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Why Work-Life Balance Is So Important—and How to Nail It

When the workday is over, it should really be over

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Rachel Goldman, PhD FTOS, is a licensed psychologist, clinical assistant professor, speaker, wellness expert specializing in eating behaviors, stress management, and health behavior change.

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• What Do We Mean When We Say "Work-Life Balance"?

How Can I Tell If I Have a Healthy Work-Life Balance?

Can i request a healthier work-life balance (if so, how), how to improve your work-life balance.

Does it ever feel like your job is taking over your life? Or do you seem to have so many personal obligations that you can’t give 100% at work? We know we need work-life balance, but finding harmony between your professional and personal life isn't always as easy as it sounds. 

Work plays a major role in our lives. It takes up much of our waking hours during the traditional workweek. That’s why it’s so important to make sure that we are also taking care of the areas of our lives that keep us healthy and happy. 

Professional fulfillment can be a part of that, for sure. But well-being also involves all of the things outside of work that makes your life worthwhile, including your family, hobbies, health, and relationships (not to mention sleep, exercise, balanced meals, and relaxation).

At a Glance

Work-life balance generally refers to a balance between your personal and work life. The goal is to strive to keep that balance so that we are managing stress and burnout by fulfilling other areas of our lives that aren't swallowed up by work. Remember: That "balance" may shift at times and is never really a 50/50 split. We can accept that there may not ever be a balance, but we can strive to feel more grounded and balanced by making a personalized plan, exploring ways to improve that balance with our manager, taking breaks, and creating set boundaries between our personal vs. professional duties. If we're in a position to change jobs and our conversations with our manager are unsuccessful, we could also explore other opportunities that offer more flexibility.

What Do We Mean When We Say "Work-Life Balance"?

Work-life balance is usually defined as an equilibrium between your professional and personal life. When you keep things balanced, no single element of your life dominates and overwhelms the others.

"Work-life balance is the concept that you effectively manage your professional life and responsibilities so that you are productive and successful at work while ensuring you have plenty of dedicated time to live a fulfilling, grounded, personal life," says Abbey Sangmeister, MS.Ed, LPC, ACS .

That’s a general definition of the concept, but "work-life" balance can also mean different things to different people. Researchers suggest that this is because this balance is all about individual perception. It's something you feel when your work and non-work activities are in harmony and are compatible with your current goals and priorities.

The things that make your own work-life situation feel manageable may differ depending on your needs and your situation.

For working parents, it often means finding a way to juggle the responsibilities of a career while still finding time for a fulfilling family life. With rising numbers of older workers, work-life balance may focus more on staying active in the workforce while finding ways to manage health issues or disabilities.  

Major shifts in how we work have also helped change the definition of work-life balance for many people. For many people, work-life balance meant clocking out at 5 p.m. and not thinking about work until you showed up at the office at 9 a.m. the next day. 

Being tethered to an office is a thing of the past for many folks. It makes sense that, for many of us, the option for flexible or remote work is an essential part of work-life balance. This means that work-life balance is much more personal and nuanced these days–but it also makes finding a balance harder than ever before.  

Many times people think balance is a 50/50 split but that is not always the case. For each person, the balance may look different and will shift during different seasons of their life. The important part of having balance is that the person does not feel that one area of life is draining and depleting the other.

What Work-Life Balance Is Not

Work-life balance isn’t about slacking off, skipping work, or putting in less effort . Obviously, we all have our good and bad days, but there are ways to manage the days we’re feeling a little "off" that don’t involve hurting yourself professionally. 

Procrastinating or shirking your responsibilities aren’t effective ways to cope. You might feel a little better for a bit, but it ultimately creates more problems in the future. Work piles up, deadlines fly by, and your employer might start to notice that you’re not putting in your best effort.

The goal is to find a harmonious balance that works for you, between the demands on your time and energy, without neglecting important areas of your life.

You don’t want to ignore your personal life in favor of your job, but you also shouldn’t deal with stress by neglecting your workplace duties.

So how exactly can you tell if you have a healthy work-life balance? It can look a little different for everyone (since we all have different work, family, and relationship situations). 

"Lack of regular overwhelm and frustration are good signs that one does have good work-life balance. People who struggle with the Sunday scaries and dread or have a case of [the] Mondays more times than not are most likely struggling with an imbalance," Sangmeister suggests.

The following are a few signs that you’re striking a good balance between your job and other areas of your life:

• You don't feel like the demands of your work roles and personal obligations are constantly in conflict
• You're able to meet your deadlines at work without having to work overtime
• You're getting plenty of sleep at night and eating a healthy, balanced diet
• You don't spend the end of your weekend consumed by the " Sunday Scaries "
• You have plenty of time to relax and enjoy your hobbies
• You feel like you're spending enough time with family and friends
• You don't worry about your job when you're not at work
• You feel like you're being productive at work and making progress toward your professional goals, but you don't feel like your whole identity hinges on your job
• You're taking your vacation days (and using your sick days when you need them)
• You're taking advantage of any work-life benefits your employer offers, like gym memberships, flexible scheduling, and childcare vouchers

Remember that work-life balance isn't something you can just check off your to-do list. It’s only natural that the demands of your job and outside life shift and change over time. That means that what you need to keep the balance will change over time.

"With a good work-life balance, a person is less likely to be rigid with their schedule," Sangmeister says. "Instead, they are able to be flexible and can adapt to include demands that may come up professionally or personally without disrupting the feeling of balance."

To figure out if you have a good work-life balance, think about what's most important to you. What helps you to feel your best? Are you taking care of yourself personally and professionally? Are you managing your stress and watching for signs of burnout?

If you're struggling to find a balance between work and the rest of your life, it might be time to have a conversation with your supervisor. This includes work-life benefits like hybrid, flexible, or remote work. Flextime, alternative work schedules, child care options, and access to mental health services are important work-life benefits employers offer to attract employees. 

There are things that your employer can do to help foster a better work-life balance. It's something that benefits them as well. Research has shown that workers with better work-life balance are more satisfied with their jobs , perform better at work, and are more committed to their organizations.

A conversation with your employer might help you find ways to work together to make things more manageable. This might involve reprioritizing your tasks, delegating some work to others, hiring additional help, or allowing you to work remotely when needed.

Unfortunately, these aren't always options, depending on the nature of your profession or your role in the workplace. In many cases, making a change hinges on how you approach your job. It might mean changing your priorities, delegating tasks at home, or letting your colleagues know you can no longer respond to work-related problems during your downtime.

It's also important to be aware of your legal rights. If you need certain accommodations because you are pregnant or have a disability, these needs may be protected by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) or the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

This includes protections if you are dealing with depression , anxiety , or another mental health condition. (You will need to have your condition diagnosed by your doctor, and you may need to provide documentation for your employer when you request an accommodation.)

How to Ask Your Boss for Better Work-Life Balance

Schedule a time to talk to your employer and tell them what you plan to discuss. During your meeting, explain your problem, and share your ideas for how you think you can work together to resolve the issue. 

If you've been overwhelmed by your workload and putting in too many hours, you might suggest redistributing some of your tasks to other team members to help lighten the load. 

Remember to stay professional and show respect for your employer's needs. Reiterate your commitment, and explain that you think finding a better balance will help you feel more productive and satisfied with your job.

So what’s next if you feel like your work-life balance is in shambles? It's time to take a step back, figure out what is wrong, and make a plan to fix it. Your health literally depends on it.

Many studies have demonstrated that people who have more conflict between their work and non-work life are more likely to experience health problems, mental health conditions, and poor overall health outcomes.

Make a Plan

Bringing more balance to your life starts with figuring out what’s causing the problem in the first place. Are your work hours too long? Or are work obligations encroaching on your off-time? Do you feel like you have no control over your schedule? Or are you taking on too many demands and need some relief?

Creating a personalized plan for how you are going to tackle your work-life balance can help you figure out what's wrong and which strategies will be most effective .

Create Divisions Between Your Work and Non-Work Life

Flexible and remote work can be a great way to promote balance in your life, but it often blurs the lines between your personal and professional life. You may find yourself working longer than normal hours, catching up on work when you should be relaxing, or staying up late to answer those last few emails you forgot to send earlier. 

The problem is that, over time, there is a distinct lack of balance. Because you never feel like you have any mental space from your job, it starts to feel like you’re always working. Your home life becomes your work life.

If you are fully or partially remote, there are things you can do to help promote better work-life balance:

• Create a schedule : Figure out which hours you can work during the day and stick with it. Creating a regular schedule can help you feel more productive. “ Start your mornings off with routines and rituals that are grounded. If you start your day sprinting the moment your alarm goes off, that energy carries through the day and leads to burnout,” Sangmeister says.
• Get ready for work : While you don't need to wear a suit and tie to work from your home office (unless you want to), consider wearing something other than your favorite 'lounging around the house' outfit. Dressing professionally when you are working can help create a mental division between your job and your home life.
• Let other people know when you're offline : Use different communication tools to let others know when you are offline. For example, put your work hours on your Google Calendar, set your Slack availability to prevent notifications during your off-time, and set up out-of-office emails when you are on vacation.
• Plan activities during your non-work hours : Give yourself things to look forward to once you are off work. It might involve getting together with friends, but it can be as simple as preparing a nice meal and settling in to stream an episode of a series you’re watching.

Take Breaks

Taking breaks is also essential. This includes mini-breaks during the work day and periodic days off or vacations.

"Taking an intentional day off periodically is a great way to improve work-life balance,” Sangmeister explains. "On these intentional days off, don’t just tackle a to-do list and chores; instead, work on personal development and mindfulness."

She also recommends mini-vacations and tech-free weekends . Even scheduling a little tech-free time each day can be helpful.

Don't Work When You're Not at Work

It might sound obvious (and simple), but it can be harder to stick with than you might expect. When your workday is over, it needs to be over. That means no checking work emails, looking at notifications, or logging in to finish "one last thing." 

Even if all you're doing is reading your messages that you plan to work on tomorrow, you're letting your work interfere with your personal time. It creates pressure and stress that distracts you from feeling fully relaxed or completely present during non-work hours. 

Set boundaries around the hours you work and create no work zones. That means even when you have “free time,” you aren’t going to open your phone or laptop to do work at certain times or in certain places.

Know What Burnout Looks Like

When your work-life balance is seriously screwed up (i.e., you're spending every waking moment working, thinking about work, stressing about work, or dreading work), there's a good chance you're headed for burnout .

Being burned out is more than just being tired and unmotivated—it means you've reached a state where you feel so exhausted and empty that you can hardly cope with daily life, let alone care about work.

Signs of burnout can be physical, such as headaches, high blood pressure, stomach aches, and frequent illness. But they are also mental and include problems sleeping, depressed moods, loss of interest, fatigue, problems concentrating, and apathy .

If you’ve reached this point, it means you need to make serious changes to your work environment. That might mean taking time off or switching to a different position. Sometimes, it might even mean thinking about changing jobs altogether.

Consider Changing Jobs

So you’ve had a conversation (or more than one) with your boss, but they are refusing to offer any flexibility to make any changes that will help you feel better about your relationship with your job–what now? 

If poor work-life balance is taking a toll on your well-being and isn't something you can solve on your own or by working with your employer, it might be time to consider taking a more serious step–changing your job altogether. 

Wait until you’ve had time to consider the problem and your options. Spend some time looking at other positions in your field (or even other fields if you’re ready to make a more significant change). Look at job review sites to see what other current and past employees are saying to learn more about what you might find in terms of work-life balance if you take a job with another company.

Finding a job you truly love can be a great way to feel more positively about the balance between your work and your outside life.

What This Means For You

Finding that perfect balance between your work and your life can seem like performing a tightrope act. If you're struggling, it might be worth talking to your boss about how they can help support your well-being (and foster greater job satisfaction and loyalty).  Remember: the goal is not to have a 50/50 balance—it's about finding a balance that feels good to you and, most importantly, works for you.

Taking steps to manage your time and boundaries is also essential. Make time for family, friends, hobbies, health, and self-care—the things that help you feel personally fulfilled outside of work. "Schedule, schedule, schedule," Sangmeister recommends. "Make these appointments just as important as any work meeting."

Gragnano A, Simbula S, Miglioretti M. Work-life balance: Weighing the importance of work-family and work-health balance . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2020;17(3):907. doi:10.3390/ijerph17030907

Wong KP, Lee FCH, Teh PL, Chan AHS. The interplay of socioecological determinants of work-life balance, subjective wellbeing and employee wellbeing . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2021;18(9):4525. doi:10.3390/ijerph18094525

Sirgy MJ, Lee D-J. Work-life balance: An integrative review . Appl Res Qual Life . 2018;13:229–254. doi: 10.1007/s11482-017-9509-8

Borowiec AA, Drygas W. Work-life balance and mental and physical health among Warsaw specialists, managers and entrepreneurs . Int J Environ Res Public Health . 2022;20(1):492. doi:10.3390/ijerph20010492

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Essays About Work: 7 Examples and 8 Prompts

If you want to write well-researched essays about work, check out our guide of helpful essay examples and writing prompts for this topic.

Whether employed or self-employed, we all need to work to earn a living. Work could provide a source of purpose for some but also stress for many. The causes of stress could be an unmanageable workload, low pay, slow career development, an incompetent boss, and companies that do not care about your well-being.  Essays about work  can help us understand how to achieve a work/life balance for long-term happiness.

Work can still be a happy place to develop essential skills such as leadership and teamwork. If we adopt the right mindset, we can focus on situations we can improve and avoid stressing ourselves over situations we have no control over. We should also be free to speak up against workplace issues and abuses to defend our labor rights. Check out our  essay writing topics  for more.

5 Examples of Essays About Work

1.  when the future of work means always looking for your next job by bruce horovitz, 2. ‘quiet quitting’ isn’t the solution for burnout by rebecca vidra, 3. the science of why we burn out and don’t have to by joe robinson , 4. how to manage your career in a vuca world by murali murthy, 5. the challenges of regulating the labor market in developing countries by gordon betcherman, 6. creating the best workplace on earth by rob goffee and gareth jones, 7. employees seek personal value and purpose at work. be prepared to deliver by jordan turner, 8 writing prompts on essays about work, 1. a dream work environment, 2. how is school preparing you for work, 3. the importance of teamwork at work, 4. a guide to find work for new graduates, 5. finding happiness at work, 6. motivating people at work, 7. advantages and disadvantages of working from home, 8. critical qualities you need to thrive at work.

“For a host of reasons—some for a higher salary, others for improved benefits, and many in search of better company culture—America’s workforce is constantly looking for its next gig.”

A perennial search for a job that fulfills your sense of purpose has been an emerging trend in the work landscape in recent years. Yet, as human resource managers scramble to minimize employee turnover, some still believe there will still be workers who can exit a company through a happy retirement. You might also be interested in these  essays about unemployment .

“…[L]et’s creatively collaborate on ways to re-establish our own sense of value in our institutions while saying yes only to invitations that nourish us instead of sucking up more of our energy.”

Quiet quitting signals more profound issues underlying work, such as burnout or the bosses themselves. It is undesirable in any workplace, but to have it in school, among faculty members, spells doom as the future of the next generation is put at stake. In this essay, a teacher learns how to keep from burnout and rebuild a sense of community that drew her into the job in the first place.

“We don’t think about managing the demands that are pushing our buttons, we just keep reacting to them on autopilot on a route I call the burnout treadmill. Just keep going until the paramedics arrive.”

Studies have shown the detrimental health effects of stress on our mind, emotions and body. Yet we still willingly take on the treadmill to stress, forgetting our boundaries and wellness. It is time to normalize seeking help from our superiors to resolve burnout and refuse overtime and heavy workloads.

“As we start to emerge from the pandemic, today’s workplace demands a different kind of VUCA career growth. One that’s Versatile, Uplifting, Choice-filled and Active.”

The only thing constant in work is change. However, recent decades have witnessed greater work volatility where tech-oriented people and creative minds flourish the most. The essay provides tips for applying at work daily to survive and even thrive in the VUCA world. You might also be interested in these  essays about motivation .

“Ultimately, the biggest challenge in regulating labor markets in developing countries is what to do about the hundreds of millions of workers (or even more) who are beyond the reach of formal labor market rules and social protections.”

The challenge in regulating work is balancing the interest of employees to have dignified work conditions and for employers to operate at the most reasonable cost. But in developing countries, the difficulties loom larger, with issues going beyond equal pay to universal social protection coverage and monitoring employers’ compliance.

“Suppose you want to design the best company on earth to work for. What would it be like? For three years, we’ve been investigating this question by asking hundreds of executives in surveys and in seminars all over the world to describe their ideal organization.”

If you’ve ever wondered what would make the best workplace, you’re not alone. In this essay, Jones looks at how employers can create a better workplace for employees by using surveys and interviews. The writer found that individuality and a sense of support are key to creating positive workplace environments where employees are comfortable.

“Bottom line: People seek purpose in their lives — and that includes work. The more an employer limits those things that create this sense of purpose, the less likely employees will stay at their positions.”

In this essay, Turner looks at how employees seek value in the workplace. This essay dives into how, as humans, we all need a purpose. If we can find purpose in our work, our overall happiness increases. So, a value and purpose-driven job role can create a positive and fruitful work environment for both workers and employers.

In this essay, talk about how you envision yourself as a professional in the future. You can be as creative as to describe your workplace, your position, and your colleagues’ perception of you. Next, explain why this is the line of work you dream of and what you can contribute to society through this work. Finally, add what learning programs you’ve signed up for to prepare your skills for your dream job. For more, check out our list of simple essays topics for intermediate writers .

For your essay, look deeply into how your school prepares the young generation to be competitive in the future workforce. If you want to go the extra mile, you can interview students who have graduated from your school and are now professionals. Ask them about the programs or practices in your school that they believe have helped mold them better at their current jobs.

In a workplace where colleagues compete against each other, leaders could find it challenging to cultivate a sense of cooperation and teamwork. So, find out what creative activities companies can undertake to encourage teamwork across teams and divisions. For example, regular team-building activities help strengthen professional bonds while assisting workers to recharge their minds.

Finding a job after receiving your undergraduate diploma can be full of stress, pressure, and hard work. Write an essay that handholds graduate students in drafting their resumes and preparing for an interview. You may also recommend the top job market platforms that match them with their dream work. You may also ask recruitment experts for tips on how graduates can make a positive impression in job interviews.

Creating a fun and happy workplace may seem impossible. But there has been a flurry of efforts in the corporate world to keep workers happy. Why? To make them more productive. So, for your essay, gather research on what practices companies and policy-makers should adopt to help workers find meaning in their jobs. For example, how often should salary increases occur? You may also focus on what drives people to quit jobs that raise money. If it’s not the financial package that makes them satisfied, what does? Discuss these questions with your readers for a compelling essay.

Motivation could scale up workers’ productivity, efficiency, and ambition for higher positions and a longer tenure in your company. Knowing which method of motivation best suits your employees requires direct managers to know their people and find their potential source of intrinsic motivation. For example, managers should be able to tell whether employees are having difficulties with their tasks to the point of discouragement or find the task too easy to boredom.

A handful of managers have been worried about working from home for fears of lowering productivity and discouraging collaborative work. Meanwhile, those who embrace work-from-home arrangements are beginning to see the greater value and benefits of giving employees greater flexibility on when and where to work. So first, draw up the pros and cons of working from home. You can also interview professionals working or currently working at home. Finally, provide a conclusion on whether working from home can harm work output or boost it.

Identifying critical skills at work could depend on the work applied. However, there are inherent values and behavioral competencies that recruiters demand highly from employees. List the top five qualities a professional should possess to contribute significantly to the workplace. For example, being proactive is a valuable skill because workers have the initiative to produce without waiting for the boss to prod them.

If you need help with grammar, our guide to  grammar and syntax  is a good start to learning more. We also recommend taking the time to  improve the readability score  of your essays before publishing or submitting them.

Meet Rachael, the editor at Become a Writer Today. With years of experience in the field, she is passionate about language and dedicated to producing high-quality content that engages and informs readers. When she's not editing or writing, you can find her exploring the great outdoors, finding inspiration for her next project.

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Work–Life Balance: Weighing the Importance of Work–Family and Work–Health Balance

Associated data.

To date, research directed at the work–life balance (WLB) has focused mainly on the work and family domains. However, the current labor force is heterogeneous, and workers may also value other nonworking domains besides the family. The aim of this study was to investigate the importance of other nonworking domains in the WLB with a particular focus on health. Moreover, the importance of the effects of the work–family balance (WFB) and the work–health balance (WHB) on job satisfaction was investigated. Finally, we explored how the effects of the WFB and the WHB on job satisfaction change according to worker characteristics (age, gender, parental status, and work ability). This study involved 318 workers who completed an online questionnaire. The importance of the nonworking domains was compared with a t -test. The effect of the WFB and the WHB on job satisfaction was investigated with multiple and moderated regression analyses. The results show that workers considered health as important as family in the WLB. The WHB explained more of the variance in job satisfaction than the WFB. Age, gender and parental status moderated the effect of the WFB on job satisfaction, and work ability moderated the effect of the WHB on job satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of the health domain in the WLB and stresses that it is crucial to consider the specificity of different groups of workers when considering the WLB.

1. Introduction

The term work–life balance (WLB) has gained increasing popularity in the public discourse [ 1 ]. It is a term that is commonly used in companies, especially large ones, and it is often said to be at the core of their corporate welfare, e.g., [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]. However, academic knowledge around the WLB concept is not as solid and extensive as the widespread use of the term would suggest [ 1 ]. Researchers have argued that WLB theoretical development has not kept pace with the popularity of the concept [ 5 , 6 ]. Among the many issues raised by recent critical reviews [ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 ], the present study focuses on the limited consideration that has been given to the heterogeneity of the contemporary labor force in the WLB literature [ 8 ]. The extant research has largely assumed that the WLB is a concern mainly for working parents, where caring for dependent children is the relevant load in the life part of the WLB [ 1 ]. This became clear when we realized that the majority of the studies about the WLB actually only considered the family in the “life” part of the balance; that is, they considered the work–family balance (WFB) [ 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].

Currently, in addition to the massive presence of women in the labor market, which has fostered the literature about work–family balance, there is a highly increasing rate of active elderly workers, workers with a long-standing health problem or disability (LSHPD), single workers, and childless couples [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. These workers have different needs and interests outside work. This situation places renewed importance on a key feature of the WLB: The importance that is attached to the many different life role changes from person to person [ 9 ]. Therefore, even if the family role remains central in nonworking life, it is important to recognize the value of other roles when conceptualizing and measuring the WLB [ 11 ]. The family may not be the most important part of the WLB in determining the positive outcomes of, for example, workers with chronic diseases for whom the management of health has great influence. From this perspective, Gragnano et al. [ 15 ] recently developed the concept and measure of the work–health balance (WHB), which is particularly relevant for elderly workers and workers with a LSHPD.

This study aims to contribute to the WLB research by comparing the relevance of other nonwork domains beyond family and considering the heterogeneity of the current labor force in studying the WLB. Specifically, we (a) investigate the perceived importance of other nonwork life domains beyond family, with a focus on health; (b) compare the influence of the WFB and the WHB on job satisfaction; and (c) examine how the effects of the WFB and the WHB on job satisfaction change according to different worker characteristics.

In subsequent sections of this article, we discuss the relationship between the WLB and the WFB, also considering different worker characteristics. We then introduce the concept of the WHB.

2. Theoretical Background and Hypotheses

2.1. specific nonwork life domains: family and health.

The field of study about the work–life balance has had difficulty in establishing a commonly agreed-upon definition of the WLB [ 16 ]. A plethora of different conceptualizations exist in the literature, and many researchers have tried to summarize them [ 9 , 10 , 16 ]. After a review of the conceptualizations of the WLB in the literature, Kalliath and Brough [ 16 ] proposed a definition of the WLB that we endorse. “Work–life balance is the individual perception that work and nonwork activities are compatible and promote growth in accordance with an individual’s current life priorities” (p.326). A recent review indicated that a better work–life balance fosters not only job satisfaction, job performance, and organizational commitment but also life and family satisfaction [ 10 ]. The work–life balance also reduces stress-related outcomes such as psychological distress, emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression [ 10 ].

Research on work and nonwork interactions dates back to the mid-twentieth century, e.g., [ 17 ], and the issue has gained increasing importance in the popular press since the 1990s [ 16 ]. Today, there exists an extensive and growing body of research about the work–life balance [ 18 ], and the topic is of even more concern than in the past considering the new flexible ways of managing work (e.g., agile working, smart working, activity-based working, and flexible working).

Researchers have highlighted that the field of research about the work–life balance is itself “unbalanced.” The majority of studies on the work–life balance have focused only on work and family roles, that is, on the work–family balance [ 6 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. For example, Casper et al. [ 9 ] reviewed the conceptual definition of the balance in the academic literature and found that 66% of the definitions focused only on work and family. In their review, Chang et al. [ 7 ] found that the WLB was studied specifically, not in the form of the WFB, in only 9% and 26% of the quantitative and qualitative studies reviewed, respectively. As a result, the knowledge acquired over time about the predictors and consequences of the balance with work is based mainly on the work–family balance [ 1 , 10 ].

Different types of the work–family balance have been studied in the literature. A general classification distinguished four types of influence that can occur between work and family based on their direction and valence [ 19 ]. When the effect is negative from the family domain to the work domain, it is called the family-to-work conflict. When the effect is still negative but from the work domain to the family domain, it is called work-to-family conflict. When the effect is positive, it is called enrichment and can have the same two directions; therefore, there is family-to-work enrichment and work-to-family enrichment. The work–family balance has been extensively studied in its negative form, work–family conflict [ 19 ]. However, since the 2000s, the scientific community has begun to focus on its positive form, work–family enrichment [ 20 ].

Many researchers have called for a real expansion of the WLB concept, such that the second arm of the balance—life—is not confined to the family role [ 6 , 9 , 19 ]. The call for an expansion of the concept is not only theoretically grounded but also related to recent changes in the labor market. The identification of the WFB as an indicator of the WLB was relatively effective and useful in recent decades, when the greatest change in workplace demographics was the increase in the participation of women, and the management of family and work roles for working women and dual-earner couples, especially those with children, became a central issue within organizations. Currently, workplace demographics are more heterogeneous. In addition to the massive presence of woman in the labor market, we are also seeing an increase in the rate of active elderly workers, workers with an LSHPD, single workers, and childless couples [ 12 , 13 , 14 ]. It is clear that an exclusive focus on family has become at least reductive when considering the WLB [ 1 , 21 ].

The majority of the studies that have investigated the work–nonwork balance without an exclusive focus on the family domain have considered nonwork to be unspecific, i.e., they have considered nonworking life in general, including nonfamily and family domains [ 19 ]. However, the consideration of the specific nonwork domains is essential to a full comprehension of the dynamics that influence the work–life balance in the heterogeneous working population, that is, the different, specific nonwork domains will have different levels of importance and different effects in the determination of the work–life balance among workers with diverse characteristics and needs outside work [ 11 ].

Based on the quality of life literature [ 22 ], the multiple identity perspective [ 23 ], and Super’s [ 24 ] life-space theory of career development, Keeney et al. [ 11 ] identified eight nonwork domains of relevance in the WLB: education, health, leisure, friendships, romantic relationships, family, household management, and community involvement. The importance that individuals give to the different domains varies from person to person [ 11 ]. Moreover, the relative importance of these life domains is likely to change over time within the same person because of changes in interests and life circumstances [ 24 ]. Thus, it is crucial to understand whether the other nonwork domains are as important as family and under which circumstances the priorities change. Among the domains that were detected by Keeney et al. [ 11 ], there was health. This is relevant because to our knowledge, for the first time in work–life balance literature, it has been recognized that health management can conflict with work activity.

As stated, the relevance of health to the work life derives from an increase in the rate of workers with an LSHPD and elderly workers, both with a higher incidence of health problems. In 2017, 27.8% of the European Union (EU) workers reported an LSHPD, and 19% of the employed persons in the EU were 55 years of age or older [ 25 , 26 ]. There is, however, another reason that makes the health domain relevant even for “healthy” workers. A paradigm shift has occurred in the planning and delivery of healthcare. People are now expected to actively manage their healthcare. Theorizations in the field of public health and in medicine have indicated that it is strategic for healthcare systems to have informed patients who are more directly responsible for their health and care management [ 27 ]. This has been paired with an increasing focus on health promotion that is based, partly but strongly, on good individual healthy behaviors [ 28 ]. Therefore, the workers, not just the sick ones, must take on a somewhat active role in the health domain of life, which may be more or less compatible with the working role.

In light of this literature and considering the life domains defined by Keeney et al. [ 11 ], we hypothesized that family is still central in the WLB of workers but that the health domain also has an equally important role. Therefore, if the workers were asked directly:

Workers will indicate that the family and health domains are more important than the other life domains in the WLB process .

2.2. Consequences of Work–Family Balance: Job Satisfaction

Many studies have analyzed individual consequences of the different types of the work–life balance, and several meta-analyses have summarized the literature about the correlates of work–family conflict [ 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ] and work–family enrichment [ 20 ]. Work–family conflict, in both directions, has been consistently found to be associated with work-related, family-related, and domain-unspecific outcomes. Specifically, among the many outcomes that are associated with work–family conflict in a statistically significant manner, the ones that were more strongly associated were organizational citizenship behavior, work-related and general stress, burnout and exhaustion, and job, marital and life satisfaction [ 29 ]. Far fewer studies exist for work–family enrichment, but by comparing the two extant bodies of literature, it is possible to note that the effect sizes of work–family enrichment are comparable to those of work–family conflict [ 20 , 29 ]. For simplicity and because more studies are needed about the relationship between work–family enrichment and conflict [ 33 ], which goes beyond the objectives of this research, we considered only the conflict, in both directions, in our study.

Among the literature considering work-related outcomes, job satisfaction has been the most studied variable [ 29 ]. Job satisfaction represents the extent to which workers like or dislike their job [ 34 ]. Job satisfaction is a central variable in organizational behavior research. Spector [ 34 ] ascribed its importance to three main reasons. Job satisfaction is an indicator of well-being and psychological health, it is related to many behaviors of the worker that are positive for the organization, and finally, it is a very useful indicator of organizational problems when its level is low. In fact, job satisfaction is highly related to burn-out, self-esteem, depression, anxiety and, to a lower extent, perceived physical illness [ 35 ]. It is consistently correlated with job performance [ 36 ] and with four dispositional traits predictive of job performance: self-esteem, generalized self-efficacy, locus of control, and emotional stability [ 37 ]. Job satisfaction has also been found to be a significant predictor of turnover and turnover intention [ 38 , 39 ].

Job satisfaction is also related to the work–family balance. The meta-analysis conducted by Amstad et al. [ 29 ] reported that the correlation with job satisfaction was stronger for work-to-family conflict (weighted mean correlation = −0.26) than for family-to-work conflict (weighted mean correlation = −0.13). Theoretically, the work–family balance affects job satisfaction because an incompatibility between two personally relevant roles creates negative states and feelings. Following the principle that when something threatens something else personally relevant, the first is appraised negatively with negative emotion [ 40 ], and a role that interferes with the fulfilment of another personally relevant role is negatively evaluated. Specifically, a negative evaluation of an individual’s job is formed (i.e., low job satisfaction) depending on the extent to which the job threatens the fulfillment of the family role [ 41 ]. This explanation justifies why family-to-work conflict has been found to have a lower correlation with job satisfaction than work-to-family conflict. In fact, provided that both conflict directions may generate a strain in both domains, the family-to-work conflict will generate a low family satisfaction—instead of a low job satisfaction—because the family role interferes with the work role, and the negative evaluation will be toward the source of the interference [ 41 ]. This was supported by the meta-analysis conducted by Amstad et al. [ 29 ], who found that work-to-family conflict was more strongly correlated with work-related outcomes than family-related ones and that the opposite was true for family-to-work conflict. Based on these premises, we hypothesized that:

Work-to-family and family-to-work conflict will be significantly and negatively related to job satisfaction.

The relationship between work-to-family conflict and job satisfaction will be greater than the relationship between family-to-work conflict and job satisfaction.

2.3. Consequences of Work–Health Balance

The present study aimed to expand the knowledge about the nonwork life domain other than family, specifically the health domain. Despite the importance of the life domain of health, the literature has not offered many studies that consider health in the WLB process or measurement instruments that are specifically designed for the purpose [ 42 ]. Considering the literature about job retention and the quality of working life among workers with an LSHPD [ 43 , 44 ], Gragnano et al. [ 15 ] conceptualized the work–health balance (WHB) as a state in which the worker feels able to effectively balance health and work needs, arising from the perception of how much the characteristics of one’s work are a barrier to health needs and counterbalanced by the evaluation of the helpfulness of the working environment to meet health needs.

Health needs are understood here in a broad sense, covering not only the care needs of workers with chronic illnesses or conditions but all the needs that a worker considers necessary to adequately care for his or her health. From the definition, a measure of the WHB has been developed. The WHB questionnaire measures three distinct constructs: work–health incompatibility, health climate and external support [ 15 ]. The first construct measures how much work commitments hamper the desired management of health. The last two constructs measure the helpfulness of the working environment for health needs. The health climate detects the extent to which workers perceive that management is truly interested in their employees’ health, whereas external support identifies the perception of the level of help available for health problems in the workplace in the form of support from the supervisor and work flexibility.

Studies have shown that elderly workers and workers with an LSHPD have more difficulties in reaching a good WHB [ 45 , 46 ]. In addition, it has been shown that among workers who stop working for cardiovascular diseases, the process of returning to work is faster for those who have a good WHB [ 47 ]. With low levels of the WHB, the rates of presenteeism, emotional exhaustion, workaholism and general psychological distress (GHQ) increase [ 15 , 48 ]. In contrast, a good WHB is associated with greater work autonomy, job engagement, and job satisfaction [ 15 , 49 , 50 , 51 ].

In the WHB, a good balance generates job satisfaction because the work role is not a threat to the management of health. A low level of work-to-family conflict generates job satisfaction because the work role is not a threat to the family domain. Because the two domains at risk are different, the proportion of the job satisfaction variance that is explained by the WHB is expected to not overlap, to a great extent, with the proportion that is explained by the work-to-family conflict. Moreover, in the current working context, characterized by a great heterogeneity of the contemporary labor force with a substantial proportion of elderly workers and workers with an LSHPD, as well as with the increasing spread of a health care system that is based on the active and informed role of patients, we expect the WHB to be as important as work-to-family conflict in shaping attitudes toward job and job satisfaction. Therefore, we hypothesized that:

The WHB will have a significant positive effect on job satisfaction.

The effect size of the WHB on job satisfaction will be at least as large as that of work-to-family conflict.

2.4. The Heterogeneity of the Labor Force and WLB

As stated before, the present study focuses on the problem of the limited consideration that has been given in the WLB literature to the heterogeneity of the contemporary labor force [ 8 ]. The current labor force is characterized not only by a greater female presence but also by an increasing rate of elderly workers, workers with an LSHPD, single workers, and childless couples [ 12 , 13 , 14 ], all with different needs and with a different levels of importance that are given to their various nonworking roles [ 1 ].

This last consideration is particularly relevant in the context of the WLB because the balance is not absolute; rather, it depends on the importance that is given by the worker to the various roles. Therefore, when studying the effect of the WLB on outcomes by using concepts and measures such as work-to-family conflict or the WHB, which measure the balance between a specific nonwork role and work, it is theoretically appropriate to expect that the studied effect will vary based on the importance that is given by the worker to the nonwork role under consideration. In other words, the perception of an imbalance between a specific nonworking role and work will have a negative effect on the outcome to the extent that the nonworking role in question is important for the worker.

Despite the centrality of individual priorities in the definition of the WLB [ 9 , 10 , 16 ], surprisingly few studies have explored how individual priorities moderate the effect of the WLB on outcomes [ 6 , 29 , 52 ], which is a symptom of the limited consideration of diversity in the labor force by the WLB literature [ 1 , 8 ]. Individual differences have been considered as predictors of differences in the level of balance [ 10 , 53 ] instead of as moderators of the effects of the balance on the outcomes. Crooker et al. [ 21 ] developed a theoretical framework that extensively considered differences in individual value systems as moderators, but this study was focused on the genesis of the WLB instead of its consequences.

In the present study, we considered four variables (i.e., age, gender, parental status, and work ability) that, according to the literature, moderate the relationship between the WFB and job satisfaction or, alternatively, the relationship between the WHB and job satisfaction. The hypothesis is that individual conditions and characteristics that increase (or decrease) the importance that is given by the worker to the family or health domain will increase (or decrease) the effect that the work–family balance or the WHB has on job satisfaction.

Gender has been studied in the WLB literature as a possible predictor of different levels of the work–family balance. The hypothesis has been that, since family responsibilities usually pertain more to women, women have worse levels of the work–family balance, but these studies have not consistently supported this hypothesis [ 54 ]. However, research has still indicated that there are significant disparities between men and women pertaining to the work–family balance [ 55 ]. There have also been studies that have indicated that women do value family more than men, and the opposite has been shown to be true for work [ 56 , 57 ]. This is consistent with other studies that have indicated a stronger effect of the work–family balance on job satisfaction [ 58 , 59 ] and negative emotional responses [ 60 ] for women. Based on these premises, we hypothesized that:

The negative effect of work–family conflict (work-to-family and family-to work) on job satisfaction will be stronger for women than for men.

Similarly, there is evidence that parents experience more problems with the work–family balance than workers without children (for a meta-analysis, see [ 61 ]). This is often because family-related demands are higher for parents [ 62 ]. However, we also sustain that the importance that is given to the family domain is higher for workers with children than for those without. Thus, we hypothesized that:

The negative effect of work–family conflict (work-to-family and family-to work) on job satisfaction will be stronger for workers with children than for those without.

Socioemotional selectivity theory (SST) [ 63 ] sustains that individuals have an intrinsic perception of the time left in their life—the future time perspective—and based on that, they adjust their preferences and behavior. A shortened future time perspective promotes the pursuit of short-term emotion-related goals, such as positive emotional and psychological well-being, and it devaluates long-term goals, such as the development of skills or career advancements [ 63 ]. In the WLB literature, SST implies that elderly workers, who have a shorter future time perspective, should consider family relationships more important than work [ 64 ]. Therefore, a high level of work-to-family conflict will affect elderly workers and their evaluation of job satisfaction more than younger worker. In line with this, Treadway et al. [ 65 ] found that, in the presence of a high work-to-family conflict, workers with a more constrained future time perspective experienced a lower continuance commitment than employees with a less shallow future time perspective.

The negative effect of work–family conflict (work-to-family and family-to-work) on job satisfaction will be stronger for elderly workers than for younger workers.

Because increasing age is associated with higher morbidity, (multiple) chronic conditions, and higher use of health services [ 66 ], the importance of the health domain is expected to be higher among elderly workers than younger workers. Therefore, we hypothesized that:

The positive effect of the WHB on job satisfaction will be stronger for elderly workers than for younger workers.

Finally, work ability is expected to play a role in association with the WHB. Work ability represents the perceived ability to do one’s job effectively and to continue to do so in the near future when considering personal health problems and resources [ 66 ]. Thus, in the life of workers with a low work ability, the health domain generally has more importance than workers with a high work ability because health is a current problem. Considering this, we hypothesized that:

The positive effect of the WHB on job satisfaction will be stronger for workers with a low work ability than for those with a high work ability.

3. Materials and Methods

3.1. sample and procedure.

The study involved workers of full age under an employment contract. Entrepreneurs and self-employed workers were excluded. We distributed the link to the online questionnaire with a brief description of the research through social networks (i.e., Facebook and LinkedIn), messaging applications, and email. To begin the assessment, the participants had to read and approve an informed consent form to freely decide whether to participate in the research. The informed consent provided informed about the aim of the study and the procedures to collect the data, and it ensured that there were no potential risks or costs involved. The research team assured the anonymity and confidentiality of the participants’ responses throughout the entire study process. The contact details of the researcher in charge were provided in the event of any further questions. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards set by the Declaration of Helsinki and was approved by the Ethical Committee of the University of Milano-Bicocca (Prot.160-2014). The number of subjects that started the questionnaire was 350. However, the dataset used in the analyses contained 318 responses after excluding 32 questionnaires because they were substantially incomplete; that is, the subjects opened the online page of the questionnaire but did not answer any questions. These values represent a completion rate of 91%. All participants lived in Italy; 90% lived in northern Italy. Overall, 37%, 28%, and 35% of the respondents were between 20 and 30, 31 and 44, and 45 and 60 years old, respectively. The proportion of men and women, as well as people with and without children, was balanced in the sample (56% women and 58% with children). Among the 134 workers with children, 49%, 43%, and 8% of the respondents had one, two, and three or more children, respectively. The workers with one or more children under the age of twelve were 51%. Most of the respondents had a partner (76%) and at least an upper secondary school diploma (93%). Most of the participants worked full-time (85%) with an open-ended contract (79%) as a white-collar worker (72%). Table 1 presents detailed descriptive statistics of the sample.

Descriptive statistics of the sample (N = 318).

3.2. Measures

The sociodemographic information described above was provided by the respondents at the beginning of the online questionnaire.

Based on the instrument developed by Keeney et al. [ 11 ] to evaluate the importance in the WLB attached to the different life domains (family, health, household management, friendship, training activities, favorite leisure activities, and community involvement), respondents were asked “How important is it in your life to reconcile work with …? ”. The question was asked, changing the final part, for all of the seven domains of life considered. The response scale was a 10-point scale from 1 (not at all important) to 10 (extremely important).

Two forms of the WLB were measured: the work–family balance and the work–health balance. The work–family balance was measured in the form of the work-to-family conflict (WFC—three items, α = 0.79) and family-to-work conflict (FWC—three items, α = 0.72) with the abbreviated version of the measure of work–family conflict [ 67 ]. Answers were given with a five-point Likert scale, from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree). The work–health balance was measured with the Work–Health Balance Questionnaire [ 15 ], which was composed of three subscales: work–health incompatibility (WH—six items, α = 0.84), health climate (HC—five items, α = 0.92), and external support (ES—six items, α = 0.81). The total WHB score was calculated by subtracting WHI from the mean of HC and ES. Answers were given according to a five-point rating scale from 1 (completely disagree) to 5 (completely agree) for WHI and from 1 (never) to 5 (always) for HC and ES.

Work ability, the perceived ability to do one’s job effectively and to continue to do so in the near future when considering personal health problems and resources, was measured with the Work Ability Index (WAI) [ 68 ]. The index was calculated from seven factors (α = 0.79) for a total of 10 items with different rating scales.

Job satisfaction was measured with a single item that asked respondents to rate their overall satisfaction with their job on a 5-point scale from 1 (not at all satisfied) to 5 (fully satisfied). The reliability and validity of the single-item measure to assess job satisfaction has been established [ 69 ].

Harman’s single-factor test was adopted to check for a common method bias. The first factor explained 27% of the variance. Given that this fell below the threshold of 50%, the common method bias does not appear to have been a significant factor in this study. The results of the explorative factor analysis performed for the Harman single-factor test are available in the online Supplementary Materials of this article.

3.3. Data Analysis

All data analyses were performed by using R [ 70 ]. The different life domains were ordered according to the mean importance to the WLB that was attached to them by the respondents. Mean and standard deviations were provided for all the life domains. To test whether family and health domains were considered more important than the other life domains in the WLB (H1), the mean of the importance that was attached to health and family were compared to the mean of the importance that was attached to all the other life domains with a paired t-test. Even if no hypothesis was formulated specifically on this point, we explored whether the family and health domain were considered equally important. A paired t-test between the importance ascribed to family and to health was performed.

The hypotheses about the direction and effect size of work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and the WHB on job satisfaction (H2a,b and H3a,b) were tested with a multiple linear regression with job satisfaction as the dependent variable and work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict and the WHB as independent variables. To evaluate the relative importance of these predictors to the multiple regression model just described, we used the Lindeman, Merenda, and Gold’s metric (LMG) and reported the standardized β . The LMG expresses the squared semipartial correlation that was averaged across all possible ordering of the predictors. Since each order of predictors yields a different decomposition of the model sum of squares, the variance of the dependent variable that is explained by a predictor in a multiple regression varies according to the sequential order in which a predictor is entered into the model in relation to the other predictors. LMG averaged this value for all the possible orders of entry [ 71 ]. As a result, LMG considers both the predictor’s direct effect and its effect when combined with other predictors. Conversely, the standardized β represents only the incremental contribution of each predictor when combined with all remaining predictors [ 71 , 72 ].

This model, as well as the other following models, was controlled for age, marital status, and parental status. The control variables to be included were chosen with a backward model selection by the Akaike information criterion (AIC) from an initial model that included age, gender, education level, marital and parental status, job role, type of contract, and working hours. These preliminary analyses are available in the online Supplementary Material of this article.

Finally, the hypotheses about the moderation of the relation between the work–family balance and/or the WHB with job satisfaction (H4a–e) by individual characteristics (age, gender, parental status, and work ability) were tested with several models—one per moderator—with interaction effects. Continuous variables involved in the interaction were centered on the mean.

4.1. Perceived Importance of Family and Health Domain

The mean and standard deviation of the importance that is attached to the different life domains, ordered by their importance, are listed in Figure 1 .

Mean importance and standard deviation of the seven life domains.

The first paired t-test resulted in a significant difference in the mean of the importance that was attached to health and family (M = 9.27 and SD = 1.04) and those ascribed to the other life domains (M = 7.3 and SD = 1.32); t (317) = 25.7 and p < 0.001. This result supported H1a, that is, the health and family domains were considered to be more important than the other domains in the WLB.

Moreover, the second paired t-test resulted in a nonsignificant difference in the importance that is attached to health (M = 9.29 and SD = 1.18) and those attached to family (M = 9.25 and SD = 1.3); t (317) = 0.57 and p = 0.57. This exploratory analysis showed that health and family are life domains considered of equivalent importance in the WLB.

4.2. Consequences of Work–Family and Work–Health Balance on Job Satisfaction

Table 2 presents the result of the first model that tested the effects of work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and the WHB on job satisfaction (R 2 = 0.28, F (6/308) = 20.24, and p < 0.001).

Adjusted effects of work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and the work–health balance (WHB) on job satisfaction.

*** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.01; * = p < 0.05; 1 se = standard error.

The model resulted in a significant negative effect of work-to-family conflict and a nonsignificant effect of family-to-work conflict, thus partially supporting H2a. The LMG of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction (LMG = 0.08) was eight times greater than that of family-to-work conflict (LMG = 0.01). Moreover, the former was statistically significant, while the other was not. These results fully supported H2b. Considering the effect of the WHB on job satisfaction, the model estimated a significant positive effect, supporting H3a. Moreover, the variance that was explained by the WHB (LMG = 0.16) was twice as much as the variance that was explained by work-to-family conflict (LMG = 0.08), supporting H3b.

4.3. Moderators of the Effects of Work–Family and Work–Health Balance

Table 3 reports models 1 and 2, which tested the moderating effect of gender and parental status, respectively.

Adjusted effects of work-to-family conflict, family-to-work conflict, and the WHB on job satisfaction.

*** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.01; * = p < 0.05; 1 In model 1, the moderator is gender (female); in model 2, the moderator is parental status (no children). Continuous variables in the interactions have been centered on the mean.

Model 1 (R 2 = 0.30, F (9/305) = 14.54, and p < 0.001) in Table 3 showed a significant negative interaction of gender with work-to-family conflict but no interaction with family-to-work conflict. The interaction indicates that the negative effect of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction was stronger among women than among men. To facilitate the interpretation, the interaction effect is depicted in Figure 2 . This result partially supported H4a: The effect of the work–family balance, specifically of work-to-family conflict, on job satisfaction was stronger among women than among men.

Moderating effect of gender on the relationship between work-to-family conflict and job satisfaction.

Model 2 (R 2 = 0.31, F (8/306) = 17.46, and p < 0.001) in Table 3 again showed a significant interaction of work-to-family conflict with the moderator (i.e., parental support) but no interaction of the moderator with family-to-work conflict. The interaction indicates that the negative effect of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction was stronger among workers with children than among those without. This interaction effect is depicted in Figure 3 . This result partially supported H4b: The effect of the work–family balance on job satisfaction, specifically of work-to-family conflict, is stronger among workers with children than among those without.

Moderating effect of parental status on the relationship between work-to-family conflict and job satisfaction.

Table 4 reports models 3 and 4, which tested the effects of two moderators—age and work ability, respectively. Model 3 (R 2 = 0.31, F (9/305) = 15.28, and p < 0.001) in Table 4 showed a significant interaction of age with work-to-family and family-to-work conflict but no interaction with the WHB.

*** = p < 0.001; ** = p < 0.01; * = p < 0.05; 1 In model 3, the moderator is age; in model 4, the moderator is work ability. Continuous variables in the interactions have been centered on the mean.

The interactions showed that the negative effect of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction increased with age ( Figure 4 a), whereas family-to-work conflict appeared to have a positive effect for older workers ( Figure 4 b). These results again supported H4c only for work-to-family conflict, whereas they showed an unexpected positive effect of family-to-work conflict on job satisfaction among the elderly. In contrast, the results did not support H4d because the effect of the WHB on job satisfaction did not seem to increase with age.

( a ) Moderating effect of age on the relationship between work-to-family conflict and job satisfaction. ( b ) Moderating effect of age on the relationship between family-to-work conflict and job satisfaction.

Model 4 (R 2 = 0.33, F (8/306) = 18.18, and p < 0.001) in Table 4 showed a significant negative interaction between the WHB and work ability. The interaction showed that the positive effect of the WHB on job satisfaction decreased with the increase in work ability ( Figure 5 ). This result supported H4e: The positive effect of the WHB on job satisfaction increased with the decline in work ability.

Moderating effect of work ability on the relationship between the work–health balance and job satisfaction.

5. Discussion

This study aimed to verify the importance of different, specific nonwork domains in the work–life balance process, with a focus on family and health. We also investigated the impact of the work–family balance (in both directions) and the work–health balance on job satisfaction and how the heterogeneity of the current workforce modifies these relationships.

The results supported the first hypothesis. As hypothesized, when considering their work–life balance, the workers attached more importance to the health and family domains than to the other nonwork domains. A further analysis showed that the health and family domains were given similar importance. This result was the starting point of the entire study and justified the inclusion of the concept of the work–health balance. The workers rated family and health as 25% more important than the other nonwork life domain in their work–life balance. The fact that health was important as family is a relevant result, and it was found to be even more important when we analyzed the sample. Indeed, there were no apparent sample characteristics that made this sample more exposed to health issues than the general population. This fact suggests that researchers and companies should pay more attention to the health domain even for workers that are not affected by severe or chronic health conditions.

The second hypothesis concerned the effect of the work–family balance on job satisfaction. The work–family balance was supposed to affect job satisfaction, and work-to-family conflict was supposed to be more important than family-to-work conflict. The results supported this hypothesis and, consistent with other studies, the effect of family-to-work conflict on job satisfaction was smaller than that of work-to-family conflict and was statistically not significant [ 73 ]. This result can be explained in light of the appraisal theory [ 40 ]: If work threatens family life (work–life conflict), work will be negatively appraised; if family issues threaten work participation (family–work conflict), family, not the work, will be negatively appraised [ 41 ]. Consistent with a prior meta-analysis [ 29 ], these results support the “matching-hypothesis” (work-to-family conflict affects the work domain more, whereas family-to-work conflict affects the family domain more) as opposed to the “cross-domain hypothesis” (work-to-family conflict affects the family domain more, whereas family-to-work conflict affects the work domain more). Our study provides new evidence in this sense because the regression model was controlled for the work–health balance and because of the adoption of the LMG metric.

The third hypothesis investigated the effect of the WHB on job satisfaction and its importance relative to work–family conflict. As hypothesized, the WHB had a positive and statistically significant relationship with job satisfaction, and its importance was two times greater than that of work-to-family conflict. This result supports the usefulness of the specific instrument, the WHB questionnaire, and confirms the importance of filling the gap in the literature [ 42 ] by introducing the health domain into the concept of the work–life balance. Even if our results cannot be considered definitive in saying that the health domain is more important than the family domain in the genesis of job satisfaction, they clearly indicate that, when investigating or promoting work–life balance, considering the WHB is at least as important as considering the work–family balance. The common practice of considering the work–life balance as an issue that is related only to family is wrong and limits the possibility to explain work phenomena through the lens of the work–life balance.

The fourth hypothesis was related to the moderation of the effects of work–family conflict and the WHB by specific work characteristics (i.e., gender, parental status, age, and work ability) on job satisfaction. All three hypothesized moderators of the effect of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction (i.e., gender, parental status, and age) were supported, whereas only one moderator of the family-to-work conflict effect (i.e., age) was sustained. Of the two hypothesized moderators (age and work ability) of the WHB effect on job satisfaction, only the interaction with work ability was supported.

In particular, the impact of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction was greater for women (H4a), parent workers (H4b), and elderly workers (H4c). The reason for this moderation effect is likely due to the difference in salience of the family domain attached by the groups of workers. Women are likely to evaluate family as more central in their lives than men because of widespread cultural norms and gender-differentiated values [ 56 , 57 ]. Likewise, parents are likely to give more salience to family than people with no children because of cultural norms and, possibly, because of a “self-selection process” that brings people with a high salience of family to be more prone to parenthood than people with a low salience [ 62 , 74 ]. Given such result, it is possible, and should be tested in future studies, that being responsible for eldercare, beyond generally increasing the level of work-to-family conflict, also increases the impact of work-to-family conflict on job satisfaction. Finally, as implied by the socioemotional selectivity theory, elderly workers are likely to consider family relationships more important than younger workers because of a shorter future time perspective [ 64 ].

Given the theoretically coherent nonsignificant main effect of family-to-work conflict on job satisfaction, it was not surprising that the hypothesized moderators of its effects were not relevant. However, the moderation of the effect of family-to-work conflict on job satisfaction by age was significant and indicated that among older workers, a higher level of family-to-work conflict was related to higher job satisfaction. A further analyses showed that the effect of family-to-work conflict was nonsignificant among workers of 27 (the first quartile) and 38 years of age (the mean age), but this effect was statistically significant among workers of 49 years of age (the third quartile). The interpretation of this effect is hazardous with the data at hand. Further studies should investigate this effect while also considering the cross-sectional nature of our study. In fact, it is not possible to exclude that the found relationship was inverse. That is, older workers with higher job satisfaction perceived a higher family-to-work conflict because of a greater importance that is attached to the work domain than other elderly workers with lower job satisfaction.

Concerning the WHB, we hypothesized that its effect on job satisfaction was stronger among older workers (H4d) and workers with a lower WAI score (H4e). Since the interaction term was not significant in the case of age, H4d was not supported. Our results showed that a good WHB was associated with an equally high job satisfaction among all ages. We believe this is simply because, in our sample, the importance that was given to the health domain was not associated with age. This idea was supported by post hoc analyses that correlated the importance that was given by the workers to the health domain with their age, which resulted in a nonsignificant correlation ( r = −0.09, t = −1.62, and p = 0.11). We believe this result indicates that the health domain is crucial for both younger and older workers. There is the possibility that the WHB is a very important dimension at all ages—not only for elderly workers as originally intended [ 15 ]. In contrast, our results supported H4e. With the decline of the WAI, that is, with more health problems affecting job activity, the importance of the positive effect of the WHB on job satisfaction was increased. As proposed elsewhere [ 15 ], workers who are more vulnerable to health problems had a greater gain from their work situation with a good balance between health needs and work demands than healthy workers.

Overall, the results regarding the hypothesized moderators indicate that it is crucial to take into account the heterogeneity of the current workforce and to consider the specificity of different groups of workers when considering the WLB. From the outset, most definitions of the work–life balance have stressed the fact that it is not possible to identify an absolute optimal balance because it depends on the importance that the worker gives to the different domains of life [ 1 , 9 , 10 , 16 ]. Despite being theoretically clear, individual differences have been mainly overlooked in the WLB literature. Our study presents strong evidence that the issue must be considered, especially in light of the large presence of women, elderly individuals, people with an LSHPD, singles, and childless couples in the labor force [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].

The current study presents some limitations to consider when interpreting the results. First, the study design was cross-sectional. This limits our confidence in determining the cause and effect in the relationships between the considered variables. We based our considerations on a strong theoretical basis [ 10 , 29 ], but longitudinal studies are needed to replicate our findings.

Second, we adopted an online recruitment procedure that has the problem of a participant selection bias because of the self-selection of participants [ 75 ]. The online recruitment made our sample not representative of the entire working population, but this was beyond our intent. As explained by Landers and Behrend [ 76 ], when the aim is to test theoretically relevant hypotheses, as in our study, sample representativeness is less crucial than when a study aims to estimate the presence and the level of one or more variables in the workers’ population. Of course, our results must be replicated in other samples to increase their generalizability. By comparing our sample characteristics with data representative of the employees in north Italy [ 77 ] (data shown in the online Supplementary Material of this article), it is possible to note some differences in the proportions of job roles, type of occupations, and levels of education that are worth being mentioned. Specifically, like many studies in the WLB literature [ 7 ], in our sample, there was an over-representation of white-collar workers and an under-representation of blue-collar workers. There was an over-representation of clerical support workers and an under-representation of factory workers, skilled laborers, building workers, elementary occupations, and services and sale workers. Finally, the level of education of the sample was higher than in the general population of employees in north Italy. Given these specificities, it will be necessary to test whether the same results hold across samples with an appropriate representation of factory workers, skilled laborers, building workers, elementary occupations, and services and sale workers, as well as employees with a lower level of education.

Third, the measure of the importance that workers gave to the different life domains was based on the instrument of Keeney et al. [ 11 ], but the final instrument was created ad hoc for this study. Therefore, the measurement instrument may have biased the results regarding the importance of the different life domains. However, it should be considered that the questions that were posed to the participants were quite straightforward, and the values obtained for each domain were plausible and not extreme. Even if the instrument was not fine-tuned for exact comparisons, we believe it was appropriate for the aim of the study. The cited limitations warn against an unconditional generalization of the results of this study that, instead, have to be replicated with stronger research designs and other samples of workers.

6. Conclusions

The health issue has emerged in the organizational literature as a central topic. It no longer pertains to only small groups of workers with severe health problems. The changes in the labor force and of the patient’s role in the health system have made it impossible to consider the management of health as an exclusively nonworking activity. This study shows that workers are aware of the importance of the health domain for achieving a good work–life balance. Our results indicate health as a fundamental domain in the work–life balance dynamic that is as important as the family domain, if not more so. Researchers and practitioners should therefore consider the health domain in addition to the family domain when investigating the work–life balance.

By showing the differences in the effects of the work–family balance and the work–health balance on job satisfaction for different categories of workers, the present study demonstrates the importance of individual differences in the work–life balance process. That is, the balance between work and life is not absolute, but it is related to the importance that is given by the worker to the various domains. This relationship is of prominent importance in the current heterogeneous labor force.

Finally, our results provide evidence, to be replicated, that the importance of the work–health balance is not related to age, as previously believed; but only with the health condition.

Overall, this study is relevant for the work–life balance literature because, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first to consider the work–health balance. Moreover, it is one of the few studies that, through moderation analyses, investigates how the effect of the work–life balance on a relevant outcome changes according to workers’ characteristics.

Acknowledgments

We thank Martina Raimondi for her valuable assistance during the process of data collection and Zavagno D. for his help in proofreading the final changes made to the manuscript.

Supplementary Materials

The following are available online at https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/3/907/s1 , Table S1: Factor Loadings of the EFA performed for the Harman’s single factor test, Table S2: Percentage of variance explained by the factors, Table S3: Comparison of the characteristics of the sample with those of the population of employees in north Italy.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, A.G. and M.M.; Methodology, A.G. and S.S.; Formal analysis, A.G.; Investigation, A.G. and M.M.; Data curation, A.G., M.M.; Writing—original draft preparation, A.G.; Writing—review and editing, S.S., M.M. and A.G.; Visualization, A.G. and S.S.; Supervision, M.M.; Project administration, M.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding. The APC was funded by the “Fondo di Ateneo” grant, from the University of Milano-Bicocca to M.M.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funder had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

What Is Work-Life Balance?

We explain the concept — and provide expert tips for finding equilibrium at your job.

Work-life balance is the degree to which an individual is able to achieve their professional goals while also making time for family, friends and personal interests.

The concept dates back to the Industrial Revolution, when labor unions fought for eight-hour work days, trisecting a 24-hour day into a perfectly balanced eight hours for work, eight hours for play and eight hours for sleep.

Work-life balance is the degree to which someone can manage their job responsibilities and their personal life in a way that supports their well-being.

The increasingly digital nature of the professional world has blurred these boundaries, though, as technology has made it possible to work from home (or anywhere with internet connectivity). According to Gallup , the 40-hour work week has stretched to 47 hours for the average American.

Some see this digital transformation as cause for increased vigilance about the work-life divide, while others have argued that work-life balance is a false dichotomy that ignores the interconnectedness of our work and personal lives.

“The reality is that we know that work is a part of life, and they really should be much more closely integrated,”said Lee Rubin, CEO and co-founder of culture-building platform Confetti . “For us, it’s really taking steps to see how both of them work together so life doesn’t feel like it’s being sacrificed. At the same time, how do we produce the best work that we can during the hours that we should be actively working for a company?”

“The reality is that we know that work is a part of life, and they really should be much more closely integrated.”

Work-life balance is a subjective concept, as each person will have different feelings about the amount of work that feels enjoyable or manageable in their own life. It’s a movable target that often changes for each person over time, so the search for equilibrium is more of a work-in-progress than a milestone to be achieved.

“Our work-life balance — as we evolve, as we age and as our lives change — is always ebbing and flowing,” said Caitlin Collins, an organizational psychologist with Betterworks .

Employees might, for example, prioritize career growth over work-life balance earlier in their career, but their priorities may change if they experience burnout or start a family. On the other hand, more experienced employees may have advanced to a more engaging position that inspires them to work longer hours than their younger counterparts.

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Why Is Work-Life Balance Important?

Having a healthy work-life balance is important for your productivity, physical and mental well-being and maintaining healthy relationships with the people in your life.  

1. Increases Productivity

You don’t have to work a long schedule in order to be productive. In fact, research shows that productivity drops significantly after 50 hours per week, and those who work up to 70 hours per week are only as productive as employees who worked 55 hours.

Happier employees are 13 percent more productive, according to research from Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. By stepping away from work and engaging in other activities, employees can return to work the next day with more energy. Time away from work can also generate fresh perspectives and breakthrough ideas .

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2. Prevents Burnout

Workers with an imbalance between their work and personal lives are more likely to experience burnout , which is a type of exhaustion caused by prolonged work stress. When workers are unable to make time for their hobbies, they may start to exhibit some of the classic burnout symptoms , such as decreased performance quality and a disengagement from company culture.

“We all have our things going on outside of work that require time,” said Amy Casciotti, vice president of human resources at TechSmith . “If we don't get that time, we start resenting work when we’re there — even if we like work.”

3. Improves Mental and Physical Health

Work-life imbalance can take a toll on your mental and physical health. Long working hours have been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

People who are dealing with chronic stress are more susceptible to anxiety, depression, high blood pressure and other health issues. These workers tend to also experience sleep deficiency, which is linked to chronic health problems such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes.

Ways to Improve Work-Life Balance

More than 70 percent of workers say work-life balance is an important factor in choosing a job, but only 40 percent say they are able to maintain a healthy equilibrium amid work demands that too often encroach on employees’ personal lives.

If you feel like work is taking up an unhealthy chunk of your free time, there are many tools at your disposal to regain control of your time and restore balance.  

1. Take a Vacation

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by work, your first thought might be to take a vacation. That’s easier said than done for most people, though. A  2023 study found that 68 percent of Americans work on vacation — oftentimes because they have no one to delegate their tasks to.

Other people may have difficulty stepping away from work due to anxiety. They may worry that if they don’t take care of a task themselves it won’t get done. In some cases, they may be avoiding a personal issue and turning to work to get a sense of control, Collins said.

Knowing the peaks and valleys of your workflow can help you schedule a more enjoyable vacation. Accountants are typically busiest around tax season, for example, so they might find it easier to relax once the April filing deadline has passed.

You can also set yourself up for a more relaxing vacation by reminding coworkers about your upcoming vacation, determining who will cover which tasks in your absence and setting up an out-of-office email response that directs your contacts to the appropriate team member.

2. Talk to Your Supervisor

Employees are often reluctant to bring up their work-life imbalance with their supervisor. They usually just look for another job.

Lindsay Dagiantis, founder of fractional HR firm blueprintHR , said she has often learned about employees’ work-life imbalance through exit interviews, when it’s too late to take action. She wishes more employees felt comfortable expressing their imbalance with their manager so they could try to make accommodations.

“As a manager, I would love for an employee to come to me and say, ‘For the next 12 to 18 months, the biggest driver for me is flexibility,’” Dagiantis said. “What does that look like for you? You should be able to articulate that and put thought into it…That will be a much more productive conversation than the binary ‘I need this. You can’t provide it. We need to break up.’”

You may not be allowed to reduce your workload, but you could probably negotiate PTO, flexibility in working hours or being excused from unproductive meetings.

“It’s having a give-and-take dance around what is necessary in that person's life and dancing with them to say, ‘Here’s what’s important for the business right now,’” Dagiantis said.

3. Add Flexibility to Your Schedule

This isn’t possible in all roles and organizations, but you might want to talk to your supervisor about carving out personal time during the day with the expectation that you will pick up any leftover work at night. This type of flexible work arrangement is most common with parents who want to pick up their child from school in the afternoon, but it could also be used to attend an afternoon yoga class, therapy session or spend quality time with your family.

Kane Carpenter, practice lead for employer branding and growth strategies at growth strategies consultancy Daggerfinn , said he occasionally takes a mid-afternoon break to go to the grocery store, which is less crowded at that time. He then works a little later in the evening to make up for lost time. 

“Work-life balance, fundamentally, it means flexibility,” Carpenter said.

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4. Take Breaks

Employees shouldn’t just sit at their desks for eight hours straight. That’s not good for physical or emotional health, and companies should encourage employees to take lunch breaks, bathroom breaks and just step away from their work for a few minutes.

“During the day we actually promote 15 minutes of dedicated break time because people like myself book back-to-back meetings,” said Amy Kim, former CEO of Jugo , a virtual meeting and events platform. “We’re prone to doing that because we think we’re being effective with our time, but what we end up doing is counterproductive by running late and being late to meetings, but also just not having a break to think and process.”

5. Incorporate Physical Activity

Physical activity plays an important part in your mental health and mindset. Going to the gym, participating in recreational sports and jogging are great ways to expend energy, but there are also small things you can do to be more active.

Walking around the block on your lunch hour, for example, engages your body while also reaping the healing benefits of nature. Zachary Ginder, a psychological consultant for employees and organizations at Pine Siskin Consulting , suggests setting an hourly alarm to stretch or practice  progressive muscle relaxation , which involves tensing and relaxing individual muscle groups throughout the body.

“Your productivity increases when you take a moment to improve your well-being — even if it’s through micro-practices, but especially if you can take more of an intentional break,” Ginder said.

6. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

If you’re feeling overworked or stressed out at your job, you might be tempted to reclaim some “me time” late at night — a bad habit known as  revenge bedtime procrastination . As you might suspect, though, a sleep deficit will only hurt your productivity the next day and take a further toll on your mental health. Research shows that adults need at least seven hours of sleep , which will help you reduce stress, improve productivity and get along better with people.

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7. Connect With a Therapist

Therapy might not be for everyone, but it can be helpful to have someone assist you in identifying the issues at your job that are causing you the most distress. A therapist will be able to talk through these situations with you, investigate what is causing that distress and help you develop tools to more effectively address these issues in the future. However, there’s only so much you can do if you’re in a toxic work environment that doesn’t provide organizational support for work-life balance.

“A lot of organizations put the onus on the individual,” Ginder said. “They say, ‘Here’s a program you can take to improve your health and well-being,’ separate from actually addressing some of the core causes.”

8. Set Remote Work Boundaries

Remote work ushered in a major shift in work-life balance, giving workers the chance to save time and money on commuting, spend more time with their families or move to a new city. 

And while remote work offers flexibility, it also causes some employees to feel less connected and engaged. It can blur the boundaries between employees’ work and personal lives. Remote workers can establish clear boundaries with work by designating a separate office space and sticking to a schedule that delineates work from personal time. 

9. Talk to Your Friends

Interpersonal relationships can also act as a buffer against stress, Ginder said. Talking to family, friends and mentors can help you blow off steam, put issues into perspective and provide support during stressful times.

10. Evaluate Company Culture During Job Interviews

When interviewing for a new job, it’s worth asking about the company culture and its philosophy about work-life balance. Some important benefits to look for include ample paid time off, paid leave, flexible work schedules, remote work options and synchronous breaks.

For a company to truly have work-life balance, there needs to be thoughtful, strategic consideration around how to support the health of employees and not have work negatively impede on their personal lives. Supervisors can help set boundaries and norms for things like responding to work emails and messages within the confines of established business hours.

“This is not something where you can throw up a yoga class and give everybody a meditation app and expect transformed outcomes,” said Susan Hunt Stevens, CEO and founder of WeSpire . “For you to have better outcomes related to well-being, you need to have a much more systematic approach to understanding what is dragging down well-being in my specific company and my specific industry and my specific region.”

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What Does an Unhealthy Work-Life Balance Look Like?

If you have an unhealthy work-life balance, you will probably be able to feel it in your physical and mental health. It can also change how you interact with your friends and family members and therefore damage the relationships with those closest to you.

“Without appropriate work-life balance, and keeping things in line with your goals, values and ideals, you can really start to spiral downwards,” Ginder said.

If work is looming too large in your life, your brain might feel like it is always on, and that you find it hard to focus on things other than work. You might be answering emails at the dinner table or thinking about work when other people are telling you about their day.

“Sometimes the amount of time you're spending thinking about work outside of work is like a whole other full time job,” Ginder said. “You’re really giving yourself twice to a job that isn’t going to give that back to you, and you’re never going to get back that time with your family and friends.”

This kind of preoccupation with work might be normal when you are working on a big project or an especially busy time of year, but if this stress is prolonged, it will eventually start to impact other areas of your life, like your relationships or your mental and physical well-being. It may also cause trouble sleeping, low energy levels or irritability. Being mindful of these symptoms will help you take necessary precautions before burning out.

“I think a really good practice is to do a self-evaluation,” Collins said. “I think stress sometimes can go unnoticed over a long period of time until it's too much. It happens slow before it happens fast.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is work-life balance important.

Having a good work-life balance helps with maintaining physical and mental health, avoiding burnout and staying productive in the long run.

What is an unhealthy work-life balance?

An unhealthy work-life balance is one that makes it difficult for someone to have time and energy for family, friends and hobbies, or where thoughts about work linger constantly.

An earlier version of this story was written by Alexandria Jacobson and published in 2022.

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Essay on Work Life Balance

Students are often asked to write an essay on Work Life Balance in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Work Life Balance

Understanding work-life balance.

Work-life balance is about dividing your time between work and personal activities. It is important because it helps you stay happy, healthy, and productive.

Importance of Work-Life Balance

When you have a good work-life balance, you can focus on your job and still have time for hobbies, family, and friends. This balance can reduce stress and increase job satisfaction.

Strategies for Achieving Balance

To achieve work-life balance, set boundaries between work and personal time. Prioritize tasks and take breaks to relax. Remember, balance is key to a fulfilling life.

Also check:

• 10 Lines on Work Life Balance

250 Words Essay on Work Life Balance

Introduction.

Work-life balance, a concept that once seemed like a far-off dream, has now become a central discussion point in modern society. It represents the equilibrium that an individual needs between their work and personal life.

The Importance of Balance

A well-balanced life is crucial for personal happiness, relationships, and overall well-being. It also impacts productivity, job satisfaction, and even the quality of work. An imbalance can lead to stress, burnout, and health issues.

The Role of Employers

Employers play a significant role in promoting work-life balance. They can implement flexible working hours, remote working opportunities, and limit overtime. Encouraging employees to take regular breaks and vacation time also contributes to a healthier work environment.

Personal Responsibility

However, the onus is not solely on employers. Individuals must also take responsibility for managing their time effectively. This includes setting boundaries, prioritizing tasks, and ensuring they allocate time for leisure and relaxation.

In conclusion, work-life balance is not a luxury but a necessity in the modern world. It requires a collective effort from both employers and employees. By prioritizing this balance, we can create a healthier, happier, and more productive society.

500 Words Essay on Work Life Balance

Introduction to work-life balance.

Work-life balance, a term that has gained significant traction in recent years, refers to the equilibrium that an individual needs to maintain between work-related activities and personal life. In a fast-paced world where the boundaries between work and personal life are increasingly blurred, achieving this balance is both challenging and crucial.

The Importance of Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is more than a trendy buzzword; it’s a critical aspect of a healthy work environment. It aids in the reduction of stress and burnout, often associated with a heavy workload and long hours. When work-life balance is achieved, it contributes to the overall well-being of individuals, leading to increased productivity, job satisfaction, and positive attitudes towards work. It also fosters a sense of control over one’s work and personal life, promoting a more harmonious and fulfilling existence.

Challenges to Work-Life Balance

In today’s era of technological advancements, the line between work and personal life has become increasingly blurred. The ability to work remotely or from home, while offering flexibility, can also lead to “always-on” work culture. This culture can create an environment where employees feel they are expected to be available around the clock, leading to increased stress and decreased personal time.

Moreover, societal and peer pressure can also create a culture of overwork. The glorification of being busy and the association of long hours with dedication and productivity often leads to an imbalance, affecting both mental and physical health.

Strategies for Achieving Work-Life Balance

Achieving work-life balance requires concerted effort from both individuals and organizations. Here are a few strategies that can help:

1. Setting Boundaries: It’s crucial to establish clear boundaries between work and personal life. This could mean setting specific work hours, taking regular breaks, and ensuring time for relaxation and leisure activities.

2. Time Management: Effective time management is key. Prioritizing tasks, delegating when possible, and using productivity tools can help manage workload and free up time for personal activities.

3. Self-Care: Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and adequate sleep are essential for maintaining physical health and mental well-being, enabling better coping with stress.

4. Organizational Policies: Companies can foster work-life balance by implementing policies such as flexible working hours, remote work options, and promoting a culture that values employee well-being.

Work-life balance is not a luxury, but a necessity for holistic well-being. It is a dynamic process that requires continuous effort and adaptation to the changing demands of our personal and professional lives. By prioritizing both work and personal life, individuals can achieve a sense of harmony and satisfaction, leading to a healthier and more productive life.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on Work is Worship
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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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More From Forbes

Understanding the keys to supporting employees' work-life balance.

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Paaras Parker, CHRO, Paycor .

Finding a healthy work-life balance has always been a challenge. At one point, we thought tools like email, smartphones and AI would tip the scales, freeing up time people used to spend in the office. But in reality, that kind of tech is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, technology can automate tedious tasks, revolutionizing the way we think about HR. But on the other, this has created higher standards for productivity. Because we can do more, we expect more from our employees, our managers and ourselves. While this spurs innovation in the short term, constant growth can be unsustainable. We don’t need to do more, anymore—and I’m not sure we can. Instead, we need to do better .

Don’t Fan The Flames Of Burnout

It’s no surprise that burnout has become a buzzword in the past few years. Between the pandemic, political tension and economic stress, it’s hard for employees to get a real break both inside and outside of work. Industry leaders cite burnout as a top risk for the workforce in 2024 , and it can lead to high rates of turnover . So how can leaders help?

First and foremost, take responsibility for your employees’ workload. You can’t do their work for them, but you can control their deadlines. Sometimes that means managing and prioritizing. your own high expectations. If you had to choose, would you rather have that report done by Friday or have Bob stay with your company for another five years? If an employee is on the edge of burning out, you might have to pick just one.

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Second, don’t underestimate the power of communication. Whether you’re setting a schedule or asking someone how their day was, take the time to listen to your people. When employees feel they have a voice—in the company at large or just in a conversation—they grow more confident. Empowering your team is one of the best ways to fight burnout.

It might seem counterintuitive, but working too much actually lowers productivity . When you define clear expectations, you invite employees to set better boundaries between work and their personal lives. That’s good for business.

Flexibility Has A Broad Definition

A lot of people hear “flexibility” and think “working from home.” Quite often, that’s exactly what it means. In fact, " 71% of remote workers said remote work helps balance their work and personal life." This is especially important for employees with ongoing family commitments, like parents of young children or adults who care for aging parents.

But location is just one aspect of flexibility. Plenty of industries, like healthcare and food service, just can’t go fully remote. That doesn’t stop employees from wanting more freedom at work. Specifically, frontline workers want more scheduling flexibility . In-person employees mostly want to decide which days of the week they work. They care less about their exact hours and even less about work-from-home options.

This may sound like a headache at first. But with a little creativity and attention to detail, your team could easily accommodate this need. Here are some examples of potential actions to take.

• Discuss scheduling during the hiring process. Let candidates know your policy, and ask if there are certain days they would or wouldn’t be willing to work. If you need someone to open every Saturday, there’s no point in hiring someone who can’t work on weekends.

• Use tech tools to open lines of communication so workers can easily request schedule changes and managers can fill in the gaps.

• Track metrics like sales or foot traffic to see which days of the week need the most hands on deck. Then use that info to prioritize the company-wide schedule.

• Give employees plenty of notice about schedule changes; in some states, this is mandatory. Regardless of whether it’s a compliance issue for your business, this strategy boosts morale and engagement.

Company Culture Is Key

There’s more to company culture than the sum of its parts. Sometimes I think building a positive culture is HR’s only job. All the details of our work, from compliance to scheduling to interfacing with the C-suite, are in service of that goal. And our team members can feel it. It’s no wonder that employees with a positive perception of their work-life balance are 10% more likely to stay in their current role. In other words: Company culture has a direct impact on employee engagement and retention.

As leaders, we can boost these numbers when we lead by example. Self-care really is community care, and sometimes supporting your employees means taking a step back and reviewing your own work-life balance. That could mean using up your PTO each year or being transparent with your team about why you check your email on Saturdays. This kind of self-reflection will make you a better leader.

The important thing is to set clear expectations and hold yourself and your employees accountable. But remember, expectations shouldn't be applied universally. Don't hold entry-level workers to the same high standards you'd have for more-senior workers.

More Versus Better, In Practice

Every healthy relationship has boundaries. In some situations, they’re incredibly obvious. Your librarian can recommend your next great read, but they can't (and shouldn’t) prescribe you antidepressants. But in the context of work, boundaries can get complicated. How do you maintain a professional atmosphere without pushing your employees too hard? How do you give them great benefits without bleeding revenue?

These questions are trying to balance two things: empathy and big-picture planning. The magic happens when HR leaders realize those aren’t competing goals. Empathy informs big-picture planning and vice versa. For example, will your company go under if Suzie goes on vacation? If so, it’s probably time to hire her an assistant (and give her a raise). Supporting your team’s work-life balance isn’t just about engagement or retention. It’s also a good business strategy.

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Essay on Life for Students and Children

500+ words essay on life.

First of all, Life refers to an aspect of existence. This aspect processes acts, evaluates, and evolves through growth. Life is what distinguishes humans from inorganic matter. Some individuals certainly enjoy free will in Life. Others like slaves and prisoners don’t have that privilege. However, Life isn’t just about living independently in society. It is certainly much more than that. Hence, quality of Life carries huge importance. Above all, the ultimate purpose should be to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life is one which allows us to connect with our deeper self.

Why is Life Important?

One important aspect of Life is that it keeps going forward. This means nothing is permanent. Hence, there should be a reason to stay in dejection. A happy occasion will come to pass, just like a sad one. Above all, one must be optimistic no matter how bad things get. This is because nothing will stay forever. Every situation, occasion, and event shall pass. This is certainly a beauty of Life.

Many people become very sad because of failures . However, these people certainly fail to see the bright side. The bright side is that there is a reason for every failure. Therefore, every failure teaches us a valuable lesson. This means every failure builds experience. This experience is what improves the skills and efficiency of humans.

Probably a huge number of individuals complain that Life is a pain. Many people believe that the word pain is a synonym for Life. However, it is pain that makes us stronger. Pain is certainly an excellent way of increasing mental resilience. Above all, pain enriches the mind.

The uncertainty of death is what makes life so precious. No one knows the hour of one’s death. This probably is the most important reason to live life to the fullest. Staying in depression or being a workaholic is an utter wastage of Life. One must certainly enjoy the beautiful blessings of Life before death overtakes.

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How to Improve Quality of Life?

Most noteworthy, optimism is the ultimate way of enriching life. Optimism increases job performance, self-confidence, creativity, and skills. An optimistic person certainly can overcome huge hurdles.

Meditation is another useful way of improving Life quality. Meditation probably allows a person to dwell upon his past. This way one can avoid past mistakes. It also gives peace of mind to an individual. Furthermore, meditation reduces stress and tension.

Pursuing a hobby is a perfect way to bring meaning to life. Without a passion or interest, an individual’s life would probably be dull. Following a hobby certainly brings new energy to life. It provides new hope to live and experience Life.

In conclusion, Life is not something that one should take for granted. It’s certainly a shame to see individuals waste away their lives. We should be very thankful for experiencing our lives. Above all, everyone should try to make their life more meaningful.

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Essay: Work life balance

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Achieving the balance between work and personal life is becoming increasingly difficult due to the pressure current society has placed on individuals. This paper attempts to define what work/life balance is and identifies the benefits it can bring from both employer and employee perspectives.

It also examines the complications in achieving the balance between work and personal goals and discusses the current trends and solutions organisations have in place for their employees to assist in achieving the balance between work and their life.

In conclusion, the paper makes recommendations for Human resource professionals in implementing success work life balance policies on their organisations to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Introduction

In today’s competitive society work/life balance is considered important by many. Australian organisations are rapidly looking for ways of making their employee lives well balanced between work and family.

Traditionally employment was considered the means to which you support your private life. Work Life Balance improvement provisions means that employers can now achieve competitive advantage from creating a more symbiotic relationship with a person’s home and work. This results in lower stress in the work place and greater enjoyment in the home (Guest, 2002). This causes the improvement in employee performance in the work place and positive public image for the organisations

Everyone is looking for perfect balance in life as this can be the key to a healthy living. Reaching the top of the corporate ladder rapidly by sacrificing quality family time and working too much can have a heavy negative impact on family life. However in today’s competitive world, one has to concentrate on improving professional career to be able to financially support his family.

Due to the current skill shortages faced by both Australia and New Zealand and the prospect of an ageing workforce, it is now imperative for organisations to embrace work/life balance practices to attract and retain talent, not only from traditional sources but also from untapped and diverse social groups (Cohen et al, 2002). These social groups can often demand greater attention to work/life balance: working mothers, mature workers and some minority groups.

It is imperative that organisations ensure that they not just encourage but mandate a practical and workable work/life balance policy, meeting the needs of both the organisation and its employees to stay competitive in market. And importantly, organisations can expose themselves to increasing numbers of dissatisfied and unproductive employees by not providing real opportunity for employee work/life balance. So it is important to realise that creating a work/life policy structure is not enough; development of an organisational culture that supports the use of available policies is also of great importance (Bratton, 2003).

Many organisations are reluctant to implement flexible work conditions due to concerns about the cost implications. Many Work-life balance policies and practices do not have any actual cost implications but rely on a more imaginative approach to everyday working conditions (Hughes et al, 2007). Flexible working arrangements such as flexible working hours, part-time/job share arrangements, unpaid leave; work from home arrangements doesn’t cost organisations much. Areas such as childcare, cares leave and work-life balance counselling can however cost an organisation but its long term benefits and advantages to the organisation far out weights the costs.

This paper explores the many definitions of work/life balance, including the benefits for employers and employees. Further, it outlines the need for work life balance in an organisation and provides recommendations and strategies for developing work/life balance agendas.

What is Work/Life balance?

Life is a balancing act, and it is safe to say that in current fast paced society everyone is constantly looking for the right work/life balance. It is imperative to find the true meaning of work/life balance for both employees and employers. Following chapter is aimed at discussing many definitions of work/life balance attempts to find the most relevant definition.

Defining the Concept

In a broader sense Work/Life balance can be described as the ‘fit’ between multiple roles in a person’s life (McCartney, 2002). Some would say it is the need of all individuals to achieve and maintain the balance between their paid work and their life outside of work (Lockett, 2008)

Although the meaning and definitions vary, work/life balance is generally associated with maintaining an overall sense of harmony in life (Clarke .et al, 2004)

Studies of work/life balance generally consider one’s ability to manage simultaneously the multiple demands of life. Traditionally work/life balance is assumed to involve the devotion of equal amounts of time to paid work and non-work roles. However more recently the concept has been recognised as more complex and has been developed to incorporate additional components.

Following aspects have been studied and measured recently in regards to work/life balance (Greenhaus et al, 2003),

• Amount of time allocated to work and non-work roles, which is known as time balance.
• Level of psychological involvement in to work and non-work roles, which is known as involvement balance.
• Satisfaction balance or the level of satisfaction with work and non-work roles.

This work/life balance Model which includes time, involvement and satisfaction components, facilitates the emerging of an extensive and more inclusive picture.

For example, a person who works only three days a week and spends the rest of the week with their family or friends may be unbalanced in terms of time, but may be highly satisfied with the level of involvement in both work and family (balanced satisfaction) and may also be equally committed to the work and non-work roles (balanced involvement).

Someone who works sixty hours a week might be considered as not having work-life balance in terms of time. However this person might be highly satisfied with their involvement with work (balanced satisfaction).

Someone who doesn’t enjoy their job much but works the normal 37.5 hours a week may have found the balance of time but unbalance in terms of involvement and satisfaction. Hence, work-life balance achievement needs to be considered from multiple perspectives.

Changing Face of Family

In recent times, what used to be known as work-family balance has been replaced by work-life balance due to the growing diversity of the family structure. The concept of family has evolved rapidly in the past few decades to encompass extended families, same-sex relationships, single parents, shared parenting, and a wide range of social communities. So the semantic shift from work-family to work-life to recognise the fact that care of dependent children is no longer the only important non-work related role. Other activities such as sport, study, health and fitness, volunteer work, hobbies or care for elderly also need to be balanced with work. So it is important for human resource professionals to better understand the ‘family’ relationships of their staff and the impact it is going to have on businesses.

Caring for elderly is becoming a growing issue for many employers and employees. Australian companies currently employee about one third of the 600,000 Australians who provide principle care for elderly such as their parents or relatives (Department of Workplace Relations and Small Business, 1998).

Typically, organisations only concentrate on men or women who are married or living with a partner and with children when preparing policies for work/life balance. This should no longer be the case due to aforementioned reasons.

The Employee’s perspective

Job seekers today expect Work-life balance. Life in the 21st Century is increasingly complex with people juggling multiple roles. Therefore employees will consider a job only if it offers flexibility.

Public Policies

In response to economic and cultural trends, many with focus on women and parents with children, a range of public policies supporting work-life balance has been developed. Many government organisations such as State Government of Queensland have developed detailed policies in achieving work-life balance (Department of Justice and Attorney General, 2010)

Legislative reforms such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 156, Workers with Family Responsibilities 1981, antidiscrimination and affirmative action legislation and industrial relations changes have also lifted the profile of issues related to work/life balance (Tully, 2005).

In Australia, as a result of these reforms following rules are now in place. (Ministerial Task Force on Work and Family, 2002)

• Mandatory reporting of policies by organisations with more than 100 employees
• Expansion of legal protections to include explicitly those with family responsibilities
• By agreement with the employer, part-time work up to a child’s second birthday

The Australian and New Zealand governments also encourage employers to provide childcare support for staff with families. Provided the contract of employment is not broken, employees in public and private sectors in both Australia and New Zealand are entitled to 12 months’ unpaid maternity leave. After this time, they are entitled to return to the position held before the leave, or to a position of comparable status and salary. Unlike New Zealand, where employed women are entitled to 13 weeks’ government-funded paid maternity leave, Australia has no statutory paid maternity leave.20

The New Zealand Government also supports and partly funds the Equal Employment Opportunities Trust which, among other things, initiates annual Work and Life awards; tracks progress on work and family initiatives within organisations; and promotes the issue through conference speeches and press releases.

The Department of Labour in New Zealand established a Work/Life Balance Project in the last half of 2003, which ran until the middle of 2004. Results from the project showed that many people perceived their work and non-work lives were out of balance (Department of Labour, 2004). One recommendation was government assistance for employers to help them provide work/life balance initiatives.

Family Friendly Benefits

People place high importance on the quality of their personal lives. The common saying “Do not live to work but rather work to live” confirms this. If there is a choice between work and their private lives work will most certainly loose. Employees are now looking to work for organisations where career advancement is not hindered due to one’s family commitments. So they expect support and encouragement from their employers to improve and excel in their personal lives as well as their work commitments.

The Employer’s perspective

In addition to the development of public policies supporting responsibilities outside of paid employment, organisations have increasingly been developing formal policies that attempt to facilitate the work/life nexus. Work/life balance strategies enhance the autonomy of workers in coordinating and integrating the work and non-work aspects of their lives (Felstead et al, 2002).

Three broad types of work/life strategies have been created to help employees balance their work and non-work lives: flexible work options, specialised leave policies and dependent-care benefits (Morgan et al, 1992)

Following are some of the initiatives organisations have implemented in improving work/life balance amongst their staff.

Skill Shortages

Positive Return of investment is the main driver behind an employer’s commitment to invest in work/life balance. Does it really have positives returns? In recent years, organisations increasingly realise that there is a direct relationship between the quality of an employee’s personal and family life and their work quality. Hence there is a valid reason to promote work and family integration.

Australia is heading towards a skills shortage due to its aging population and declining population growth (ABS, 2010). It is anticipated that there will not be enough skilled workers to fill the positions left by retired workers. Also, people caring for elderly in the labour force will increase as a result of this. Following chart shows the population projections for Australia. As you can see elderly population has a trend to grow in coming years.

So it is imperative for business to adopt flexible work /life balance options in their workplaces to attract skilled staff.

Employee retention

Employee retention is a huge challenge faced by many organisations at present. “Employee experience” can be improved by balance work/life policies and can contribute positively in retaining employees. Ernst and Young estimated that the cost of turnover in a client services role averaged 150% of a departing employee’s annual salary (Hewlett et al, 2005).

The turnover cost of an employee is a combination of separation costs, replacement costs and training costs (Bohlander et al, 2004). Due to these huge costs employers are always on the hunt for ways to retain employees within their organisations. The direct correlation between the provision of flexible work options and reduced turnover means that work-life balance is now a strategic Human resource issue .

Company Image

Organisations who have genuine interest in promoting and supporting work-life balance policies often considered good corporate citizens. However an organisation’s keenness to be perceived as a good company may depend on its visibility to public, the nature of their business or the size of the business. Although large organisations might provision flexible work/life options to gain a good public image, small organisations might not do the same due to its low return of investment in a small organisation.

A government organisation might opt to consider flexible work conditions due to their responsibility towards public, but a private organisation which is driven by profit might not consider flexible work conditions to seek approval from public.

Many more advantages

There are many more advantages of implementing flexible work/life options in an organisation. These include and not limited to

• Better physical and mental health of employees
• Earlier return to work after maternity leave
• Reduced absenteeism
• Improved job satisfaction
• Reduced turnover
• Availability of a broader talent pool
• Loyal employees
• Retention of skilled aged workers

Many studies have found absenteeism is reduced as a result of flexible work options. Stratex Networks Ltd has confirmed it has reduced absenteeism by 8% and employees averaged only 2.9 sick days as year (Managing Work/Life Balance International, 2004)

Recommendations

Following are some recommendations for flexible work options aimed at providing a better balance between work and life for employees.

• Management Support for work/life balance is crucial for an organisation to succeed. Having just the policies is not enough.
• Regular employee surveys can help to understand workers needs and design appropriate policies
• Assist employees to prioritise their work, otherwise they will think everything is equally important
• Training of managers and supervisors to understand when their staff is overworked
• Organise seminars and training for employees to understand the importance of balance between their personal life and work
• Restrict work to be taken home regularly. This should be the responsibility of the corresponding supervisor, so work gets done in office but not at home.
• Allow many leave options such a community service leave, pet care
• Allow work from home, flexitime and sick leave without a doctors certificate
• Allow children to visit office time to time. It may be a good idea to have a “bring your kid to work” days.
• Implement the option to work from home while taking care of children or elderly parents.
• Organise company funded family oriented activities such as family dinners, movie nights or trips to theme parks at least once a year on a weekday.
• Organisations need to promote work-life balance policies at every opportunity they get. This should not be limited to orientation sessions or to a company handbook.

Work/life balance initiatives have the potential to significantly reduce absenteeism, improve employee morale and retain organisational knowledge and staff, particularly during testing economic times. In today’s global marketplace, as companies aim to reduce costs, it falls to the human resource professional to understand the critical issues of work/life balance and champion work/life programs. Be it employees whose family members and/or friends are called to serve their country, single mothers who are trying to raise their children and take a living, Generation X and Y employees who value their personal time, couples struggling to manage dual-career marriages, or companies losing critical knowledge when employees leave for other opportunities, work/life programs offer a win-win situation for employers and employees.

However developing a work life balance policies is not enough. These need to be practiced and supported especially by the top level managers.

Employee expectations are very high in regards to flexible work conditions at today’s society. So it is imperative for businesses to have highly functional work life balance options to stay competitive and attract the highest skilled staff. Hence many organisations view work/life balance as a human recourse directive with strategic importance.

Organisational culture plays a key role when it comes to work life balance provisions. So an organisation with co-worker and managerial support will excel with carefully created flexible work options. It is apparent that the HR policies in terms of work-life balance mostly concentrate on individuals who have families with small children. Due to the diversity of the concept of family now, work/life balance improvement policies should address every aspect of family such as single parents, shared parents, elderly care and singles.

Finally, we need to adapt a “give and take” philosophy. This means that both employer and employee need to be willing to bend a little. Small compromise will go a long way in achieving perfect harmony between personal and work lives.

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Essay About Life

You should always be on the lookout for meaning in your everyday experiences. Even the simplest activities can be turned into opportunities for personal growth and self-discovery. It's up to you to find the meaning in life, and to make the most of the experience. Here are a few sample essays about life.

100 Words Essay About Life

200 words essay about life, 500 words essay about life.

How can everyday experiences possibly lead to meaning in life? Life is full of ups and downs, good and bad, and is dynamic in itself. If you have appreciated the small things in life, then you've already begun to find meaning in your life. It doesn't matter what you're doing or where you are. As long as you're open to it, the universe will provide opportunities for you to find meaning in your experiences. This is a framework that will help you make decisions based on your values and what's important to you. It will also help you stay on track when things get tough, and keep you focused on what's important.

Having a purpose in life is essential for finding meaning and joy in everyday experiences. Whether your purpose is big or small, having something to strive for will give you the motivation to make progress and the satisfaction that comes from achieving it. Think about what you value most. Think about broader values like kindness, love, knowledge and creativity, but also consider smaller objectives that bring you joy and satisfaction. It can help you live a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

Role of Reflection in Finding Meaning

When it comes to finding meaning in life, reflection is key. It's what allows us to review our experiences, extract any lessons we may have learned, and apply them to the future. In doing so, reflection allows us to grow as people and become better versions of ourselves.

But reflection doesn't happen naturally. It takes effort and practice to develop the habit of reflection. And that's where writing comes in. Writing about your experiences forces you to take a step back, analyse them more deeply, and see how they've shaped who you are today. It also gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts and insights with others, which can be both insightful and inspiring for them.

When you have a purpose in mind, break it down into easily achievable steps so that each milestone brings you closer to your end goal. At the end of the day, your life purpose should be meaningful and rewarding for you—so take your time crafting it!

Develop a Personal Philosophy of Life

Creating a personal philosophy of life is not easy, but it's worth the effort. Here are a few steps to help you get started:

Define what's important to you.

Reflect on your life experiences. What did you learn from them?

Create a personal mission statement. This is a statement that sums up what you want to achieve in life and how you want to live your life.

Importance of Connecting With Nature

The next time you're feeling lost, or like you need a change in your life, go outside and connect with nature. Take a walk in the park, sit by the ocean, or go for a hike in the mountains. Spend some time alone in nature and just take it all in. See how rejuvenating it can be. When you're surrounded by the beauty of nature, it's easy to feel connected to something bigger than yourself.

Appreciate Small Moments in Life

It’s easy to miss out on the small moments life provides. From the smell of a cup of coffee in the morning, to watching a sunset with your loved ones, these are all opportunities to pause and appreciate life’s simple pleasures.

It’s important to remember that joy doesn’t come from big things. Instead, it comes from the small moments that make up our everyday lives. When you learn to savour and appreciate the little things, you can start to live a more meaningful life.

Tips for Cultivating Gratitude

Cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a great way to find meaning in everyday experiences. Here are a few practical tips on how to stay focused on the positive:

Make a list of things you’re grateful for: Take five minutes each day to write down the things you’re grateful for. This will help you focus on the good and build up your attitude of gratitude.

Practice mindfulness: Mindfulness helps you stay in the present and recognize what’s important right now.

Talk about it with others: Sharing your feelings of gratitude with others can help build connection, which is an important part of finding meaning in life.

Show your appreciation: It’s easy to take the people in our lives for granted, but showing appreciation helps us build meaningful relationships.

By implementing these tips into your life, you can cultivate an attitude of gratitude that will help you find meaning even in difficult situations.

Explore Career Options (By Industry)

• Construction
• Entertainment
• Manufacturing
• Information Technology

Data Administrator

Database professionals use software to store and organise data such as financial information, and customer shipping records. Individuals who opt for a career as data administrators ensure that data is available for users and secured from unauthorised sales. DB administrators may work in various types of industries. It may involve computer systems design, service firms, insurance companies, banks and hospitals.

Bio Medical Engineer

The field of biomedical engineering opens up a universe of expert chances. An Individual in the biomedical engineering career path work in the field of engineering as well as medicine, in order to find out solutions to common problems of the two fields. The biomedical engineering job opportunities are to collaborate with doctors and researchers to develop medical systems, equipment, or devices that can solve clinical problems. Here we will be discussing jobs after biomedical engineering, how to get a job in biomedical engineering, biomedical engineering scope, and salary. 

Ethical Hacker

A career as ethical hacker involves various challenges and provides lucrative opportunities in the digital era where every giant business and startup owns its cyberspace on the world wide web. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path try to find the vulnerabilities in the cyber system to get its authority. If he or she succeeds in it then he or she gets its illegal authority. Individuals in the ethical hacker career path then steal information or delete the file that could affect the business, functioning, or services of the organization.

GIS officer work on various GIS software to conduct a study and gather spatial and non-spatial information. GIS experts update the GIS data and maintain it. The databases include aerial or satellite imagery, latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, and manually digitized images of maps. In a career as GIS expert, one is responsible for creating online and mobile maps.

Data Analyst

The invention of the database has given fresh breath to the people involved in the data analytics career path. Analysis refers to splitting up a whole into its individual components for individual analysis. Data analysis is a method through which raw data are processed and transformed into information that would be beneficial for user strategic thinking.

Data are collected and examined to respond to questions, evaluate hypotheses or contradict theories. It is a tool for analyzing, transforming, modeling, and arranging data with useful knowledge, to assist in decision-making and methods, encompassing various strategies, and is used in different fields of business, research, and social science.

Geothermal Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as geothermal engineers are the professionals involved in the processing of geothermal energy. The responsibilities of geothermal engineers may vary depending on the workplace location. Those who work in fields design facilities to process and distribute geothermal energy. They oversee the functioning of machinery used in the field.

Database Architect

If you are intrigued by the programming world and are interested in developing communications networks then a career as database architect may be a good option for you. Data architect roles and responsibilities include building design models for data communication networks. Wide Area Networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), and intranets are included in the database networks. It is expected that database architects will have in-depth knowledge of a company's business to develop a network to fulfil the requirements of the organisation. Stay tuned as we look at the larger picture and give you more information on what is db architecture, why you should pursue database architecture, what to expect from such a degree and what your job opportunities will be after graduation. Here, we will be discussing how to become a data architect. Students can visit NIT Trichy , IIT Kharagpur , JMI New Delhi . 

Remote Sensing Technician

Individuals who opt for a career as a remote sensing technician possess unique personalities. Remote sensing analysts seem to be rational human beings, they are strong, independent, persistent, sincere, realistic and resourceful. Some of them are analytical as well, which means they are intelligent, introspective and inquisitive. 

Remote sensing scientists use remote sensing technology to support scientists in fields such as community planning, flight planning or the management of natural resources. Analysing data collected from aircraft, satellites or ground-based platforms using statistical analysis software, image analysis software or Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a significant part of their work. Do you want to learn how to become remote sensing technician? There's no need to be concerned; we've devised a simple remote sensing technician career path for you. Scroll through the pages and read.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysis, in a nutshell, entails thoroughly analyzing the details of a financial budget. The budget analysis aims to better understand and manage revenue. Budget analysts assist in the achievement of financial targets, the preservation of profitability, and the pursuit of long-term growth for a business. Budget analysts generally have a bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, economics, or a closely related field. Knowledge of Financial Management is of prime importance in this career.

Underwriter

An underwriter is a person who assesses and evaluates the risk of insurance in his or her field like mortgage, loan, health policy, investment, and so on and so forth. The underwriter career path does involve risks as analysing the risks means finding out if there is a way for the insurance underwriter jobs to recover the money from its clients. If the risk turns out to be too much for the company then in the future it is an underwriter who will be held accountable for it. Therefore, one must carry out his or her job with a lot of attention and diligence.

Finance Executive

Product manager.

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for product planning and marketing. He or she manages the product throughout the Product Life Cycle, gathering and prioritising the product. A product manager job description includes defining the product vision and working closely with team members of other departments to deliver winning products.  

Operations Manager

Individuals in the operations manager jobs are responsible for ensuring the efficiency of each department to acquire its optimal goal. They plan the use of resources and distribution of materials. The operations manager's job description includes managing budgets, negotiating contracts, and performing administrative tasks.

Stock Analyst

Individuals who opt for a career as a stock analyst examine the company's investments makes decisions and keep track of financial securities. The nature of such investments will differ from one business to the next. Individuals in the stock analyst career use data mining to forecast a company's profits and revenues, advise clients on whether to buy or sell, participate in seminars, and discussing financial matters with executives and evaluate annual reports.

A Researcher is a professional who is responsible for collecting data and information by reviewing the literature and conducting experiments and surveys. He or she uses various methodological processes to provide accurate data and information that is utilised by academicians and other industry professionals. Here, we will discuss what is a researcher, the researcher's salary, types of researchers.

Welding Engineer

Welding Engineer Job Description: A Welding Engineer work involves managing welding projects and supervising welding teams. He or she is responsible for reviewing welding procedures, processes and documentation. A career as Welding Engineer involves conducting failure analyses and causes on welding issues. 

Transportation Planner

A career as Transportation Planner requires technical application of science and technology in engineering, particularly the concepts, equipment and technologies involved in the production of products and services. In fields like land use, infrastructure review, ecological standards and street design, he or she considers issues of health, environment and performance. A Transportation Planner assigns resources for implementing and designing programmes. He or she is responsible for assessing needs, preparing plans and forecasts and compliance with regulations.

Environmental Engineer

Individuals who opt for a career as an environmental engineer are construction professionals who utilise the skills and knowledge of biology, soil science, chemistry and the concept of engineering to design and develop projects that serve as solutions to various environmental problems. 

Safety Manager

A Safety Manager is a professional responsible for employee’s safety at work. He or she plans, implements and oversees the company’s employee safety. A Safety Manager ensures compliance and adherence to Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) guidelines.

Conservation Architect

A Conservation Architect is a professional responsible for conserving and restoring buildings or monuments having a historic value. He or she applies techniques to document and stabilise the object’s state without any further damage. A Conservation Architect restores the monuments and heritage buildings to bring them back to their original state.

Structural Engineer

A Structural Engineer designs buildings, bridges, and other related structures. He or she analyzes the structures and makes sure the structures are strong enough to be used by the people. A career as a Structural Engineer requires working in the construction process. It comes under the civil engineering discipline. A Structure Engineer creates structural models with the help of computer-aided design software. 

Highway Engineer

Highway Engineer Job Description:  A Highway Engineer is a civil engineer who specialises in planning and building thousands of miles of roads that support connectivity and allow transportation across the country. He or she ensures that traffic management schemes are effectively planned concerning economic sustainability and successful implementation.

Field Surveyor

Are you searching for a Field Surveyor Job Description? A Field Surveyor is a professional responsible for conducting field surveys for various places or geographical conditions. He or she collects the required data and information as per the instructions given by senior officials. 

Orthotist and Prosthetist

Orthotists and Prosthetists are professionals who provide aid to patients with disabilities. They fix them to artificial limbs (prosthetics) and help them to regain stability. There are times when people lose their limbs in an accident. In some other occasions, they are born without a limb or orthopaedic impairment. Orthotists and prosthetists play a crucial role in their lives with fixing them to assistive devices and provide mobility.

Pathologist

A career in pathology in India is filled with several responsibilities as it is a medical branch and affects human lives. The demand for pathologists has been increasing over the past few years as people are getting more aware of different diseases. Not only that, but an increase in population and lifestyle changes have also contributed to the increase in a pathologist’s demand. The pathology careers provide an extremely huge number of opportunities and if you want to be a part of the medical field you can consider being a pathologist. If you want to know more about a career in pathology in India then continue reading this article.

Veterinary Doctor

Speech therapist, gynaecologist.

Gynaecology can be defined as the study of the female body. The job outlook for gynaecology is excellent since there is evergreen demand for one because of their responsibility of dealing with not only women’s health but also fertility and pregnancy issues. Although most women prefer to have a women obstetrician gynaecologist as their doctor, men also explore a career as a gynaecologist and there are ample amounts of male doctors in the field who are gynaecologists and aid women during delivery and childbirth. 

Audiologist

The audiologist career involves audiology professionals who are responsible to treat hearing loss and proactively preventing the relevant damage. Individuals who opt for a career as an audiologist use various testing strategies with the aim to determine if someone has a normal sensitivity to sounds or not. After the identification of hearing loss, a hearing doctor is required to determine which sections of the hearing are affected, to what extent they are affected, and where the wound causing the hearing loss is found. As soon as the hearing loss is identified, the patients are provided with recommendations for interventions and rehabilitation such as hearing aids, cochlear implants, and appropriate medical referrals. While audiology is a branch of science that studies and researches hearing, balance, and related disorders.

An oncologist is a specialised doctor responsible for providing medical care to patients diagnosed with cancer. He or she uses several therapies to control the cancer and its effect on the human body such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation therapy and biopsy. An oncologist designs a treatment plan based on a pathology report after diagnosing the type of cancer and where it is spreading inside the body.

Are you searching for an ‘Anatomist job description’? An Anatomist is a research professional who applies the laws of biological science to determine the ability of bodies of various living organisms including animals and humans to regenerate the damaged or destroyed organs. If you want to know what does an anatomist do, then read the entire article, where we will answer all your questions.

For an individual who opts for a career as an actor, the primary responsibility is to completely speak to the character he or she is playing and to persuade the crowd that the character is genuine by connecting with them and bringing them into the story. This applies to significant roles and littler parts, as all roles join to make an effective creation. Here in this article, we will discuss how to become an actor in India, actor exams, actor salary in India, and actor jobs. 

Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats create and direct original routines for themselves, in addition to developing interpretations of existing routines. The work of circus acrobats can be seen in a variety of performance settings, including circus, reality shows, sports events like the Olympics, movies and commercials. Individuals who opt for a career as acrobats must be prepared to face rejections and intermittent periods of work. The creativity of acrobats may extend to other aspects of the performance. For example, acrobats in the circus may work with gym trainers, celebrities or collaborate with other professionals to enhance such performance elements as costume and or maybe at the teaching end of the career.

Video Game Designer

Career as a video game designer is filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. A video game designer is someone who is involved in the process of creating a game from day one. He or she is responsible for fulfilling duties like designing the character of the game, the several levels involved, plot, art and similar other elements. Individuals who opt for a career as a video game designer may also write the codes for the game using different programming languages.

Depending on the video game designer job description and experience they may also have to lead a team and do the early testing of the game in order to suggest changes and find loopholes.

Radio Jockey

Radio Jockey is an exciting, promising career and a great challenge for music lovers. If you are really interested in a career as radio jockey, then it is very important for an RJ to have an automatic, fun, and friendly personality. If you want to get a job done in this field, a strong command of the language and a good voice are always good things. Apart from this, in order to be a good radio jockey, you will also listen to good radio jockeys so that you can understand their style and later make your own by practicing.

A career as radio jockey has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. If you want to know more about a career as radio jockey, and how to become a radio jockey then continue reading the article.

Choreographer

The word “choreography" actually comes from Greek words that mean “dance writing." Individuals who opt for a career as a choreographer create and direct original dances, in addition to developing interpretations of existing dances. A Choreographer dances and utilises his or her creativity in other aspects of dance performance. For example, he or she may work with the music director to select music or collaborate with other famous choreographers to enhance such performance elements as lighting, costume and set design.

Social Media Manager

A career as social media manager involves implementing the company’s or brand’s marketing plan across all social media channels. Social media managers help in building or improving a brand’s or a company’s website traffic, build brand awareness, create and implement marketing and brand strategy. Social media managers are key to important social communication as well.

Photographer

Photography is considered both a science and an art, an artistic means of expression in which the camera replaces the pen. In a career as a photographer, an individual is hired to capture the moments of public and private events, such as press conferences or weddings, or may also work inside a studio, where people go to get their picture clicked. Photography is divided into many streams each generating numerous career opportunities in photography. With the boom in advertising, media, and the fashion industry, photography has emerged as a lucrative and thrilling career option for many Indian youths.

An individual who is pursuing a career as a producer is responsible for managing the business aspects of production. They are involved in each aspect of production from its inception to deception. Famous movie producers review the script, recommend changes and visualise the story. 

They are responsible for overseeing the finance involved in the project and distributing the film for broadcasting on various platforms. A career as a producer is quite fulfilling as well as exhaustive in terms of playing different roles in order for a production to be successful. Famous movie producers are responsible for hiring creative and technical personnel on contract basis.

Copy Writer

In a career as a copywriter, one has to consult with the client and understand the brief well. A career as a copywriter has a lot to offer to deserving candidates. Several new mediums of advertising are opening therefore making it a lucrative career choice. Students can pursue various copywriter courses such as Journalism , Advertising , Marketing Management . Here, we have discussed how to become a freelance copywriter, copywriter career path, how to become a copywriter in India, and copywriting career outlook. 

In a career as a vlogger, one generally works for himself or herself. However, once an individual has gained viewership there are several brands and companies that approach them for paid collaboration. It is one of those fields where an individual can earn well while following his or her passion. 

Ever since internet costs got reduced the viewership for these types of content has increased on a large scale. Therefore, a career as a vlogger has a lot to offer. If you want to know more about the Vlogger eligibility, roles and responsibilities then continue reading the article. 

For publishing books, newspapers, magazines and digital material, editorial and commercial strategies are set by publishers. Individuals in publishing career paths make choices about the markets their businesses will reach and the type of content that their audience will be served. Individuals in book publisher careers collaborate with editorial staff, designers, authors, and freelance contributors who develop and manage the creation of content.

Careers in journalism are filled with excitement as well as responsibilities. One cannot afford to miss out on the details. As it is the small details that provide insights into a story. Depending on those insights a journalist goes about writing a news article. A journalism career can be stressful at times but if you are someone who is passionate about it then it is the right choice for you. If you want to know more about the media field and journalist career then continue reading this article.

Individuals in the editor career path is an unsung hero of the news industry who polishes the language of the news stories provided by stringers, reporters, copywriters and content writers and also news agencies. Individuals who opt for a career as an editor make it more persuasive, concise and clear for readers. In this article, we will discuss the details of the editor's career path such as how to become an editor in India, editor salary in India and editor skills and qualities.

Individuals who opt for a career as a reporter may often be at work on national holidays and festivities. He or she pitches various story ideas and covers news stories in risky situations. Students can pursue a BMC (Bachelor of Mass Communication) , B.M.M. (Bachelor of Mass Media) , or  MAJMC (MA in Journalism and Mass Communication) to become a reporter. While we sit at home reporters travel to locations to collect information that carries a news value.  

Corporate Executive

Are you searching for a Corporate Executive job description? A Corporate Executive role comes with administrative duties. He or she provides support to the leadership of the organisation. A Corporate Executive fulfils the business purpose and ensures its financial stability. In this article, we are going to discuss how to become corporate executive.

Multimedia Specialist

A multimedia specialist is a media professional who creates, audio, videos, graphic image files, computer animations for multimedia applications. He or she is responsible for planning, producing, and maintaining websites and applications. 

Quality Controller

A quality controller plays a crucial role in an organisation. He or she is responsible for performing quality checks on manufactured products. He or she identifies the defects in a product and rejects the product. 

A quality controller records detailed information about products with defects and sends it to the supervisor or plant manager to take necessary actions to improve the production process.

Production Manager

A QA Lead is in charge of the QA Team. The role of QA Lead comes with the responsibility of assessing services and products in order to determine that he or she meets the quality standards. He or she develops, implements and manages test plans. 

Process Development Engineer

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An AWS Solution Architect is someone who specializes in developing and implementing cloud computing systems. He or she has a good understanding of the various aspects of cloud computing and can confidently deploy and manage their systems. He or she troubleshoots the issues and evaluates the risk from the third party. 

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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Gender pay gap in U.S. hasn’t changed much in two decades

The gender gap in pay has remained relatively stable in the United States over the past 20 years or so. In 2022, women earned an average of 82% of what men earned, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of median hourly earnings of both full- and part-time workers. These results are similar to where the pay gap stood in 2002, when women earned 80% as much as men.

As has long been the case, the wage gap is smaller for workers ages 25 to 34 than for all workers 16 and older. In 2022, women ages 25 to 34 earned an average of 92 cents for every dollar earned by a man in the same age group – an 8-cent gap. By comparison, the gender pay gap among workers of all ages that year was 18 cents.

While the gender pay gap has not changed much in the last two decades, it has narrowed considerably when looking at the longer term, both among all workers ages 16 and older and among those ages 25 to 34. The estimated 18-cent gender pay gap among all workers in 2022 was down from 35 cents in 1982. And the 8-cent gap among workers ages 25 to 34 in 2022 was down from a 26-cent gap four decades earlier.

The gender pay gap measures the difference in median hourly earnings between men and women who work full or part time in the United States. Pew Research Center’s estimate of the pay gap is based on an analysis of Current Population Survey (CPS) monthly outgoing rotation group files ( IPUMS ) from January 1982 to December 2022, combined to create annual files. To understand how we calculate the gender pay gap, read our 2013 post, “How Pew Research Center measured the gender pay gap.”

The COVID-19 outbreak affected data collection efforts by the U.S. government in its surveys, especially in 2020 and 2021, limiting in-person data collection and affecting response rates. It is possible that some measures of economic outcomes and how they vary across demographic groups are affected by these changes in data collection.

In addition to findings about the gender wage gap, this analysis includes information from a Pew Research Center survey about the perceived reasons for the pay gap, as well as the pressures and career goals of U.S. men and women. The survey was conducted among 5,098 adults and includes a subset of questions asked only for 2,048 adults who are employed part time or full time, from Oct. 10-16, 2022. Everyone who took part is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATP’s methodology .

Here are the questions used in this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

The  U.S. Census Bureau has also analyzed the gender pay gap, though its analysis looks only at full-time workers (as opposed to full- and part-time workers). In 2021, full-time, year-round working women earned 84% of what their male counterparts earned, on average, according to the Census Bureau’s most recent analysis.

Much of the gender pay gap has been explained by measurable factors such as educational attainment, occupational segregation and work experience. The narrowing of the gap over the long term is attributable in large part to gains women have made in each of these dimensions.

Related: The Enduring Grip of the Gender Pay Gap

Even though women have increased their presence in higher-paying jobs traditionally dominated by men, such as professional and managerial positions, women as a whole continue to be overrepresented in lower-paying occupations relative to their share of the workforce. This may contribute to gender differences in pay.

Other factors that are difficult to measure, including gender discrimination, may also contribute to the ongoing wage discrepancy.

Perceived reasons for the gender wage gap

When asked about the factors that may play a role in the gender wage gap, half of U.S. adults point to women being treated differently by employers as a major reason, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in October 2022. Smaller shares point to women making different choices about how to balance work and family (42%) and working in jobs that pay less (34%).

There are some notable differences between men and women in views of what’s behind the gender wage gap. Women are much more likely than men (61% vs. 37%) to say a major reason for the gap is that employers treat women differently. And while 45% of women say a major factor is that women make different choices about how to balance work and family, men are slightly less likely to hold that view (40% say this).

Parents with children younger than 18 in the household are more likely than those who don’t have young kids at home (48% vs. 40%) to say a major reason for the pay gap is the choices that women make about how to balance family and work. On this question, differences by parental status are evident among both men and women.

Views about reasons for the gender wage gap also differ by party. About two-thirds of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (68%) say a major factor behind wage differences is that employers treat women differently, but far fewer Republicans and Republican leaners (30%) say the same. Conversely, Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say women’s choices about how to balance family and work (50% vs. 36%) and their tendency to work in jobs that pay less (39% vs. 30%) are major reasons why women earn less than men.

Democratic and Republican women are more likely than their male counterparts in the same party to say a major reason for the gender wage gap is that employers treat women differently. About three-quarters of Democratic women (76%) say this, compared with 59% of Democratic men. And while 43% of Republican women say unequal treatment by employers is a major reason for the gender wage gap, just 18% of GOP men share that view.

Pressures facing working women and men

Family caregiving responsibilities bring different pressures for working women and men, and research has shown that being a mother can reduce women’s earnings , while fatherhood can increase men’s earnings .

Employed women and men are about equally likely to say they feel a great deal of pressure to support their family financially and to be successful in their jobs and careers, according to the Center’s October survey. But women, and particularly working mothers, are more likely than men to say they feel a great deal of pressure to focus on responsibilities at home.

About half of employed women (48%) report feeling a great deal of pressure to focus on their responsibilities at home, compared with 35% of employed men. Among working mothers with children younger than 18 in the household, two-thirds (67%) say the same, compared with 45% of working dads.

When it comes to supporting their family financially, similar shares of working moms and dads (57% vs. 62%) report they feel a great deal of pressure, but this is driven mainly by the large share of unmarried working mothers who say they feel a great deal of pressure in this regard (77%). Among those who are married, working dads are far more likely than working moms (60% vs. 43%) to say they feel a great deal of pressure to support their family financially. (There were not enough unmarried working fathers in the sample to analyze separately.)

About four-in-ten working parents say they feel a great deal of pressure to be successful at their job or career. These findings don’t differ by gender.

Gender differences in job roles, aspirations

Overall, a quarter of employed U.S. adults say they are currently the boss or one of the top managers where they work, according to the Center’s survey. Another 33% say they are not currently the boss but would like to be in the future, while 41% are not and do not aspire to be the boss or one of the top managers.

Men are more likely than women to be a boss or a top manager where they work (28% vs. 21%). This is especially the case among employed fathers, 35% of whom say they are the boss or one of the top managers where they work. (The varying attitudes between fathers and men without children at least partly reflect differences in marital status and educational attainment between the two groups.)

In addition to being less likely than men to say they are currently the boss or a top manager at work, women are also more likely to say they wouldn’t want to be in this type of position in the future. More than four-in-ten employed women (46%) say this, compared with 37% of men. Similar shares of men (35%) and women (31%) say they are not currently the boss but would like to be one day. These patterns are similar among parents.

Note: This is an update of a post originally published on March 22, 2019. Anna Brown and former Pew Research Center writer/editor Amanda Barroso contributed to an earlier version of this analysis. Here are the questions used in this analysis, along with responses, and its methodology .

What is the gender wage gap in your metropolitan area? Find out with our pay gap calculator

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Balancing Studies, Work, and Family Life

Introduction, how to balance studies, work and family demands, works cited.

With the ever-increasing cost of studies and family demands, nowadays it is very normal to find a student who is struggling with the three aspects of life, as these are responsibilities that an individual cannot run away from. Although most individuals usually manage to study while working and attending to family needs, many learners usually find it a very daunting task, as each of these three important aspects of life has its own demands that must be met.

In most cases, failure to find a balance between these aspects of life can be very stressing; hence, unless an individual finds an amicable solution to this, likelihoods of one suffering from a burnout are high.

Although most individuals try to solve this by taking courses that are less demanding or require no formal class attendance, likelihoods of most of them becoming victims of failure are high, because of the increased risk of taking time to do one activity while neglecting others.

Therefore, because meeting all college, work, and family demands depends on how well learners mange their time, it is important for individuals to plan well their time by drawing a well balanced working schedule, which should include all the demands of each task, without forgetting to include some resting and recreation time.

The primary factor that will determine whether learners will be able to manage the numerous full-time multiple responsibilities that they face every day is their ability to draw a good time management plan. The plan should be able to divide all the time at a learner’s disposal in proportions that will depend on the time required attend to each responsibility.

In addition, because in normal life scenarios, numerous responsibilities that individuals may not have planned for are likely to arise, it is important for individuals to set some free time aside on their schedules to cater for any emergencies.

Further, one should set some play and resting time in their timetables, as this will help to relieve one from any form of tension, tiredness, and any work or study or family related stress.

On the other hand, although some individuals may understate the significance of some responsibilities; hence, the tendency of them not catering for such responsibilities in their work schedules, it is advisable for a one to give each demand an equal amount of consideration, because failure in one responsibility can be an obstacle towards succeeding in another responsibility (Bradley 1).

A second strategy that individuals can use to ensure that they balance their studies with work and family responsibilities is involving their families and bosses in their studies.

Although not every family member or boss may appreciate this, at least it will make them feel less threatened by one’s interests in other activities, other than the responsibilities that they are supposed to perform at specific locations. To ensure that they appreciate what one is doing, it is good to have good study and work habits.

This will not only motivate others, but also it will create in them the desire to give an individual space, more so when they are engrossed in attending to other responsibilities, which an individual’s family or boss may not consider primary. Going hand in hand with having good study and work habits is setting of realistic targets.

As result of the numerous responsibilities that may come with these three aspects of life, it is advisable for an individual to set small, realistic, and attainable targets, be it in their work, studies, or families. Any target set should enable individuals to stick to their plans, manage expectations and ensure individuals set some time for themselves (University of South Africa 1).

Finally, because of the overwhelming nature of the demands that are associated with these aspects of life, it is important for one to seek help whenever they are overwhelmed with responsibilities.

In cases where the responsibilities are not overwhelming, it is advisable for an individual to take advantage of any shared activities to bond with family members or workmates. Individuals can achieve this by ensuring that they build meaningful relationships friends, workmates, and family members.

These relationships are very important for any undertaking that learners may involve themselves in, as they are one of the most important tools that can help learners to boost their self esteem and motivation level towards anything they are doing.

On the other hand, learners should inform their families, tutors or supervisors of any arising matters or change of events, as this is the only way ensuring that any commanding authority will understand the need to give them permission to attend to any emergencies that may arise.

In conclusion, although balancing between studies, work and family responsibilities concurrently can be a very tiring undertaking, with proper planning and time scheduling, one can alleviate any form of stress associated with the numerous demands associated with this different aspects of life. Going hand in hand with proper time budgeting, one should seek help whenever need arises to limit chances of one becoming a burnout victim.

Bradley, Bob. Too ten tips of balancing work, study, and family life . Sydney University. 2008. Web.

University of South Africa. Balancing work and studies. UNISA. 2010. Web.

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What is the NASW Code of Social Work Ethics

This essay about the NASW Code of Ethics discusses its fundamental role in guiding social workers through ethical dilemmas and decisions in their professional practice. It presents the Code as a crucial document that outlines key values such as service, social justice, integrity, and the importance of human relationships, which help navigate the complex nature of social work. The essay highlights how the Code serves not only as a set of guidelines but also as a moral compass that fosters strong, supportive relationships between social workers and those they serve. It addresses the evolving nature of the Code, particularly in response to new challenges like the ethical use of technology. Moreover, the essay emphasizes the collective identity and professional unity the Code promotes among social workers, thereby enhancing public trust and commitment to ethical practice. Overall, the essay underscores the NASW Code of Ethics as a declaration of the profession’s dedication to humanity and ethical integrity.

How it works

At first glance, the social work profession might appear as a straightforward endeavor primarily focused on helping individuals overcome life’s hurdles. However, beneath this service-oriented veneer lies a complex lattice of ethical dilemmas and moral decisions, navigated with the help of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. This pivotal document does not merely suggest guidelines; it anchors the very essence of what it means to engage in social work with integrity and empathy.

Think of the NASW Code as a compass in the often-turbulent sea of social work.

It steers professionals through the murky waters of ethical challenges, ensuring they uphold the dignity and worth of the people they assist. The code is built around fundamental values such as service, social justice, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. These are not abstract ideals but practical imperatives that guide every decision and interaction in the field.

For example, consider the principle of ‘importance of human relationships’. This isn’t just poetic wording. It’s a directive that emphasizes the social worker’s role in fostering strong, healthy relationships, which are often the catalysts for client transformations. Social work is about more than just resolving issues—it’s about empowering individuals and communities to weave stronger societal fabrics, enhancing the overall quality of life.

Navigating the ethical challenges in social work can be akin to walking a tightrope. Every step, every decision matters—whether it’s maintaining client confidentiality amidst potentially dangerous situations, or balancing professional boundaries with genuine care. The NASW Code serves as a safety net, providing clear guidelines to help practitioners maintain their balance and make informed choices that are in the best interest of those they serve.

Moreover, the NASW Code is a living document, evolving alongside societal changes and new challenges. The recent emphasis on the ethical use of technology is a prime example. As digital tools become more ingrained in our daily interactions, social workers must adapt to maintain confidentiality, ensure access to services, and provide support through these new mediums without compromising on ethical standards.

The impact of the NASW Code extends beyond individual practitioners. It fosters a collective professional identity, uniting social workers under a shared ethos of ethical practice. This unity is crucial, reinforcing public trust in social workers as agents of change who are committed not only to effective service but also to ethical integrity.

Ultimately, the NASW Code of Ethics is more than just a regulatory framework. It is a declaration of the profession’s dedication to humanity—a reminder that at the heart of social work lies a commitment to fostering hope, nurturing healing, and championing the collective well-being of society. It’s this moral foundation that not only guides social workers in their daily responsibilities but also illuminates the path towards a more empathetic and just world.

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