Order Number |
45567803450 |
Type of Project |
ESSAY |
Writer Level |
PHD VERIFIED |
Format |
APA |
Academic Sources |
10 |
Page Count |
3-12 PAGES |
Running head: WORK-LIFE BALANCE 1
WORK-LIFE BALANCE 5
Work-life Balance
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Today, the contributions that women have made in the labor force participation has strengthened their position in the corporate workforce. However, the composition of gender in the workforce portrays a high number of male roles. In bands four to six, more women are employed than men. Additionally, men dominate more than half of the group nine positions. Moreover, research established that more women work part-time than men (Knight & Pearson, 2005).
When it comes to gender pay, men’s mean and median pay every working hour is relatively high than women’s. This disparity is popularly known as the gender pay gap. The main contributor to the gender pay gap is that numerous organizations offer higher pay rates to men. The gender pay gap demonstrates discrimination in business organizations despite not being illegal (Knight & Pearson, 2005).
Furthermore, the number of men occupying the position of executive-level managers in organizations is also higher than women. Gender diversity in the C-suite remains relatively low. However, there is an increase in women’s participation in boards due to quotas, among other measures. The top female executives are given positions that are not expected to lead to assuming the role of a CEO (Knight & Pearson, 2005).
Advantages and disadvantages of flexible work responsibilities and schedules
Having flexible work responsibilities and schedules benefits not only the employees but also the Company. Offering flexible schedules to employs is one of the primary organizational measures that increase employees’ productivity. Flexible work responsibilities show that the organization’s administration trusts the employees to contribute towards the achievement of business objectives. Moreover, it gives employees freedom and control over how they spend their time to increase the productivity of an organization (McMenamin, 2007).
Most employees are faced with stress, which is a concern in the workforce of numerous organizations. Schedules that are not elastic are too demanding, causing anxiety among employees due to the absence of the ability to balance work and social life. However, the utilization of flexible schedules and work responsibilities introduces an environment where employees can manage both work and life’s demands. This also allows employees to report to their jobs every day, which decreases absenteeism (McMenamin, 2007).
However, flexible schedules are associated with some disadvantages to an organization. Some employees thrive in an office environment making flexible working hours not suitable for them. Such workers may end up taking advantage of flexible working hours and use that opportunity to relax instead of contributing to the achievement of organizational goals.
Also, having flexible working responsibilities may affect an organization’s activities. Some employees possess skills and abilities suited for particular roles. Utilizing flexible work responsibilities may lead them to an area of operation where they are not gifted. Lastly, the difference between work and home has not been defined clearly. As a result, there are issues concerning the appropriate working hours for both managers and workers (McMenamin, 2007).
Potential human resource benefits of offering child and elder care in organizations
Members of the workforce that provide eldercare or offer childcare are more likely to be unproductive. They also may arrive to work late or take more time to offer to take care of either the elderly or children. Availing such care for individuals who work full time affects them both mentally and emotionally. Establishing backup child and elder care in an organization influences an employee’s productivity and contribution towards achieving business objectives (Schmidt & Duenas, 2002).
Other benefits include boosting employee’s morale by improving their physical and psychological well-being. Offering child and elder care in organizations also decreases absenteeism because time spent by workers when delivering care services is minimized. Research has highlighted that providing care services to the aging and children improves employee’s commitment to an organization (Schmidt & Duenas, 2002).
It is significant for an organization’s management to recognize the employee’s family and other aspects of their personal life because it affects their commitment to an organization. Care platforms in organizations enhance satisfaction within the workspace leading to improved retention and reduced turnover (Schmidt & Duenas, 2002).
Explain work-life balances regarding achieving greater results for the organization
Work-life balance refers to the proper allocation of time for work and other aspects of life by a working individual. The other aspect of life outside work include personal interests, family, social activities, and leisure. Managing work life and social life is a global concern within the workforce. Developed nations like the United States of America have established work and family policies to ensure a balance between works and other aspects of life (Guest, 2002).
Individuals who are continuously work-oriented deal with symptoms of stress and burnout. If an employee does not have enough time to relax and recharge their productivity decrease, which means that there are likely to decrease their performance. A healthy balance between work and other aspects of life results in highly productive employees who participated in achieving business goals in their organizations (Guest, 2002).
Therefore, it is vital to encourage employees to take time off. Besides, the management in companies should establish schedules that give employees time to engage in other social and leisure activities. Such a measure allows individuals to enjoy the life they have been working hard to create. Moreover, a balanced work-life helps people avoid some illnesses and mental disorders (Guest, 2002).
References
Guest, D. E. (2002). Perspectives on the study of work-life balance. Social Science Information, 41(2), 255-279.
Knight, M. B., & Pearson, J. M. (2005). The changing demographics: The diminishing role of age and gender in computer usage. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing (JOEUC), 17(4), 49-65.
McMenamin, T. M. (2007). A time to work: recent trends in shift work and flexible schedules. Monthly Lab. Rev., 130, 3.
Schmidt, D. E., & Duenas, G. (2002). Incentives to encourage worker-friendly organizations. Public Personnel Management, 31(3), 293-308.