you can have your cake and eat it, too? Well, it’s not just on you — not entirely, that is.
First, you have to understand that there are two key players in the blame game — you and your environment.
According to the U.S. Travel Association (ustravel.org), Americans had 662 million days of unused leave annually — which equated to approximately $66.4 billion in forfeited benefits. That averages out to approximately $604, per person in the workforce, of donated time back to the employer.
Further, (and here’s the kicker) the U.S. Travel Association’s Project: Time Off reported that workers who do use all of their time off take more time at once and are “happier with their relationships, health and well-being, company, and job,” whereas those who forfeit their allotted vacation time are actually “less likely to have received a recent raise, bonus, or promotion.”
Six hundred sixty-two million days of unused leave. Let that sink in for a minute. You hand over money every time you refuse to or don’t make time for a break. On top off that, add every time you check your email outside of work hours, every time you take a call, come in early or stay late. That’s on you.
Nevertheless, we do understand that there are certain environmental pressures that often contribute to your decisions. Maybe it’s a workaholic supervisor who has been burnt before by employees taking advantage of time-off or the quality of time put in at the office, too heavy a workload, or even fear of falling behind in the rat race. Regardless of the cause, this will negatively affect not only your job satisfaction, your health, and your relationships, but also their bottom line. By no means are we condoning “ignoring” any necessary responsibilities. However, face time should no longer be the measure of success but rather one of a series of of options that, cumulatively, provide the ideal balance for both employee and employer.
What you can do about it:
1. Start defining your “you time.” Set some basic rules for yourself about how late you stay at work or how early you go in and the number of times you peek into your work email — ideally, none — while on vacation or on nights/weekends. And, while you’re at it,schedule that vacation you’ve been pining for since last year. Unless there’s a “fire,” work can wait until you’re…at work.
2. Stop letting an unfair sense of guilt sneak into your “you” time. You worked hard for this benefit. Do you go to the doctor and feel guilty for using any company provided health insurance? Of course not! It’s a benefit of the job.
3. If you’re afraid of falling behind in the rat race, focus on shining during your time in the office. Take that sense of rejuvenation you achieved during your “you” time and plug it into improving all that you do. This should also help with that heavy workload.
4. Discuss this with your supervisor. If you’ve fallen into the familiar trap of making yourself available and aren’t sure how to get out without angering your boss, here’s a fun fact: Employers are losing up to $300 billion annually due to employee stress. That’s crazy. Make it clear that your family or personal time is important to you, but that you’re confident that they will not only not see a drop in production, but that they will most likely witness an increase.
5. Finally, follow through. No one will take your personal time seriously if you don’t take it seriously.