23-07-2025
Work-Life Balance: The New Siren Call For Employees
Bankim Chandra is Director & CEO of Dotsquares. Always committed to innovative solutions and mentoring the next generation in the industry.
In years gone by, and especially after key economic or socio-political events, workforces across the world in key and emerging economies have often borne the brunt of reviving economic prospects. This was certainly the case in the 20th century and before (e.g., the Industrial Revolution). But now a new mandate has emerged in the consciousness of these workers: the importance of pursuing the optimum work-life balance.
As the term implies, it's about finding an equilibrium between an individual's professional and personal lives. It's about discovering the precious balance between work hours, duties, and other responsibilities and personal time involving family and leisure.
In today's world, the worker has shifted from a more manual-intensive focus to the industries that dominate economic output, such as service-based organizations. Even those industries that were once dominated by manual labor now have a huge focus on back-office operations and departments focused on enhanced customer satisfaction and retention. This shift into a more sedentary work profile has helped accelerate the focus on what opportunities might be beyond the office windows.
There are, of course, plenty of benefits to adopting this approach. If you achieve that balance, then there are the possibilities of improved mental and physical health. This, in turn, can lead to increased productivity at work, along with higher levels of engagement. That balance will reduce the potential for exhausted workers facing burnout and improve overall workplace retention among employees. If workers are more in tune with their overall health, then an increase in positive workplace culture can often be experienced. This, of course, affects job satisfaction and motivation to accelerate organizational goals.
The pandemic in 2020 accelerated this further. As this massive event interrupted labor markets and triggered a shift to flexible work arrangements, people realized that their jobs and work continued regardless of outside factors. The shift in our working environment laid the foundation for what is euphemistically called the 'new normal.' This entails the focus on more flexible work arrangements and challenges the more deeply rooted traditional relationships between employees and employers.
Since the pandemic, many workers have adjusted to working from their 'workspace' of choice, be that at home or another remote location. This is a double-edged sword, however. Having come out of the pandemic, that 'new normal' also entails something of a legacy. The pandemic forced many workers to become accustomed to working longer hours, primarily during the pandemic, to keep the organization alive.
This has continued post-pandemic, where we see many (not all) remote workers juggling increasing workloads and the expectation to be always 'on.' That delicate balance that was the aim to be attained has been blurred and, in extreme cases, flipped.
So, how can that perfect balance be attained in the post-Covid workplace? Several organizations are now walking back from the hybrid working model, and many big names are demanding that workers return to the office far more frequently than they have been, if not permanently.
This exacerbates the dilemma when recruiting new talent. Data from Forbes shows that as remuneration rises, so too does the percentage of workers who either have a hybrid work setup or work exclusively from home. Can we deduce that as an individual progresses through an organization that the new panacea is not simply a bigger paycheck but a more harmonious approach to work?
In the U.S., "81% of workers said remote work is the most important factor in a job, more than salary," while a staggering "46% of U.S. remote-capable workers would likely quit if remote working was taken away." Complementing that is that over 80% of employers say remote working options are critical to attracting and retaining talent in their organizations.
So, we can see that throughout our recent history (or at least since our modern concept of 'work' has been formalized), there have been changes in how we work, often shaped by external events. The idea of work-life balance is something that has gained prominence relatively recently as a greater understanding of all factors both inside and outside the workplace has taken shape.
The advent of a major external event, in the shape of the pandemic, has highlighted, in essence, that our concept of 'workplace' has shifted, and anywhere (depending on role) with a good degree of connectivity can be considered. With this firmly at the fore of job applicants' minds, and their knowledge now of the perceived benefits, is it any wonder that the clamor for a work-life balance gets louder and louder?
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