"Work-life balance is about sheer common sense and good practice in
management. What it requires of employers is not self-sacrifice but enlightened
self-interest, not generosity but foresight. It is about businesses identifying
with their workforce how both the organisation and its employees can benefit
from a more imaginative approach to working practices. The results will be more
competitive and profitable businesses and a better quality of life for those
who work in them. Many businesses the length and breadth of the country are
already seeing the benefits for themselves. The challenge is to make those
benefits a reality for every business."
Tom Middlehurst MP
The demands of the economy are changing rapidly and
people’s needs are changing accordingly. Customers increasingly expect,
for example, to be able to access services outside traditional working hours.
Working patterns are changing to meet this demand. At the same time, more and
more businesses see it as part of good human resource management to help their
employees balance their work and their life outside work. As employers seek the
best people to enhance their profitability and as the workforce becomes more
diverse, both large and small businesses are adopting a range of employment
practices to attract and retain staff. The pace of work is changing too. Two
thirds of the employees questioned in a recent survey said that they
‘always’ or ‘regularly’ worked longer than their basic
working hours