What is Work-Life Balance and How to Achieve It?

Two fundamental elements of our lives are work and family. While the importance placed on work and family varies from person to person, some people prioritize their families over their work, disrupting their work, while others prioritize their work, harming their relationships with their families. Work-life balance, which emerges at this point, can be defined as the ability to balance one's personal and professional desires.

A successful work-life balance helps individuals:

• Lead a quality and positive life by establishing healthy relationships with their family and community,
• Improve physical and mental health,
• Increase performance and productivity through increased job satisfaction,
• All of these positive outcomes contribute to establishing a balance between work and life.

An unsuccessful work-life balance can lead to negative consequences such as:

• Increasing a person's stress level, leading to feelings of burnout;
• Decreased job satisfaction, leading to lower productivity;
• Decreased physical and mental health, leading to a decrease in overall life satisfaction.

Factors Affecting Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance is a significant concern not only for individuals but also for organizations. Therefore, personal and organizational factors play a decisive role in work-life balance.

Individual factors that influence work-life balance include gender, marital status, age, education level, and career stage. At the organizational level, factors that affect this balance include role conflicts, unclear job descriptions, excessive workload, employee participation in management, the physical work environment, and environmental conditions.

Personal factors: These factors affect perceptions of work-life balance, including personality traits, family, career planning, and more.

Gender: Today, organizations expect more workload from fewer people. This increases the number of stressors (children, home, work, etc.) that individuals experience. While this work-life tension is experienced by both male and female employees, studies indicate that it is felt more strongly by females.

Marital Status: Married employees have different roles in addition to their work. In this case, married employees have more responsibilities in terms of family obligations than single employees. This makes it difficult for individuals to achieve work-life balance.

Age: Studies examining the impact of age on work-life balance have shown that the perception of this balance varies depending on employees' age. Studies have observed that older employees are more able to establish a healthy balance between work and personal life.

Career Planning: It is crucial for individuals to be aware of their knowledge, skills, and competencies when planning their job choices and career paths. Studies have observed that individuals who lack proper career planning struggle to achieve work-life balance.

Organizational Factors: Organizational factors (role conflict, role ambiguity, participation, workload, etc.) influence work-life balance in terms of working conditions.

• Role Conflict: Organizations are often structured around a top-down hierarchy and a one-way flow of authority. The principle of unity of command dictates that an employee should receive instructions from only one manager for a specific task, and that a group working toward the same goal should operate under a single leader and plan. However, a disruption of this structure can lead to employees receiving instructions from multiple individuals. This leads to role conflict. Role conflict is one of the significant factors that negatively impacts employees' work-life balance.
• Role Ambiguity: Every position within the organization has a specific set of duties or positional responsibilities. Clearly defining these roles and duties is important for employees to be aware of their responsibilities. Employees who lack a clear understanding of their duties and responsibilities can experience role ambiguity, which can make it difficult to establish a healthy balance between work and life.
• Participation in Management: Involving employees in decision-making processes related to their organizations strengthens their commitment to the organization, increases their motivation to succeed in their tasks, and positively impacts work-life balance.
• Excessive Workload: Excessive workload reduces individuals' ability to adequately respond to demands from different areas of their lives. This can reduce employee motivation and lead to burnout or persistent fatigue. Furthermore, multitasking will further increase employee workload, making it difficult to balance work and family life.
• Physical Space and Environmental Conditions: Physical elements of the work environment, such as desks, chairs, and office layout, can instill a sense of security in employees. However, environmental factors such as temperature, lighting, and noise levels can directly affect both employees' physical health and psychological well-being. This is a key factor in achieving work-life balance.

Actions a Person Can Take to Achieve Work-Life Balance:

• Try to manage your time and work by planning,
• Don't forget to take breaks and rest breaks,
• Be sure to take advantage of your annual leave and get away from work for a while,
• Try to focus on your work and avoid distractions,
• Make sure to make time for your personal interests and hobbies,
• Don't hesitate to seek the support you need for your physical and psychological health, etc.

Work-Life Balance Actions Your Organization Can Take:

Managers have significant responsibilities in ensuring work-life balance. To support this balance, it is crucial for organizations to offer their employees flexible work schedules.

Flexible hours and hybrid working models allow employees to both maintain their work and dedicate time to their personal lives.

Employees being able to take time off when needed and fully utilize their annual leave entitlements prevents burnout and increases motivation.

Satisfactory compensation policies and comprehensive benefits are key factors supporting employee engagement and satisfaction. Furthermore, implementing practices such as coaching services and psychological support programs to support employee mental health is highly valuable for achieving work-life balance.

It's important to remember that a healthy work-life balance benefits not only employees but also organizations. To achieve this balance sustainably, both individuals and organizations must work collaboratively.

Lina YILDIZ