Although less common than "family-friendly", the term "work-life balance" is quickly becoming a popular addition to the lexicons of human resource (HR) departments. However, judging by the wide-ranging use of the term by various companies, its true meaning appears to be shrouded in mist.
Two weeks ago, Microsoft Ireland implemented a new initiative designed to help its employees achieve "a balance between a good working life and a healthy lifestyle". As part of Positive Health Week, Microsoft employees were given the opportunity to take part in health and fitness activities, including aromatherapy, shiatsu, reflexology, yoga and tai chi. The company also ran health education seminars and gave employees free passes to fitness centres.
Although Microsoft referred to "work-life balance" when it publicised the initiative, Positive Health Week was more to do with improving well-being than achieving a balance between working life and personal life, according to Ms Helen Longworth, an occupational therapist for Microsoft and organiser of the week. Ms Longworth says that employees need to enhance their awareness of their health, their bodies and learn various ways of coping with those times when the pressure take its toll.
But as one HR employee in a technology firm comments: "Having these health programmes is all very well but it won't mean anything to many employees at the end of the day without concrete arrangements like flexible working and adequate childcare support."
The National Framework Committee on Developing Family Friendly Policies, which comprises representatives of IBEC, ICTU and the Equality Authority among others, says that examples of such practices include job sharing, part-time working, flexible hours, compressed working week, term-time working and career breaks.
However, it's clear that individual companies will not be able to implement all of these practices. "What is suitable for one company may not be suitable for another," says ICTU assistant general secretary Ms Joan Carmichael, one of the members of the committee.
Most workers will only need certain arrangements for limited periods of time, not for the rest of their lives, says Ms Carmichael. There is little comprehensive evidence as to the level of demand for family-friendly or work-life balance policies but a recent report by IBEC reveals that while more than 50 per cent of companies in the small and medium-sized sector offer family-friendly policies, the rate of take-up is low.
Furthermore, many employers may be afraid to implement such practices in full for a variety of reasons. The Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development (CIPD) recently conducted a survey of 160 companies and their work-life balance policies on behalf of the Equality Authority that revealed some of those fears.
"A lot of senior management people are still not totally convinced of the business case," says Mr Michael McDonnell, director of the CIPD.
He says that employers are also fearful of the complexity of these initiatives and that they may be disruptive in the long term. However, the reality of skills shortages means that things will have to change soon, he says.
Indeed, a report, Investing in People, written for the Equality Authority last year, found that contrary to the work-life philosophy, which envisages work-life balance permeating every aspect of an organisation's life, most employers believe such arrangements should be provided for employees on an ad-hoc and case-by-case basis.
A website, www.familyfriendly.ie, set up by the National Framework Committee, lists case studies of companies that have implemented recognised work-life balance policies, including Eircom, ESB, Intel, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Citigroup.
