Before his daily working hours were increased, Database Administration Manager Damien Keely thoroughly enjoyed his challenging position. Having worked for the same management consulting firm for five years, the talented 26-year-old's career had been fast-tracked and his future was bright. Then came the email that changed everything. “We were working on an important project for a major client,” Damien, now 31, recalls. “Senior management were keen to impress the client by finishing early, so they sent an email to all project staff saying our regular working hours were now 8am to 8pm, Monday to Friday. We were also doing half days each Saturday.” Five months later Damien resigned in frustration, mentally and physically exhausted. The project was not yet complete and the company had lost one of its most vital staff members. With his departure went five years of knowledge, contacts and experience. Damien has now been with his current company for five years, and says senior management expect great performance but also encourage a healthy work/life balance. “When you do those big hours it becomes difficult to see where the business is going,” he says. “You become reactive and waste a lot of time. You don't solve problems very well. I find I get a lot more done in less time now.” In the last 10 years an amazing 23 per cent of Australians between the ages of 30-50 have taken the matter into their own hands and downshifted, accepting lower paying jobs in order to enjoy an improved lifestyle. The good news is you don't need to resign; workers really can have their cake and eat it. Recent research has shown those trusted with flexible working options are far more productive during their time at work. It's a win/win situation – the workers are happier and healthier and the companies' bottom lines are improving. One organisation profiting from such policies is Melbourne-based The Heat Group. In three short years the cosmetics sales, marketing and distribution company, which employs 50 staff, has won over 12 per cent of Australia's $40 million cosmetics business. Managing Director and founder Gillian Franklin says a great deal of this success is due to her staff's genuine passion and commitment to the company. “We have a culture that supports people having a life outside work,” she says. “Some of my most valuable employees work part time. Or they might work partly from the office and partly from home. We make sure there are no meetings before 9am or after 5pm . We have paid maternity and paternity leave and we insist new dads take at least a week off, on full pay, when their baby is born. We've also introduced Family Leave, which is sick leave when you need to look after an ill child or elderly relatives.” “We're very aggressive, competitive and dynamic in terms of business strategies,” Franklin continues. “But it doesn't mean we need to crack the whip with our staff. I see their passion and commitment, the pride and the goodwill they feel towards the company. You can't put a financial measure against that.” Many organisations have such policies, but employees who make use of them are made to feel guilty. As Alison Peters, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Labor Council of NSW says, “It's one thing to have a document and another to have it in practice. Some workplaces handle it really well, others do an atrocious job.” Organisational and clinical psychologist Dr Peter Cotton says the symptoms of a poor work/life balance begin with the worker's emotions. “They become fatigued and tired, under strain, irritable and stressed. Immediately they're vulnerable to inter-personal conflict.” “If they don't recover sufficiently they suffer a deterioration of mood and performance and it becomes a physical problem,” Cotton continues. “It can manifest in psychosomatic symptoms – including gastrointestinal problems, skin conditions or burnout.” Good leaders, Cotton claims, provide support and trust to their staff and are very interested in their emotional and physical well-being. When staff perceive they're receiving high levels of support from their leaders, they're happier, more positive and they perform better. Dr David Paul, co-author of Life And Work: Challenging Economic Man, says the overworking of staff is costing corporate Australia hundreds of millions of dollars in lost productivity through sick leave, stress leave, personal leave and low performance levels. Perhaps the most frightening effect of work-related stress is the damage it can cause to family relationships. Paul says an overworked person will become less bright at home because they're saving their energy for work. At dinner they'll be distracted by thoughts of work, and the need to go to the office on a Saturday morning will become more important than the need to spend time with family. Flight Centre, winner of Australia's ‘Employer Of The Year' award for the last two years, finds flexible hours are a major ingredient in the formula for success. “Some of our best consultants are part-time mums,” says Mark Aponas, Global HR Leader. “You don't have to be there five days a week to be a top staff member. Staff also get rostered time off for any excess they've worked. “People spend a great deal of their time at work, so if we can make that time enjoyable and fulfilling then we're helping to cater for the total individual,” he continues. “If we look after the individual they'll put back into the organisation.” When management get the work/life balance right, the results are spectacular. Brandy Paris, National Promotions, Events and PR Manager for The Heat Group is living proof. “My company's flexible working options have allowed me to spend time with my daughter to support her transition from primary to high school and to take time out to supervise builders working on our house. When my son asked me to come to his school to hear him read, I knew it wouldn't be a problem.” “Honestly, I love my job,” she raves. “It's an absolute pleasure to get up in the morning and come to work. My loyalty is paid back - the company encourages me to enjoy my life.”
How To Break The Mould If you're eager to make a difference to your working conditions, don't resign, take control by following these tips. * Don't organise meetings before 9am or after 5pm. * Have stand-up meetings in order to get them over quickly. * Ensure there is an outcome from every meeting. * Don't complain about colleagues who leave at 5pm. Staff should be judged on performance, not hours. * Always take a lunch break to assist relaxation. * When you really can't afford the time, learn to say no to extra work requests with confidence and positivity. * Encourage your colleagues to spend 15 minutes each day communicating important company information to each other. * Speak to your manager about how you might achieve a better work/life balance. * If a job requires 12 staff, recommend employing 13. This allows for annual leave, sick days and greater flexibility.
Relax! If you're finding it difficult to wind down after a big day in the office, follow these tips from psychologist Dr Peter Cotton. * “If you work long hours you cannot sustain your performance over a long period of time,” Cotton says. “Without sufficient recovery you'll lack vigor to perform at work.” * The best strategy is to mix passive and active leisure activities, Cotton says. “Concentrating on a hobby is a very positive thing for work recovery. Your mind will be set in a completely different gear for a while.” * The type of hobby doesn't matter. Gardening, yoga, surfing, birdwatching or reading – as long as it's enjoyable and absorbing. * Be sure to organise some downtime with your family. “It will get your mind into a completely different space. It involves and engages you and stops you thinking about other things,” says Cotton. * Whatever you do, don't allow yourself to sit and meditate about problems at the office, and try not to drown your sorrows – they can swim! © Chris Sheedy/the hard word |
