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A
recent work/life study by MANAGEMENT TODAY revealed that almost half
of Britain's managers feel too mentally and physically exhausted to do
anything other than work and sleep, and nearly a third say their lives
are out of control.
Many people feel that work-life balance is a personal issue however
more and more organisations are waking up to the fact that a balanced
individual will have a positive effect on their work environment, will
become more productive and have less time off sick and more time
‘firing on all cylinders’.
How can you spot if your Work/Life balance is
out of kilter?
Click
 for indicators
- you are
feeling out of control, your life rules you rather than you ruling
your life
- you feel that
there are not enough hours in the day, no matter what time you start
and what time you finish
- whilst at
home you worry about work and at work you worry about home
- you begin
every day as exhausted as you left it
- you feel
frightened about making long term plans or commitments
- you only have
time to deal with things once they become critical
- you always
seem to have deadlines which are urgent
- you always
seem to be fire-fighting
How can you spot if your company’s
work/life balance is out of kilter?
Click
for indicators
- Your staff
feel they have to start early and finish late to keep up with
specific individuals
- There is too
much reliance on one or two key individuals
- There is a
high rate of relationship breakdown or in company relationships
-
Under-performance is the norm
- Employees
look tired and exhausted
- There is a
high illness rate and stress related illness
- You have a
high turnover of staff
- Targets are
rarely met
- There is no
understanding or buy-in of the company vision
“Stressed workers cannot perform to their maximum and employers know
that this can damage commercial success. That is why it is down to
employers and employees to work together to find sensible work life
balance solutions, which will result in better results, higher
productivity and increased commitment” Patricia Hewitt, Former
Secretary of State for Trade & Industry
Work Life
Balance Statistics
- A recent
Health & Safety executive (HSE) report showed that stress costs UK
society around £3.7 billion a year, mainly in sick pay and treatment
costs.
- £13.5
million days of stress related absenteeism are taken every year
- 1 in 6
workers surveyed now work more than a 60 hour week, compared to 1 in
8 in 2002
- The number of
women working over 60 hours a week has more than doubled from 1 in
16 to 1 in 8 in 2002
- Twice as many
employees would rather work shorter hours than win the lottery
- Three
quarters of employees currently work overtime and of these only a
third are rewarded with extra pay or time off in lieu
- 7 out of 10
highly stressed workers do not have access to any formal flexible
working practices
- 1 in 5 men
have visited a doctor because of stress, rising to one quarter in
the over 40 age range
- Over a
quarter of workers would like to get a better work-life balance but
thinks their careers would suffer
*Source: 2002 DTI and Management Today
Survey
The CMI Work Life Balance programme
The CMI Work Life Balance programme is recommended by the Law Society
for membership CPD
The CMI programme involves a ½ day work shop for senior managers, 1
Full day work shop and a 12 week one to one coaching programme.
Click here to view programme
“Life is rather
like a tin of sardines-we’re all of us looking for the key” (Alan
Bennett, Beyond the fringe)
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