IDS HR Study 768, February 2004

Work-life balance

• Considers why employers are looking at work-life balance issues
• Identifies the typical elements of a work-life balance policy and looks at the key factors involved in successfully implementing a scheme
• Includes four detailed company case studies, as well as summaries of the arrangements at two smaller employers.

Ideas about how much time people spend working, when they work, where they work and how they work are changing as employers seek more creative solutions to staffing issues. But if 'flexibility' is a good thing - and the consensus seems to affirm that it often is - then this is because it serves business needs as well as effecting the circumstances of individual employees. The business case rests on the idea that work-life balance is a 'win-win' arrangement. It is suggested that employers allowing staff to dovetail their private and professional commitments will be repaid with greater loyalty from a more motivated and, arguably, a more efficient workforce. An effective policy may, for example, improve attendance levels and recruitment and retention, helping an organisation to retain the competitive edge in the drive to become an 'employer of choice'.

Flexible working has traditionally been taken up by staff with family commitments. But employers are increasingly acknowledging the benefits of extending such options to all employees. There is now more widespread recognition that a workforce consists of diverse individuals with a range of different priorities, which will themselves change over time. This requires a more flexible response from organisations not just to issues of working time but perhaps also in areas such as flexible benefits provision.

Drawing on four detailed case studies, this Study examines the main issues organisations face when introducing new work-life balance initiatives, including staff consultation, raising awareness and getting line managers on board. It also looks at the typical elements of a policy, encompassing flexible working options, special leave and time off and the various forms of employee support, such as childcare assistance and the promotion of health and well-being. Some of the practical challenges involved - for example, establishing a formal process for requesting flexible working - are covered in detail.