Restoring Work, Life Balance

For those who lost their jobs, were forced to change jobs or had their jobs threatened during the Great Recession, there may be a silver lining – the discovery that work is not the end-all, be-all you may have once thought.

That’s right; work is not the most important thing on the planet. There’s is more to life than “working for the man every night and day,” as John Fogerty's lyrics go in the old “Proud Mary” song of a few decades back.

The downturn years that began in December 2007 have caused workers to question career-related sacrifices, including time away from family, less leisure and fewer self-improvement activities.

They are a few of the findings of a recent study by Wayne Hochwarter (right), a Jim Moran Professor of Business Administration at Florida State University College of Business, and research associates Tyler Everett and Stuart Tapley.

They reviewed the Great Recession’s role in changing employees’ thoughts about work, commitment to their families, and the pursuit of a more balanced lifestyle.

“The objective of the study was to see if we could identify shifts in thinking, as well as the causes of these changes,” Hochwarter says.

Opinions gathered from more than 1,100 full-time employees, across a range of occupations and career stages, showed the following:

* 48 percent reported the recession increased their appreciation of family;

* 37 percent reported the recession promoted thoughts that work isn’t as important as it once was in the grand scheme of things;

* 49 percent admitted the recession helped them recognize the value of people over things;

* 23 percent indicated the recession increased awareness of an over-commitment to work at the expense of family and recreation;

* 42 percent confirmed most of what happens at work is out of one’s control regardless of commitment and effort; and

* 43 percent agreed the recession increased motivation to be a better person rather than just a better employee.

Finally, more than 70 percent of employees acknowledged that most days at work “seem like they will never end” — a commonly held belief in work settings where increasingly more time and output is expected with less support and fewer guaranteed rewards.

The study also indicated recession-related stress tends to manifest differently in men and women.

“Digging a little deeper into the data, it was evident that men’s reflective, and often remorseful, thoughts were driven by recession-related job insecurity and its subsequent role in encouraging hostile work treatment,” Hochwarter says.

He suggests it’s common for work stress to push employees to places they would not otherwise go, in terms of thoughts and actions, when it reaches intolerable levels.

Such stress is apparent in the comment of one study participant, a 48-year-old manager of a production facility who was laid off by his longtime employer. “I broke my back for this company, missed my kids growing up, and for what? Nothing!” the man says.

Women’s thoughts, on the other hand, were triggered by conflicts between work and family obligations. Women reported job obligations have increased in recent years — in terms of time and energy — resulting in fewer hours engaged in family life.

The study also uncovered a generational divide, with those born after the mid-1970s more likely to have struck a better balance between work and personal life, especially as it relates to friends, family and leisure. Work shares equal or lesser status.

In this sense, younger employees seem to exert a positive influence on Baby Boomer co-workers in making them realize there's a bigger world outside the office. A great work ethic is important for success, but it does not guarantee it.

WMB finds the study interesting in terms of shared experiences, but the results are not really that surprising when you take a closer look.

Life stresses fall into major areas – job loss, death of a loved one, failing marriage, buying a home, having children, and being a crime victim.

Some or all of these things are part of living a long and full life; you get the good with the bad but, hopefully, more good than bad. Striking a balance between work and your personal life is the key to survival.

For those who got hammered by the Great Recession (and there are millions in this financial mess), now is a great opportunity to rebuild your life on terms more to your liking.

If parts of your old life were not working, you can start anew with something personally satisfying. Trying to reinvent the past (your old job) isn't likely to move you forward into the future.

As for me, I practice what I preach at writenowworks.com. If you like this post, please share it.