Work Life Balance: Traditional and Non-Traditional Approaches Charlie Rosenblum September 30, 2014 Traditional and Non-Traditional Approaches to Work Life Balance Charlie Rosenblum Director, Employee Services

Work Life Balance – Can You Really Do It? Can you really achieve some kind of equilibrium by managing your time more efficiently or are the competing forces simply too overwhelming? The traditional approach says – Yes, you can – the non-traditional approach says that you should use additional methods. 1

The Regus Work Life Balance Index 2  Survey over 16,000 professionals in 80 countries  24% increase from to 61% satisfaction  Highest satisfaction rate is China, Brazil and Mexico are tops – Germany, UK and Belgium are lowest  U.S. ranks slightly above the global average at the mid point of surveyed countries Source: Regus Work Life Balance, May, 2012

Traditional Methods Alternate Work Schedules (Fixed) Alternate Work Schedules (Flex)  Alternate Work Locations  Job Sharing  Telecommuting  Job Redesign 3

Alternate Work Schedules (Fixed) Advantages  Improved Customer Service  Accommodates Individual Needs – Especially Special Needs  More easily controlled for Non-Exempt Disadvantages  Intra-Office Jealousy  Work w/o Supervision  May Require Periodic Rotation  Reduced Availability during ‘Normal’ Hours 4

Alternate Work Schedules (Flex) Advantages  Fully Accommodates Need  Useful for Semi-Independent Workers  Works easier for exempt employees Disadvantages  Intra-Office Jealousy  Work w/o Supervision  May Require Periodic Rotation  Reduced Availability during ‘Normal’ Hours  Exempt vs. Non-Exempt  Complicates Scheduling and Customer Service 5

Alternate Work Locations Advantages  Resolves Some Short Term Problems (i.e., Illness)  Useful for Difficult to Fill Positions (i.e. IT)  Potential to Spread University Image Disadvantages  Intra-Office Jealousy  Open to Abuse w/o monitoring (Supervision)  Rarely a Long Term Solution  Reduced Efficiency due to Split Departments  Difficult Project Coordination  Complicates Coordination 6

Job Sharing Advantages  Potential to Resolve Two individual Problems  Potential to Increase Cross Training Disadvantages  Difficult to Evaluate Effectiveness  Rarely a Long Term Solution  Potential for Reduced Accountability  Difficult Project Coordination  Complicates Coordination 7

Telecommuting Advantages  Appeals to Millennials (Especially in IT)  Saves Office Space & Overhead Disadvantages  May Require Home Inspections  Usually Limited to IT or Certain Exempts  Potential for Reduced Accountability (Supervision)  Difficult Project Coordination  Senior Management May Disapprove  Intra Office Jealousy  Difficulty with Workman’s Compensation Claims 8

Job Redesign Advantages  Accommodates Individual Needs  Improves Individual Motivation  Combining Tasks & Employee Involvement  Ability to Form Natural Work Groups  Potential for Improved Customer Relations Disadvantages  May Impact Many Other Positions  Costly Learning /Training Curve  Benefit Only to the Few  Intra Office Jealousy  Required Detailed Planning and Coordination 9

Sick Leave Pool Advantages  Accommodates Individual Needs  Improves Overall Benefits Package & Recruiting  Safety Net for Long Term Illness  Fosters a Culture of Caring Disadvantages  Sick Leave Can Be a Costly Liability  Favors Large Institutions versus Small and Medium Businesses  Requires Well Designed Policy  Might Retain Undesirable Employee 10

Non-Traditional Methods Focus on the Whole – Leadership from the Top to the Bottom Wellness Programs Motivation versus Accommodation Impact of Technology  Understanding Generational Differences  Employee Assistance Programs 11

Focus on the Whole – Leaders Define the Culture 12  Leaders top to bottom must be committed to fostering an inclusive culture of caring  Consistent demonstrations by initiating and resourcing programs  Senior leaders support the managers who support the first line supervisor  Employees respect the leaders who demonstrate integrity and ethical behavior  Leaders reward and punish fairly

Wellness Programs 13  Funding, Funding, Funding  Gym Passes, On-Site Trainers, Wellness Fairs, weight loss programs  Dedicated Staff Member to coordinate  Coordination with Marketing – maintain visibility  Improves community involvement  Must be strictly voluntary – provide incentives w/o penalty – expect less than 50% participation

HR can plan, facilitate and promote Leadership must resource and lead by example 14

Motivation vs. Accommodation 15  Focus on what motivates your employees? AchievementReward AdvancementResponsibility The Work Itself  Engage and challenge your employees  Supervisors may be too quick to accommodate out of fear  Supervisors and managers as coaches  Positive Emotions  Relationship with Others

Wahoo! We’re going to die!!! 13 16

Impact of Technology 17  A Nation of Workaholics  The mobile office – it goes where you go  The yen for perfection  Technology novices and technology experts  Technology as an extension of social lives  How much Facebook and Twitter will you tolerate?

Generational Differences (Up to 1945) ( ) 8-24 ( ) 0-7 ( )

Summary  Traditional and Non-Traditional Methods need to be combined for maximum effectiveness  HR can develop, plan and coordinate but must convince the senior leadership that these methods are essential for organizational success 19

Thank You! Questions?