Work-Life balance: a guide (document)

It is becoming increasingly accepted that all employees, regardless of status or personal circumstances, have the right to balance their work with outside commitments. Sound business and social arguments have been developed to support the idea that organisations facilitating work-life balance will also see benefits for themselves.

While there is no universally agreed definition of what is meant by work-life balance, the UK organisation Employers for Work-Life Balance has defined it as:

"people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work. It is achieved when an individual's right to a fulfilled life inside and outside work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society."

The concept has its roots in early 'family friendly' employment policies and practices, but this has been extended to embrace the notion that all employees - regardless of their circumstances - have a right to balance work with other aspects of their lives. Employers who take steps to enable employees to balance work and outside commitments are likely to benefit. A 'business case' has been developed around HR issues such as recruitment, retention, staff morale, easing of workplace stress and greater support for diversity. In addition a raft of legislation exists to underpin work-life balance initiatives. (see legislation further in this section).

In the last few years the government has been running a major campaign to make employers more aware of the benefits of good work-life balance practices. Responsibility for this has now passed to the Business Links, who are promoting work-life balance through the recently developed Investors in People work-life balance model.

While there is no universally agreed definition of what constitutes work-life balance, two models - both leading to accreditation as a work-life balance employer - attempt to define what an employer needs to have in place to support employees in their efforts to balance work and outside commitments. In addition, a raft of legislation has been passed in the last few years which also supports employees who, for a variety of reasons, need to work non-standard arrangements. In the social care sector many employees already work such arrangements (eg shifts or part-time working) but these can sometimes be solely for the benefit of the employer. By promoting an open culture in which non-work issues can be discussed, and employer can achieve a win-win situation where workplace flexibility benefits both the organisation and its employees.

The organisation Employers for Work-Life Balance has developed a six point checklist of actions an employer committed to work-life balance needs to take.

While no universally agreed definition of work-life balance exists, it's generally accepted the phrase implies actions which employers and employees can take to enable the latter to meet both work and home commitments in a way which reduces stress on the employee while benefiting the employer. As the UK population ages increasing numbers of people find themselves trying to balance work with caring responsibilities or personal disabilities. In recent years legislation has been introduced which provides them with a minimum of protection, frequently enhanced in best practice organisations.

The UK is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society with potential employees drawn from all sectors of the population. Having a diverse workforce increases the potential pool of talent available to an employer. However, different groups have differing needs, some of which may require non-standard working arrangements. (Standard arrangements are generally recognised as being full-time employment for 40 hours or more per week at an employer's location.)

Many potential employees with, for example, caring responsibilities find themselves unable to work standard arrangements. While carers of young children are afforded a minimum amount of protection under legislation, this is generally unpaid and few workers can afford to take advantage of unpaid leave. For the majority of parents, and those caring for older people, flexibility in the hours and location of employment is more appropriate. A wide range of 'tried and tested' flexible working arrangements now exists - such as part-time, term-time, job-share, flexible rota and compressed hours working. Not all arrangements lend themselves to every type of job; and it is for the individual employer to determine which arrangements are most appropriate for particular circumstances. For example, in an office environment term-time working may be a way of attracting staff with scarce skills; where continuity of care is important a job-share or rota arrangement may be more appropriate.

Work-life balance is not simply about non-standard working. There are times when individuals may require a period away from work, or some other help with outside commitments. For example, where an individual's family lives outside the UK, it may be that he or she needs to go back to a home country for an extended period to look after aged parents or on their death. Similarly, some religions require a period of extended mourning when it would be inappropriate for an employee to come into work. Or it may be that an employee has a partner with a disability or life threatening illness and needs to take time off to support that person. Finally, younger employees are increasingly looking to take sabbaticals several years after having started work. By accommodating all these needs an employer may be able to retain valuable staff who would otherwise have no option but to resign their employment.

Some work-life balance initiatives involve financial support from an employer. The most common of these is a payment for childcare made as an incentive for a female employee to return to work. However, it could be a payment for a place at a summer play scheme for an older child, or for a place in day care for an elderly relative. Again, there is no standard definition of what is appropriate, it depends on the resources the employer is able to provide. Some payments, such as those for childcare purposes, can be tax deductible, providing a financial benefit to employer and employee alike. (Further information can be found on the Inland Revenue website.)

To ensure work-life balance practices are fully integrated into the organisation's culture, it's important to ensure all relevant HR policies support the concept. For example:

Filling job vacancies: Regardless of whether the candidate is a new hire or whether the job on offer represents a promotion, an organisation should have a process by which jobs can be evaluated for flexible working arrangements. Many employers signal the possibility of such arrangements with a statement at the bottom of a job advertisement such as "this post is open to flexible working". There is no need necessarily to define what arrangements are on offer - it may be that the candidate has his or her own idea of the arrangement they wish to work and this can be agreed at interview.

Access to development: In may organisations there is a (wrong) assumption that people who work less than full-time or who work non-standard hours have little commitment to the organisation or their own career. They are frequently excluded from access to appraisals, training courses, and promotion to senior posts - where it is still assumed standard working arrangements are needed. Even where part-time staff are given access to training, many organisations arrange this at times which are not convenient for the part-time worker. Finally, appraisal schemes which assess the employee on hours worked rather than on outputs achieved tend to favour full-time staff.

Access to non-standard working arrangements. Some organisations hold the view that there are jobs which simply cannot be worked on non-standard patterns. While it is true that not all jobs can be worked on every arrangement (eg a receptionist in most organisations cannot work from home!) there is usually a way they can be worked flexibly (eg the reception job could be offered as a job-share). Managers also sometimes fall into the trap of believing they should evaluate whether a request for flexibility is worthy or 'frivolous' (eg a request for a change to pursue a hobby or interest) and therefore whether it should be granted. Leading edge employers take the view that so long as the organisation's work does not suffer and the arrangement can be managed by the manager and work colleagues there's no reason to refuse.

Legislation and guidance

Employees have no legal entitlement to work-life balance, although the Human Rights Act 1998 does state that individuals have a right to a family life. However, a wide range of acts and regulations make provisions which effectively support the concept of balancing work with outside commitments or personal needs.

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Sex Discrimination (Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof) Regulations 2001 prohibit direct and indirect discrimination on the grounds of sex. It is under this legislation that women with caring responsibilities have been able to argue successfully for the right to work reduced hours or other flexible arrangements, particularly on return from maternity leave.

The Race Relations Act 1976, Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations (2003) make it unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of race, religion or belief. This legislation covers a wide range of potential situations, from that of the employee who wishes to take extended time off to address family matters overseas to the person who wishes to take time off for religious reasons.

Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and HSE guidelines on mental health at work are some examples of the wide range of health and safety legislation applying to the work environment. It is generally accepted that employees who regularly work long hours, or under extreme pressure represent a health risk to themselves and a potential safety risk to work colleagues and customers or clients.

The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 requires employers to make 'reasonable adjustments' in order to accommodate a wide range of disabilities. This may include allowing flexible working arrangements where appropriate and where the job in question can be worked in a non standard way.

The Working Time Regulations 1999 set limits on the number of hours an employee can work; and require employers to give all employees four weeks' holiday (bank holidays can be included in this number).

The Employment Relations Act 1999 and the Parental Leave amendment Regulations 2001 allow parents of children under 5 (or under 18 if the child is disabled) up to 13 weeks (18 weeks for disabled children) unpaid leave for the purposes of childcare.

The Part-time Workers Regulations 2000 require employers to treat part-time workers in the same way as full-time workers, and to facilitate the transfer of employees between part and full-time work.

The Employment Act 2002, extends maternity rights, introduces paid paternity leave, adoption leave and the right for parents of children underÂÂÂ&a mp;Acirc;  five to request flexible working arrangements.

Guidance on work-life balance can be found on a wide range of websites, including the following:

Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform provides detailed information about projects carried out under the government's Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund.

Employers for Work-Life Balance was originally developed by a group of leadingedge private sector employers. This site is now hosted by the Work Foundation and still provides a great deal of useful information for employers.

Trades Union Congress and Unison are two useful trades union sites which also provide information for employees.

Working Families is a charity which has for many years been working with employers and individuals to support flexibility in the workplace. It carries specialist information for the voluntary sector and for working parents of disabled children.

HalsAllan is a consultancy run by two experienced HR professionals. Both are accredited consultants to the government's Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund, and through the fund have worked with a number of social care organisations.

Best practice

Best practice in the area of work-life balance is defined by two 'benchmarks' against which an organisation can be accredited.

The first, the Work-Life Balance Standard, grew out of the family friendly standard developed by Dorset TEC and was intended to support the government's Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund at its launch in 2000. An independent standard, it measures 11 indicators under the headings of: Leadership & Commitment, Systems and Planning; Action and Review and Assessment. Organisations successfully assessed against the standard are permitted to use an accreditation symbol and must undergo re-assessment periodically.

The second is the Work-Life Balance Model, one of the Investors in People family of models. Organisations are assessed against nine indicators under the headings of Culture; Strategy; Action and Effectiveness. (Further information at www.investorsinpeople.co.uk)

Both standards share common themes:

• The organisation must demonstrate a work-life balance strategy linked to business aims and a culture which supports work-life balance for all
• The organisation must show evidence of planning and implementing appropriate work-life balance policies and procedures based on consultation with employees about their needs
• The organisation must demonstrate that all employees understand the work-life balance options available to them, and that managers understand how to facilitate and manage these
• The organisation must measure the contribution work-life balance initiatives make to business success, and adjust practices in line with feedback

Things an organisation should have

• Work-life balance is a dynamic concept, both within the lifecycle of an organisation and within the life course of individual employees. Employers should have a written policy statement which recognises this and supports the concept of work-life balance for all employees, regardless of status or personal circumstances.
• Senior management should demonstrate their commitment to work-life balance; supported by a well-argued business/social case relevant to the organisation.
• Clear HR policies should integrate a work-life balance culture into the organisation; and define precisely what support is available to employees. The organisation should ensure that employees have access to relevant policies as and when they need them.
• Types of flexible working arrangement which are felt to be appropriate in the organisation should be clearly defined and which jobs can be worked flexibly.
• Clear written guidelines on promotion criteria for non-standard workers should be available for all employees to see. Where such workers are promoted, the organisation should publicise this widely since one of the biggest barriers to staff asking for flexibility is the perception that in doing so they will prejudice their promotion prospects.
• Staff working shifts (particularly evening or night shifts) and those basedÂÂÂ&a mp;Acirc;  in remote locations are often neglected when policies are developed and publicised. Specific support arrangements should be developed to ensure these categories of staff have equal access to work-life balance arrangements.
• Where vacancies arise they should be routinely screened for the possibility of flexible working. Managers should be encouraged to consider whether the job can be carried out in a non-standard way, rather than simply re-advertising for a full-time member of staff.
• Appraisal systems should include questions about how well the individual is managing his/her own work-life balance. Managers should be appraised on how well they support work-life balance arrangements for themselves and their teams. In addition, appraisals should provide the opportunity for the worker and manager to agree measurable outputs for the following period. Systems which simply assess an individual's skills and competencies without doing this tend to favour full-time employees.
• The organisation should provide clear guidance for managers on how to respond to requests for flexible arrangements and how to manage new ways of working. The best way of fully integrating this into management practice is to provide a session covering these issues on standard management training courses.
• Easily accessible guidance for employees on how to make a request for flexibility, and how to ensure the new arrangement works smoothly. This could be in the form of written guidelines, or an informal discussion with an HR specialist.
• An appeals procedure where a dispute arises. (This is a requirement for staff covered by the right to request flexible working legislation outlined earlier.) If the organisation is to ensure fairness and consistency, it is not enough to allow individual managers simply to make unilateral decisions.
• An audit of HR policies and practices to ensure they support the organisation's commitment to work-life balance for all staff.
• Consultation with employees and/or their representatives at regular intervals to ensure work-life balance provisions remain relevant. This could be done as part of a wider employee survey exercise.

Pitfalls

• Lack of accessibility to work-life balance provisions for some groups of employees - either because the policy is restricted to only some jobs/workers or because its terms are restrictive (eg reduced pay or promotion prospects - this may also be discriminatory).
• Not ensuring that other HR policies are supporting work-life balance. This has been discussed earlier.
• Having a policy or policies which are at the discretion of individual managers without any further safety check or appeals procedure. Invariably this tends to lead to a policy which discriminates against some employees.
• Not training mangers to understand the benefits of work-life balance, how to manage non-standard workers and the difference between flexibility and poor performance. The result tends to be reluctance among managers to allow flexible working arrangements except in rare circumstances for very limited periods of time.

 

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