Work at Home: Balance Vs. New Realities

by David Nitkin | Categories: Family Health Advice | Tags: , ,

The Issue:

A generation ago, corporate social responsibility professionals spoke of “work-family balance”, by which they meant the effort for progressive companies to allow worker fulfillment by balancing home and work responsibilities. Manifestations of this included sabbaticals, time off for personal renewal, volunteering one day per month at a non-profit, flextime options, flex hours including seasonal hours, and bringing your child to visit your workplace once a year.

In the last month, the very meaning of the term has changed. A huge proportion of the workplace in the office and education sectors have been required to work at home as a condition of employment. The closures of schools, theatres, shopping malls, event centres and eat-in restaurants give us some idea about what kind of work can be done virtually without coming in to work.

It is worthwhile asking what have been the changes in this shift from optional to mandatory.

Ethical and Moral Dilemmas:

“Work-family balance” is a term that refers to an individual’s perceptions of the degree to which s/he is experiencing positive relationships between work and family roles, where the relationships are viewed as compatible and at equilibrium with each other.

As the spread of the virus continues, infection and mortality rates show that responsible action that enhances a worker’s quality of life counts for a lot. We are thankful to the various health care, emergency preparedness and government officials who have the courage to make timely, although tough decisions. On the other hand, many personal and professional activities that have to now take place inside a home, dwelling or apartment require careful thought. Certain things have to be done differently, certain relationships addressed differently, and certain conventional priorities reviewed.

This represents a chance for choosing new life behaviours and relationship balances. We each can exercise and appreciate the value of self-discipline, family and health.

There are various reasonable ways that you and your employer can help ensure this balance thrives:

  1. Accept that which you cannot control.
    It is challenging to work from home and conduct remote meetings with colleagues, especially when you have children in the same room. It is a test to keep one’s dog quiet when you are broadcasting a program from your den or deck. Make the best of realities—many of the others on the call will also have their pre-school children or pets nearby.
  2. Use technology wisely.
    Use available group technologies to schedule tasks with others on your team. Out of office and daylong home studies can be managed much better with a disciplined structure to the day.
  3. Partner with clients and customers.
    Make every effort to keep close to stakeholders by finding ways to enrich their objectives.
  4. Use replaceable teams.
    Have three or four teams each working on the same project in different locations so that, if someone on your team succumbs to the virus, then the other members can go into self-isolation without the function being irreparably damaged. Other teams can continue to develop the same deliverables.
  5. Be creative and magnanimous.
    In cooperation with others on your work team, allow your partner, spouse or dependents to help select beneficiaries of personal and corporate support, perks and recognition. This could include caregivers, drivers, support staff and others, especially those whose benefits and security may be at risk.

Legal and Values Dimensions:

There are many ways to understand and better appreciate what “balance” means. Stand straight up with your feet a little ways apart. Let go of fear. Assess the impact of choices on your happiness at home. Make time for important personal activities. Set boundaries. Think carefully about where you live. Turn off technology. Manage your energy, not your time. Schedule vacation time.

While it is true that contagion is a real concern, you should not lose sight of what you have to be grateful for. This is especially true if you enjoy and have access to food, fresh water, heat and light, a roof over your head, some savings in the bank, and a mutually-rewarding relationship with family members.

North American workers—especially those in white-collar professions—are working longer hours. Women are often the default chore-doers and child-tenders, even in relationships that strive for egalitarianism. The solution from career gurus has historically been to try to squeeze both work and life into the over-packed working day. Check e-mails during the kids’ swim meet, they say, or pick up a hobby to “take your mind off work”—and take up even more time you don’t have.

However, with the pandemic, the locus of activity has shifted to the home. This challenges the traditional understanding that voluntary work-life balance is not independently achievable for most overworked people, if not outright impossible. Balancing work and life from the vantage point of the home may represent a clean slate upon which to apply notions of balance. After all, your boss is as likely to be working from home as you are.

Further Reading:

The Globe and Mail:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-employment-lawyers-warn-companies-about-legal-risks-in-temporary/
The Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/05/work-life-balance/590662/

About the Author:

David Nitkin
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