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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Work-life Balance

In todays Western society achieving work-life balance is becoming more and more of a dying concept.  With the new technologies available today anyone can be reached anytime, anywhere, with minimal hassle to do so.  

Smartphones with email, browsing capabilities, wi-fi connections available in common areas in coffee shops, malls, pools, resturants, you name and it is probably there.  If it is not available in any  of those areas a wireless card from your internet provider is another avenue that can be obtained.  If there is a will there is a way.  The technology is here for it to be achieved.  Is this a good thing or bad?  Where do you draw the line?

With the technological advances we have today this can either utilized in a positive way or a negative one.  Believe it or not.  It starts with you.  Maybe you are working hard to achieve a promotion or you are overwhelmed with work so you try to catch up at home.  Whatever the reason maybe there are things that can be done to avoid this from spiraling out of control.  First of all, set boundaries for you and your employer.  Learn to say no!  Too often employees let guilt or fear influence their decision when requested to work additional hours.  This modality of thinking is one way employees allow themselves to become overwhelmed and to be taken advantage of.  Another important factor is to leave work at work.  As stated earlier, with technology today it is easy to access work from home or other venues.

With that being said there are many ways to balance work and personal life.  Some employers embrace this concept by supporting programs and policies that aids its employees in acheiving balance.  Some employers offer flexible scheduling, telecommuting, job sharing and dependent care.  Check with your employer to see what types of policies or programs they offer to aid in work-life balance.  If any, can any of them help you with your circumstances.

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