Benefits of Work-Life Balance Policies and Practices - Coursework Example

Name Tutor Course Date Benefits of Work Life Balance Policies and Practices Introduction In the recent past, there has been experienced aggressive pressure for organizations to perform better, faster in additional to being extra cost effective. As a result, breakdown in the customary employment contracts has been experienced and the long-term employment perception is no more. This means that companies have to accommodate different demand and supply factors which include the need for a low cost, flexible and secure workforce. New technologies and the nature of work changes lead to many workers under pressure to stabilize their personal life and the employment roles. Due to this, employees and organization have faced the reality on the possible advantages of the work life balance and their related policies. Most people find it hard to deal with the rising responsibilities at home and in the work place. Accomplishing the suitable work life balance may sound unattainable to many people. There are significant benefits to the people who have managed to attain it. The benefits cut across to both the employer and the employees. This essay will discuss the benefits of work life balance policies and practices to the organizations. Workplace Balance Despite the recognition of work life policies and practices as a subject of practitioner and academic debate, and the escalating pervasiveness of work life balance policies in companies globally, exploration of the corporate impacts of these policies is indecently incorporated. Contending requests involving home and work have taken up expanded pertinence for workers of late (Hayman 330). This is as a result of an extensive element of working environment and demographic changes. For example, the escalating quantities of ladies in the workforce, a maturing populace, extended hours of working, in addition to extra complicated technology. This has empowered close consistent and keeping in touch with the people at the place of work. This is because of the following progressions and the clash they produce amongst the numerous tasks that involve people. The companies are progressively forced to actualize work policies and practices proposed to encourage workers' exertions. The aim is to satisfy equally their individual and business related obligations (Rapoport np). The work life practices and policies are the mechanisms used in the improvement of the company’s cultural and structural support for personal life, family and work. The structural work life support, changes the policies and practices of human resources, plus the structure of the job so as to improve the flexibility. The employee control of place and amount of work is increased or given extra instrumental resources like direct services and information (Kossek and Hammer 36). This is imperative in facilitating the employees to be in a position to mix employment with care provision or those extra significant tasks that are not work related. Job redesigning come up with a supple working schedules, reduced workload, telecommuting, virtual conferencing, occupational health and safety, which reduces family and job stress are instances of structural support. The formal policies on vacations, absenteeism, sick time, plus improved elder care and child care benefits are also part of the structural support (Allen 433). Over the last twenty years, there have been discussions in diverse academic publications about the results of the work life policies and practices. The frequent recognized methodology is to look at work life balance policies and practices in business case perspective. To be precise, through rolling out of these policies and practices, companies pull in new employees and reduction of the levels of work life clash amongst the ones at hand. This leads to enhanced recruitment and the diminished work life clash improve the company’s efficiency (Estes np). The literature review questions the alleged linkage between the effectiveness of an organization and the work life balance policies and practices. Most of the studies that have investigated the effects of work life policies and practices never take into consideration the conflict between work and life therefore they cannot substantiate the projected reconciled relationship. The methods through which the company effectiveness and worker’s behavior are affected by the work life policies and practices are still not well researched and hence it is not very clear. Some studies have shown that work life balance policies and practices at some level are not responsible for manipulating the work life conflict levels rather the organizational effectiveness and performance is improved using other channels like reduction of overheads as a result of telecommuting, enhanced productivity amongst the workers operating at their best hours or social trade techniques emerging from view of hierarchical backing (Allen 426). Benefits of Work Life Balance Policies and Practices Work life balance practices and policies can contribute to direct and indirect benefits to both the employees and to the company as a whole. These benefits experienced by the organization as a result of practices and policies are quantifiable and tangible and they are long lasting. There are many priceless benefits to the organizations when they provide a workplace that has work life balance. Image Employees would mostly consider working within an organization which implements these policies. This would build an image for the company as an empire that has matters of employees at hand and are concerned with their satisfaction. The company satisfies the employee’s needs and at the same ensuring that the objectives of the organization are accomplished. This would make the organization to be desired by employees, thus having an image in the society (Estes np). Improved organizational support perceptions and job related attitudes Job attitudes, the use of satisfying work schedules has been found to have an effect. They increase the organization’s commitment and intentions to reduce turnover (Halpern 165). Intentional condensed working hours are usually associated with job contentment, corporate commitment and loyalty (Houston & Waumsley np). Some researches have also shown that workers who are beneficiaries of child care centers, family support programs and referral services are more committed to the company (Hayman 335). Work life balance policies and practices produce good outcomes in regards to the work related attitudes. Accessibility of resources within the organization like working hours which are flexible, are associated with organizational commitment and job satisfaction to all employees that have family commitments. This is without considerations whether they are in use or not. The work life balance practices are also associated with the decreased turnover objective plus increased emotional dedication (Wood & de Menezes 1586). According to Wang, Peng and Walumbwa (423), the accessibility of work schedules that are flexible is related with elevated company commitment for employees working in the banking sector in Thailand, Kenya and China. Increase in productivity Research has shown that the rate of absenteeism is subjective to the application of work life balance policies and practices by the employees (Halpern 162). Flexible and reduced hours of work in addition to the provision of child care centers are the main practices that affect employee productivity. A lot of research has proved that not only monetary terms can be used to motivate employees. Recognizing and satisfying the essential and basic needs of the employees satisfies and motivates them. Work life balance practices provide a platform for an organization to provide these services. When an organization provides maternity leave, allows telecommuting, provides flexible working hours and job sharing, the employees feels that their essential and basic needs are recognized and being taken care of. This means that the employees can work from home with flexible time and in turn take care of their individual needs as well as cope with the demands of the company. Due to this, the employee’s levels of stress are reduced, hence in the long run increasing the employee’s productivity (Hayman 330). Improved retention and recruitment The provision of flexible and reduced working hours and child care centers are associated with increased levels of recruitment and retention and lesser turnover intentions respectively amongst employees (Hayman 330). Singular contrasts, for example, care giving obligations or inclination for combination opposed to division of job and life exercises may direct the connection between work life parity policy procurement and foreseen corporate help, impacting a definitive impact of practice procurement on recruitment and retention. Associations looking to expand the effect of their work-life rehearses on these results might in this manner wish to target practice to help their present or foreseen workforce (Perry-Smith & Blum 1110). Conclusion It is imperative to make some consideration when determining the work life strategy that would benefit the organization. The work life balance plan and policies within an organization depends on the capability to improve recruitment and retention plus reduction of the work life conflict amongst workers. It is perceptive that providing work life balance strategies will mostly attract people to the company. Using of the work life practices would lead to better behaviors and attitudes of the employees within the company (Arthur 502). The use of these practices has led to increase in work effort, contextual effort and job related attitudes through improvement of the process of social exchange. Work life strategies encourage the worker's obligation and interest to the company. Works Cited Allen, Tammy D. 'Family-Supportive Work Environments: The Role Of Organizational Perceptions'. Journal of vocational behavior 58.3 (2001): 414--435. Print. Arthur, M. M. ‘Share price reactions to work-family human resource decisions: An institutional perspective’. Academy of Management Journal 46 (2003): 497-505. Print Estes, Sarah Beth. 'Work-Family Policies And Gender Inequality At Work (2005)'. (2005): n. pag. Print. Halpern, Diane F. 'How Time-Flexible Work Policies Can Reduce Stress, Improve Health, And Save Money'. Stress and Health 21.3 (2005): 157--168. Print. Hayman, Jeremy R. 'Flexible Work Arrangements: Exploring The Linkages Between Perceived Usability Of Flexible Work Schedules And Work/Life Balance'. Community, Work \& Family 12.3 (2009): 327--338. Print. Houston, Diane M, and Julie A Waumsley. Attitudes To Flexible Working And Family Life. 1st ed. Bristol, UK: Published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by The Policy Press, 2003. Print. Kossek, Ellen, and L Hammer. 'Work/Life Training For Supervisors Gets Big Results'. Harvard Business Review 86 (2008): 36. Print. Perry-Smith, J.E, and Blum T.C. 'Work-Life Human Resource Bundles And Perceived Organizational Performance.'. Academy of Management Journal 43.6 (2000): 1107-1117. Print. Rapoport, Rhona. Beyond Work-Family Balance. 1st ed. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2002. Print. Ryan, Ann Marie, and Ellen Ernst Kossek. 'Work-Life Policy Implementation: Breaking Down Or Creating Barriers To Inclusiveness?'. Human Resource Management 47.2 (2008): 295--310. Print. Wang, Peng, and Fred O Walumbwa. 'Family-Friendly Programs, Organizational Commitment, And Work Withdrawal: The Moderating Role Of Transformational Leadership'. Personnel Psychology 60.2 (2007): 397--427. Print. Wood, Stephen J, and Lilian M de Menezes. 'Family-Friendly Management, Organizational Performance And Social Legitimacy'. The International Journal of Human Resource Management 21.10 (2010): 1575--1597. Print. Read More