Human Resources Management.docx new.docx

8/19/2019 Human Resources Management.docx new.docx

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SUBJECT : HRM

WORKLIFE BALANCE PROBLEMS

FACED BY YOUNG EMPLOYEE

A PROJECT REPORT

SUBMITTED IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE AWARD OF THE M.COM.DEGREE OF

MASTER IN COMMERCE

(MANAGEMENT)

SUBMITTED TO

UNIVERSITY OF MUMBAI,

LALA LAJPATRAI COLLEGE , MAHALAXMI, MUMBAI

SUBMITTED BY

Nam !" S#$%'BABITA SOLANKI U&*+'# R!-- &!./.0102.

SUPERVISED BY

GEETA SHETTY

October 201

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CERTIFICATE

I !ereb" cert#$" t!%t t!e &or' &!#c! #( be#)* +re(e)te, #) t!e

M.Co-.I)ter)% Pro/ect Re+ort e)t#te, WORK LIFE BALANCES

PROBLEMS FACED BY YOUNG EMPLOYEES TODAY , #) +%rt#%

$$#-e)t o$ t!e re#re-e)t( $or t!e %&%r, o$ t!e M%(ter o$ Co--erce

#) Ma&a3m %), (b-#tte, to t!e L%% L%/+%t R%# Coe*e o$

Co--erce %), Eco)o-#c(M%!%%3-#M-b%#4500065 #( %) %t!e)t#c

recor, o$ -" o&) &or' c%rr#e, ot ),er t!e (+er7#(#o) o$ GEETA

SHETTY t!e -%tter +re(e)te, #) t!#( Pro/ect Re+ort !%( )ot bee)

(b-#tte, b" -e $or t!e %&%r, o$ %)" ot!er ,e*ree e(e&!ere.

S3&a#$+ !" S#$%:

S3&a#$+ !" S$4+*'!+:

I+&a- E5am&+:

E5#+&a- E5am&+:

C!--3 S#am4 P+&64a-

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I &o, #'e to +%ce o) recor, -" ,ee+ (e)(e o$ *r%t#t,e to Pro$.

GEETA SHETTY , De+t. o$ $or !#( *e)ero( *#,%)ce !e+ %), (e$

(**e(t#o)(.

I e3+re(( -" (#)cere *r%t#t,e to Pro$ DR S7V7 LASUNE $or !#(

(t#-%t#)* *#,%)ce co)t#)o( e)cor%*e-e)t %), (+er7#(#o)

t!ro*!ot t!e cor(e o$ +re(e)t &or'.

I %(o (! to e3te), -" t!%)'( to t!e Pro$8.. %), ot!er coe%*e( $or

%tte),#)* -" (e-#)%r( %), $or t!e#r #)(#*!t$ co--e)t( %),

co)(trct#7e (**e(t#o)( to #-+ro7e t!e %#t" o$ t!#( +ro/ect &or'.

I %- e3tre-e" t!%)'$ to888.coor,#)%tor %), Pr#)c#+%

MS7NEELAM ARORA $or +ro7#,#)* -e #)$r%(trctr% $%c##t#e( to

&or' #) t!ot &!#c! t!#( &or' &o, )ot !%7e bee) +o((#be.

S3&a#$+ !" S#$%

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INTRODUCTION

Work-life Balance Maintaining a balance between one’s personaland professional life has become a prominent topic in the society. The epression Work-life Balance !W"B# was $rst %sed in themiddle of 1&'(s to describe the balance between one’s work andpersonal life. )n the year 1&''* +anter opined abo%t the ,myth of separate world and called attention to the reality that work andhome are inescapable linked. )n past few years* there has beenincreasing interest in W"B in the press and in scholarly o%rnalswell as go/ernment* management and employee representati/e

!0%ssel and bowman* 2(((#. This increase in interest is in partdri/en by concerns that %nbalanced work-life relationships canres%lt in red%ced health and low performance o%tcomes forindi/id%al* families and organiation. here are /ario%s factorswhich seems to be responsible for the form%lation andimplementation of work-life balance policies in the organiation!ennifer 0edmond* Maryann ali%lis and 4ileen 5rew* 2((6# e/enin recent years employers ha/e responded positi/ely to thedemands for greater 7eibility in employment practices in order

to impro/e sta8 morale* retention and commitment !9or%m on theWorkplace of the 9%t%re 2((:; 6'#. )ndeed* some see them asimperati/e in order to maintain a competiti/e edge in themarketplace; ,%rrently* organiations in the p%blic sector and largepri/ate sector enterprises with a signi$cant female workforce arewilling to introd%ce 7eible working policies !Work-life Balance?etwork 2((@; :#* altho%gh both implementation and take-%p/ary greatly according to the type of sector. The le/el of demand*partic%larly in the p%blic sector* is two-fold; it comes not only from

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employees* b%t also from the general p%blic* who want longeropening ho%rs for c%stomer ser/ices. The dri/ers which areresponsible for the form%lation and implementation of work-lifebalance policies can be di/ided into three parts these are eternal

dri/ers which are moti/ating factors o%tside the organiation thatlead it to implement work-life balance policies. These incl%de>%stomer relations at a local le/el* Arganiations that implement7eible working arrangements can respond to demands from

. Perspectives on Work-Life Balance

edeck and Mosier !1&&(# and A’5riscoll !1&&6# note that thereare typically $/e main models %sed to eplain the relationship

between work and life o%tside work* these are the segmentation

model* the spillo/er model* the compensation model* theinstr%mental model and the con7ict model 0ecently interest has

been foc%sed in partic%lar on the con7ict model* especially in d%alcareer families* altho%gh research on the spillo/er and

compensation models contin%es to be widely reported. )n march2(('* a model of work-life balance was also de/eloped by 5rMer/yl McCherson of the 44A Tr%st on the basis of literat%re

re/iew .Model de$ne the relationships between work-life balance*discretionary e8ort* employee engagement and prod%cti/ity on

the basis of research e/idence and logical arg%ment. The modeleplains the relationship of work-life balance initiati/es to

prod%cti/ity thro%gh workplace c%lt%re. from Models of work-lifebalance can also be enriched by the psychology of indi/id%al

di8erences. 9or eample* psychological theory concerned withaspects of personality can enhance o%r %nderstanding for

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perceptions of work-life balance

. Legislative contexts for Work-life Balance Policies

There are no s%ch de$ned go/ernment laws and policies for work-life balance in )ndia yet there are /ario%s other laws whichs%pport employee’s work-life and pro/ide some relief to theemployees. 9or eample


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by )ndian organiations is by-passing of legislation to circ%m/entlaws and lack of press%re for formal policies at the organiationalle/el to s%pport work and family. While* the 4%ropean Hnion haspro/ided the impet%s to co%ntries to address the iss%e of greater

harmony for workers in their home and work obligations byfoc%sing on policies aro%nd forms of parental lea/e. )n the 1&&(sit set minim%m standards for maternity and parental lea/ethro%gh the >o%ncil 5irecti/es. Ather co%ntries also ha/e di8erentmeas%res in place to facilitate work-life balance for workingparents; for eample I%ngary* )taly* ?orway* Cort%gal and Jpainenable women to red%ce their working ho%rs in the $rst &-12months after the birth of their child. The H.+.* similar to )taly* hasimplemented speci$c legislation on 7eibility and work-life

balance thro%gh the 4mployment


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impact on those facing a crisis pregnancy. The following are theaims of the literat%re re/iew; L To re/iew and criti=%e p%blishedliterat%re* both in )reland and internationally* which eplores theiss%es of work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re* and

maternityGchildcare iss%es L To s%mmarise and synthesise therange of recommendations !for action andGor policy change# thatare made in research reports and to relate these to the e/idencebehind them L To highlight the main iss%es addressed ininternational literat%re in relation to this topic and to place thisdata within an )rish contet for comparati/e p%rposes L To presentthe >risis Cregnancy C


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research =%estions that m%st be addressed* partic%larly in anational contet. )n addition* it is the aim of this re/iew tohighlight iss%es within each of the themes that may ha/e animpact on those facing a crisis pregnancy. The following are the

aims of the literat%re re/iew; L To re/iew and criti=%e p%blishedliterat%re* both in )reland and internationally* which eplores theiss%es of work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re* andmaternityGchildcare iss%es L To s%mmarise and synthesise therange of recommendations !for action andGor policy change# thatare made in research reports and to relate these to the e/idencebehind them L To highlight the main iss%es addressed ininternational literat%re in relation to this topic and to place thisdata within an )rish contet for comparati/e p%rposes L To present

the >risis Cregnancy C


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Capter !

Literat"re revie#

The literat%re re/iew is organised into chapters dealing separatelywith work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re* and maternityGchildcareiss%es* within which are sections on the iss%e of crisis pregnancy.

The sections on crisis pregnancy both re/iew the eistingliterat%re and consider the potential or hypothetical impact theseiss%es may ha/e on an indi/id%al facing a crisis pregnancy.>hapter 2 disc%sses the iss%e of work-life balance* Chapter 3 disc%sses the iss%e of workplacec%lt%re* while >hapter @ disc%sses maternityGchildcare iss%es.4ach of the three thematic chapters has s%mmary sections andends with concl%sions. >hapter : o%tlines the concl%sions arisinggenerally from the literat%re re/iew* and the research =%estionsarising from the literat%re that m%st still be addressed. )t alsoproposes potential methodologies for addressing these =%estions.

Iss"es for crisis pregnanc$ Crisis

pregnancy is de$ned as a ,pregnancy which is neither plannednor desired by the woman concerned* and which represents apersonal crisis for her !>risis Cregnancy


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a red%ction in the n%mber of crisis pregnancies by the pro/ision of ed%cation* ad/ice and contracepti/e ser/ices

L a red%ction in the n%mber of women with crisis pregnancies whoopt for abortion by o8ering ser/ices and s%pports which make

other options more attracti/e

L the pro/ision of co%nselling and welfare ser/ices after crisispregnancy !Jtat%tory )nstr%ment ?o. @@6* 2((1#

Within each of the thematic sections a s%b-section on how theiss%es arising from the literat%re re/iew will partic%larly a8ectthose facing a crisis pregnancy are highlighted. 0ecent researchcond%cted in )reland has highlighted attit%des towards* andeperiences of* crisis pregnancy* and has shown that crisis

pregnancy will ha/e an impact on those both in work and ined%cation or training !see M%rphy-"awless et al. 2((@* A+ee8e2((@* 0%ndle* "eigh* McNee and "ayte 2((@* Mahon* >onlon and5illon 1&&D#. 0%ndle et al. !2((@# cond%cted inter/iews with 3*31'indi/id%als - 1*3:6 males and 1*&61 females between the ages of 1D and @: years. They fo%nd that 2DO of the female researchparticipants and 23O of the male participants had had eperienceof a crisis pregnancy. )n addition* the a/erage age of the mostrecent crisis pregnancy reported by their research sample was23.@ years for women and [email protected] years for men* ages at which oneis generally acti/e in the labo%r market. Th%s pre/io%s researchindicates that the iss%es of work-life balance* workplace c%lt%reand maternityGchildcare iss%es are highly rele/ant to those facingan %nplanned pregnancy. The /ariety of factors s%rro%nding - andindeed determining - a crisis pregnancy m%st be acknowledged inany re/iew of literat%re of this kind. The factors cited as beingin7%ential in the interpretation of a pregnancy as a crisis range

from personal and emotional perceptions to relationship and$nancial stat%s. These will /ary in importance according toindi/id%al circ%mstancesK howe/er* it is e/ident from pre/io%sresearch that employment and career paths are criticallyimportant to those facing a crisis pregnancy. )n the contet of thisliterat%re re/iew* it is e/ident that parenting as an option isc%rrently %nattracti/e for many women* as they feel it is not

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easily reconcilable - and in some cases* incompatible - with theircareer. Work-life balance needs are th%s paramo%nt if a red%ctionis to be achie/ed in the n%mber of women eperiencing a crisispregnancy who opt for abortion. The distinction is also made

between those facing a crisis pregnancy on their own and thosefacing a crisis pregnancy with a partner* as this will not only a8ectthe response and decision-making process to the crisispregnancy* b%t also the impact of the three thematic areas on theindi/id%al!s#. )t is important to highlight that m%ch of theliterat%re deals with the o%tcome of crisis pregnancy as beingfemale lone parenthood* altho%gh this is only one possibleo%tcome of crisis pregnancy. This literat%re foc%ses on thediPc%lties of being a female lone parent* incl%ding po/erty and

lack of access to f%rther ed%cation andGor the workplace. < keyfeat%re of this literat%re is its foc%s on the diPc%lties eperiencedby lone parents in achie/ing work-life balance as a res%lt of employment demands and the diPc%lties in accessingappropriate childcare arrangements. Iowe/er* the foc%s onfemale lone parenthood does not consider any other possibleo%tcomes of crisis pregnancy* s%ch as termination* adoption* ormale lone parenthood. )t also does not make clear thosepregnancies to lone parents that are not interpreted as a crisis*

whether or not they are planned. There has been a signi$cantbody of research on those facing an %nplanned pregnancy inrelation to their reasons for choosing abortion* adoption andparenting. < key iss%e is the workplace - and more speci$cally*work-life balance iss%es* which ha/e been identi$ed as a keyfactor for those facing %nplanned reprod%cti/e choices !Mahon etal. 1&&D* M%rphy-"awless et al. 2((@* >risis Cregnancy


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problems or o%tcomes of working and childcare arrangements andwork-life balance needs on those facing a crisis pregnancy Work-life balance; de$nitions and key terms Work-life balance is theterm %sed in the literat%re to refer to policies that stri/e to

achie/e a greater complementarity and balance between workand home responsibilities. These policies apply to all workers* not

%st working parents* and their presence or absence in anorganisation may ha/e an e8ect on those facing a crisispregnancy* partic%larly in %dging their own ability to combineboth work and family life. Jome of the terms %sed in the literat%reon work-life balance are not commonly %sed or may be %nfamiliar*th%s eplanations and de$nitions are gi/en below

; W"B; Work-life Balance* also referred to as family friendly workarrangements !99W


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%ero o"rs contract; this is a 7eible contract that does notspecify the amo%nt of time a worker will spend per year on theiremployment* lea/ing it open to meet demand.

&-#orking; the term %sed to describe 7eible working that can

be done from any location %sing technologies s%ch as laptops*wireless internet connection and mobile phones

. Tele#orking; this is where the location is 7eible by %singtechnologies to complete work - this allows work to be done fromhomeK also known as e-working.

Ter'-ti'e #orking; this is when a parent is allowed to workonly d%ring school term times* with all school holidays o8.Cayment can be calc%lated either by %s%al payment* with no

payment d%ring holidays* or salaries can be spread o%t across theyear.

Ather forms of 7eible working conditions incl%de;

L part-time working

L ob sharing

L 7eitime

L shift workingL ann%alised ho%rs

L compressed ho%rs

L home working

L career breaks

L st%dy lea/e

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Workplace c"lt"re; de$nitions and key terms Workplacec%lt%re refers to the way employees ha/e been socialied by theirwork organisation !Iofstede 1&&1; 1(#.


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(aternit$ an) cil)care iss"es; de$nitions and key terms)ss%es of maternity and childcare encompass legislati/e andorganisational practices that accommodate !or indeed fail toaccommodate# the maternity and childcare needs of employees.

)ss%es relating to maternity and childcare will be of immediatesigni$cance to those facing a crisis pregnancy* partic%larly if theyare engaged in ed%cation or employment. Work-life balance*workplace c%lt%re and maternityGchildcare iss%es - < literat%rere/iew C


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other responsibilities and aspirations !Cillinger 2((1; 1#. 5rew*I%mphreys and M%rphy point o%t ,that personal f%l$lment isimportant inside work and that satisfaction o%tside work mayenhance employees contrib%tion to work !2((3;13#. Th%s* work-

life balance is now the term of choice. Work-life balance policiesare often referred to in prac part-time working

L ob sharing

L 7eitime

L term-time working

L shift working

L ann%alised ho%rs

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L compressed ho%r

s L teleworking G e-working

L home working

L career breaks

L st%dy lea/e L

eroho%rs

L -Time.

)mpacts on those facing a crisis pregnancy )t is e/ident from are/iew of the literat%re that work-life balance policies are neededwithin the workplace for all women and parents* in order to easethe b%rden of the press%res eperienced in combining work and

family life. )t is also e/ident that the Work-life balance* workplacec%lt%re and maternityGchildcare iss%es - < literat%re re/iew C


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)f the option to work 7eibly aro%nd childcare responsibilities is areality* it may ha/e an e8ect on the decision aro%nd a crisispregnancyK i.e. if facilitation of family responsibilities by theemployer is a reality* it may lead the woman to contin%e with her

pregnancy. Iowe/er* there ha/e been no st%dies as yetspeci$cally eamining the e8ect of 7eible working on decisionmaking in a crisis pregnancy sit%ation from the perspecti/e of those facing s%ch a pregnancy. The option of abortion in a crisispregnancy sit%ation is one that is chosen by many tho%sands of )rish women each year !McNrath* A+ee8e and Jmith 2((:; 23#2 .

The absence or presence of 7eible working arrangements mayalso ha/e a role in this scenario* and e/idence from research oncrisis pregnancy highlights this iss%e !Mahon et al. 1&&D* >risis

Cregnancy


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balance work and caring responsibilities are always restricted* nomatter what their circ%mstances* d%e to the fact that they ha/enot generally been in powerf%l positions to determine thestr%ct%res that go/ern choice;

Legislative context

international and national 2.3.1 )nternational legislati/e contet The 4%ropean Hnion has pro/ided the impet%s to co%ntries toaddress the iss%e of greater harmony for workers in their homeand work obligations by foc%sing on policies aro%nd forms of

parental lea/e. )n the 1&&(s it set minim%m standards formaternity and parental lea/e thro%gh the >o%ncil 5irecti/es&2GD:G44> !1&&2# and &6G3@G4> !1&&6#3 .


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ser/ice ho%rs. This has res%lted in certain co%nterprod%cti/eo%tcomesK for eample* the new later e/ening work and weekendworking ha/e ser/ed to ecl%de some mothers from the market!9ine-5a/is* 9agnani* Nio/iannini* Iogaard and >larke 2((@; 1.

Th%s the law has had mied res%lts. )n a s%r/ey of employeescarried o%t in 9rance in 2((1* si o%t of ten respondents reporteda positi/e impact on their work-life balance !ibid.; 2(#. Iowe/er*in another s%r/ey carried o%t to assess the impact of the law* @(Oof employees complained that work had become more intense -i.e. that they were epected to achie/e the same amo%nt of workin lesser time - 33O reported positi/e e8ects and :'O stated thatnothing has changed for them !)bid.; 2(#. )t seems that the lawonly positi/ely a8ected some workers* b%t not all* and that m%ch

is dependent on how the law is implemented within the indi/id%alorganisation* as well as the workplace c%lt%re. 0ecent proposedchanges in 9rance that wo%ld allow workers to take more paido/ertime and to trade in rest days for etra payments@ * ha/epro/oked both positi/e and negati/e reactions* and it is yet to beseen whether the law will be relaed in s%ch a way. 9indings from9rance are indicati/e that legislati/e reforms m%st be caref%llytho%ght o%t in terms of economic and social policy o%tcomes* asthe practical res%lts of reg%lating work in line with 7eible

principles may not achie/e the aims of the legislati/e reforms.Ather co%ntries ha/e di8erent meas%res in place to facilitatework-life balance for working parents; L I%ngary* )taly* ?orway*Cort%gal and Jpain enable women to red%ce their working ho%rsin the $rst &-12 months after the birth of their child* %s%allyrelated to breast feeding !5e/en and Moss 2((:; 1@# L


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L ob sharing

L home working

L teleworking

L shift work

L staggered ho%rs

L ann%alised ho%rs

L term-time working

L compressed ho%rs

>hapter3

C04J4?T WA0+

*en)er )i+erences in te #orkplace c"lt"re

There is a clear gender dimension to the iss%e of workplacec%lt%re !5epartment of %stice* 4=%ality and "aw 0eform 2((@*9ine-5a/is et al. 2((@* ?>CC 2((3b* 9lanagan and "yons 1&&.Workplace c%lt%res ha/e been shown in the literat%re to oftenespo%se traditional notions of career paths !i.e. long-ho%rsc%lt%res# and gender roles within organisations !i.e. making7eible working arrangements more easily a/ailable to female

rather than male workers#. The )nternational "abo%r Arganisation!2((:# highlights three inter-related indicators of c%rrent genderine=%alities that can be seen to be determined to a large etentby traditional workplace c%lt%res; L the glass ceiling - i.e. thelack of women in management positions L the gender pay gap -i.e. the %nacco%ntable di8erential between male and female rates

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of pay L the sticky 7oor - i.e. the concentration of women in thelowest paid obs. These are %sef%l terms in which to consider the%nderlying - and often hidden - power str%ct%res of workplacec%lt%res that s%bordinate women. These power str%ct%res inform

the ethos of an organisation. Workplace c%lt%res can be resistantto changeK they can also e/ade changes attempted thro%ghlegislation* which eplains the persistent ine=%alities in theworkforce* partic%larly in relation to women. I%mphreys* 5rewand M%rphys !1&& st%dy on gender e=%ality in the )rish ci/ilser/ice at the higher grades highlighted some key factors abo%tworkplace c%lt%re. They fo%nd that whilst there is an oPcialcommitment to e=%al opport%nities in the state sector* the realitywas that there were economic* stat%s and work-life balance iss%es

that a8ected men and women /ery di8erently. )n relation to thediPc%lties faced by women* they stated that women ,are farmore likely to ha/e to balance caring responsibilities o%tside workwith a long-ho%rs c%lt%re within the ser/ice itself* often choosing

ob-sharing or r%ling o%t promotion as a res%lt. They are less likelythan men to be placed in highpro$le* core acti/ities within theser/ice !1&&&;i#. Th%s it can be seen that workplace c%lt%reoften %ndermines oPcial workplace e=%ality policies. There is agendered dimension to workplace c%lt%re and the potential res%lts

of a negati/e workplace c%lt%re for women can be meas%redthro%gh $nancial and stat%s losses they ha/e inc%rred thro%gho%ttheir employment. B%nting estimates that in the H.+.* as a

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res%lt of the gender pay gap* the penalty women pay in terms of lost opport%nities d%e to caring responsibilities can be %p toU1@(*((( in lifetime earnings !2((@; 2@'#. Iowe/er* the speci$c

negati/e impacts of c%rrent workplace c%lt%res on women gobeyond $nancial rem%neration. The lack of opport%nities forwomen in the senior grades of organisations means that theyrecei/e less training* ha/e less discretion o/er their work* willrecei/e less information in the workplace and will ha/e high le/elsof work stress !9or%m on the Workplace of the 9%t%re 2((:; 61#.

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These are all factors that ha/e been shown to decrease workersatisfaction* and may lead to temporary or permanent withdrawalfrom the labo%r market !>risis Cregnancy


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wo%lds%relybene$torganisationstode/elop.

I'plications of #orkplace c"lt"re for parents

The 4=%al Apport%nities >ommission in the H.+. recently%ndertook a st%dy of 1*2(( people on the iss%e of pregnancy andthe workplace. The st%dy showed that many women still face

problems in the workplace once they become pregnant.0espondents reported a range of problematic sit%ations incl%ding;

L dismissal L lack of promotion L change of salary terms L%nfo%nded criticism L non-payment of bon%ses L change of ho%rs

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L disciplinary action abo%t performance !4=%al Apport%nities>ommission 2((:#. o%rt in recognition not %st of the loss of earnings thecomplainants s%8ered* b%t in some cases* it was stated that ,the

award sho%ld not %st be compensatory* b%t sho%ld beappropriate to the wrong s%8ered and ha/e a real diss%asi/e

e8ect !5etermination ?o. 445316#. 0%ssell* Jmyth* "yons andA>onnell !2((2# cond%cted a st%dy on )rish womens eperiencesof ret%rning to employment* training and ed%cation after lea/ing

the labo%r market for some time* generally d%e to caring

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responsibilities. 0espondents reported a range of eperiences*incl%ding di8ering le/els of desire to ret%rn to work in the contet

of the diPc%lties it posed for childcare arrangements and thebarriers they faced in career progression. Jome respondents

reported being treated negati/ely by their colleag%es once theyhad children; Q ) was treated as a completely di8erent person tothe person )d been before )d had the child. )mmediately ) wasntin line for any type of career progression Q therefore yo% kind of think - is it worth p%tting all that e8ort in Beca%se )m not going

to get any f%rtherQ !0%ssell et al. 2((2; :1# This points to the factthat women can easily lose con$dence if they eperience

negati/e workplace en/ironments. This may be responsible forthem lea/ing the labo%r market if their caring responsibilities are

not recognised andGor /al%ed. Workplace c%lt%re is also asigni$cant factor in whether or not a working parent will choose to

access programmes that are designed to harmonise work andfamily life. The highly gendered nat%re of the take-%p of parentallea/e is highlighted by )>TH* who state that since the introd%ction

of parental lea/e in )reland* only 2(O of eligible workers ha/e%sed it* D@O of whom were women !)>TH 2((@; 26#. >ross-

national research by the A4>5 !2((3# highlights the fact thatworkplace c%lt%res in )reland* apan and


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helped a great deal and were signi$cantly related to ease incombining work and family !9ine-5a/is 2((:; 13#. )rish

participants* in common with the 9rench respondents in the st%dy*tended to epress feelings of press%re aro%nd taking parental

lea/e entitlements and a/ailing of family friendly policies at work!9ine-5a/is et al. 2((@; 23:#. )n comparison with the other

co%ntries* in )reland there was a higher proportion of negati/eattit%des and perceptions towards people participating in 7eibleworking arrangements* partic%larly towards men !)bid.; 1@#. Thiswo%ld appear contradictory* gi/en that D2O of )rish fathers and62O of mothers said they wo%ld like to spend more time withtheir families. This parado is indicati/e of the compleities of

workplace c%lt%re* as it shows that e/en those who may wish for

change at a personal le/el still espo%se traditional notions of workplace c%lt%ral ass%mptions !)bid.#. This factor is important inrelation to those facing an %nplanned or a crisis pregnancy* as if

they work in s%ch an en/ironment they may not /iew 7eibleworking arrangements as real or /iable sol%tions to combining a

2&


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career traectory and a family.

C,PT&R

3(


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R&/ULT ND DI/CU//ION

Work-life balance is about creating and maintaining supportive and healthy

work environments, which will enable to have balance between work and

personal responsibilities and thus strengthen employee loyalty and

productivity. Today’s workers have many competing responsibilities such

as work, children, housework, volunteering, spouse and elderly parent care

and this places stress on individuals, families and the communities in

which they reside. Work-life conflict is a serious problem that impacts

workers, their employers and communities. Long work hours and highly

stressful jobs not only hamper ’ ability to harmonie work and family life

but also are associated with health risks, such as increased smoking and

alcohol consumption, weight gain and depression. Work life conflict has

been associated with numerous physical and mental health implications.

Work-life balance is a form of metaphor! but a metaphor of what" #n the

$nglish language %balance& is a comple' word with a variety of meanings.

(s a noun, a balance is a set of scales, a weighing apparatus! it is also the

regulating gear in clocks. #f we use the scales, then balance occurs when

there is %an e)ual distribution of weight or amount& *+$! but this

presents problems for work-life balance since both sides may be very heavy

or very light. urthermore, the type of work-life balance sought by many

may not imply e)ual weight on both sides. /owever balance also has a

physical and psychological meaning as %stability of body or mind& so thatsuicide is sometimes officially recorded as taking one’s life %while the

balance of the mind was disturbed&. /owever this version of the metaphor,

whether it applies to body or mind is somewhat more appropriate since it

implies both the possibility of e'ternal verification and human agency. 0ut

31


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another way we can observe when someone has lost their balance! and we

know that in given circumstances some people have better balance than others

and may perceive that they have better balance. This gives rise to the need to

recognie that balance can have both an objective and subjective meaning and

measurement, that it will vary according to circumstances and that it will also

vary across individuals

Wa$s to instill Work life 0alance e+ectivel$.

• Train r managers who listen and %se their best %dgment to

work with their to co-design arrangements that foster better work-

life integration %se the act%al ob re=%irements and employee

needs to design a better work-life integration plan.

• "%nch is important. 4nco%rage e/eryone to reg%larly take at

least 3( to 6( min%tes for l%nch away from the workstation.

• 4nco%rage real holidays. Which in/ol/es more than a sick

lea/e or a day o8 from the oPce enco%raging lea/ing all work

comm%nication cellphone and e-mail at oPce.

• 4nco%rage Xprod%cti/ity phases.X )f we do not take this

mental break* o%r brains will take it anyway. This is when we most

often make errors. Ceople who take prod%cti/ity pa%ses ret%rn to

the task at hand with renewed /igor and foc%s.X

• Cro/ide reso%rces. A8er traineeships* oPce l%nches and

online seminars abo%t stress and o/erb%rden* work-life balance

and indi/id%al energy management. This will gi/e the information

they need to make better choices abo%t balancing their energies

32


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across their work and life. Hse the material in this article to begin

designing yo%r own seminar. Iire an epert to speak to yo%r

managers and or enroll them in appropriate training.

• >onsider pro/iding training in relaation methods* s%ch as

Foga and meditation. These practices help strengthen the body

and lower stress. Meditation* an Iorn points o%t is Xthe perfect

/ehicle to refresh physical and mental f%nctioning and to enhance

the emotional intelligence* which is a prere=%isite for b%siness

b%ilding and de/eloping entreprene%rial skills.X

Boosting morale with Work

When employees are balanced, everything the organiation is balanced1

When stress is managed, a more positive mood occurs which has been

proven to help protect physical and mental health. ( happy, rela'ed team

becomes more a positive and productive team . #n response to the

orgniation stratigic goal

Work-life balance is about creating and maintaining supportive and healthy

work environments, which will enable to have balance between work and

personal responsibilities and thus strengthen employee loyalty and

productivity. Today’s workers have many competing responsibilities such

as work, children, housework, volunteering, spouse and elderly parent care

and this places stress on individuals, families and the communities in

which they reside. Work-life conflict is a serious problem that impacts

workers, their employers and communities. Long work hours and highly

stressful jobs not only hamper ’ ability to harmonie work and family life

33


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but also are associated with health risks, such as increased smoking and

alcohol consumption, weight gain and depression. Work life conflict has

been associated with numerous physical and mental health implications.

$mployers are becoming increasingly aware of the cost implications

associated with over-worked such as2 operating and productivity costs,

absenteeism, punctuality, commitment and perfor'ance. There are five

main reasons why companies participate in work life balance programs2 high

return on investment, recruitment and retention of, legislation, costs and

union regulations.

3@


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Part-ti'e #orking )n the 4%ropean Hnion* D3O of part-

time workers are women !)"A 2((:#. This a/erage is

compiled %sing consistent statistics from all member

states* which demonstrate greater %se of part-time work

by women than by men. )n )reland* part-time working has

also f%elled the increase in womens participation in the

labo%r force. Therefore* it m%st be noted also that

altho%gh there ha/e been increases in womens

participation in the labo%r force* the di8erences in the

kind of employment they are %ndertaking need to behighlighted. entral Jtatistics APce

!>JA#* as of the last p%blished Y%arterly ?ational

Io%sehold J%r/ey !1st Y%arter* 2((:#; L there were

6&*D(( males working in part-time employment L there

were 2:'*6(( females working in part-time employment L

more than three times more women were working in part-

time employment than men. This indicates that in )reland

more women are a/ailing of this option of 7eible working

than men* which is most probably d%e to the greater

caring responsibilities %ndertaken by women than by

men. )t also noteworthy that the n%mber of women in

part-time work has steadily increased* whereas the

n%mber of men working in this way has increasedminimally in comparison. The >JA data demonstrates

that between 2((3 and 2((:* the n%mber of women

engaged in part-time working increased by 26*(((K the

n%mber of men working part-time increased only by 2((

3:


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!Y?IJ* 1st =%arter 2((:; Table 1; 6#. This data s%ggests

that women are more likely to enter into part-time

employment than men* a trend which may contin%e if

working practices remain as they are.

36


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CHAPTER

CONCLUSION

>oncl%sions Work-life balance policies will potentially ha/e an

impact on those facing a crisis pregnancy. )f work-life balance

policies and 7eible working arrangements operate s%ccessf%lly

within an organisation* it may increase the options a/ailable to

those facing %nplanned reprod%cti/e choices. )f it is feasible to

become a parent and ha/e a career* some may contin%e with the

pregnancy. J%ch arrangements will be partic%larly important to

those who ha/e limited personal s%pport systems* s%ch as

relati/es who will perform childminding !see section @.2 for

f%rther disc%ssion of this iss%e#* as 7eibility in working ho%rs is

generally re=%ired to access childcare facilities* i.e. to be able to

comply with opening and closing times. Work-life balance policies*

therefore* may enhance feelings of being able to cope with an

%nplanned child. Work-life balance is a policy that will

%ndo%btedly become an embedded feat%re of workplaces of the

f%t%re* both nationally and in ind%strialised economies

internationally. This bodes well for those facing %nplanned

3'


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pregnancies in the f%t%re* as the perception of work being at odds

with parenthood may lessen as these arrangements become more

widespread and normati/e. The literat%re shows that 7eible

working arrangements can ha/e positi/e e8ects on employees

well being as they may be better able to balance the C


39/56

trends or attit%des within organisations s%ch as the long-ho%rs

c%lt%re or press%re. L )n the 4.H. the Working Time 0eg%lations

ha/e set a maim%m working week of @D ho%rs for all workers

!with eceptions on 7%ct%ations in working time for some

professions#. Anly the H.+. has an opt-o%t cla%se for these

reg%lations. L )rish people are now working the longest ho%rs in

the 4%ropean Hnion* with males ha/ing higher total n%mber of

ho%rs than females* altho%gh this is based on a/erages of working

ho%rs across all sectors and working arrangements. C


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those making a decision abo%t a crisis pregnancy. L 4mployees

are working fewer ho%rs than pre/io%sly* b%t are eperiencing a

greater intensi$cation of their work. 9eelings of press%re and

stress are now =%ite common across all sectors. L


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they will eperience both the positi/e and negati/e aspects of

workplace c%lt%res in relation to work-life balance policies.

Workplace c%lt%res ha/e been shown in the literat%re to often

espo%se traditional notions of career paths and gender roles

within organisations* both of which often disad/antage women if

they choose 7eible working options. This may be considered by

an indi/id%al facing a crisis pregnancy as a reason not to contin%e

with the pregnancy. Work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re and

maternityGchildcare iss%es - < literat%re re/iew C


42/56

crisis pregnancy* as if they work in s%ch an en/ironment* they

may not /iew 7eible working arrangements as real or /iable

sol%tions to combining a career traectory and a family. 3.&

>oncl%sions The research s%ggests that the c%lt%re and ethos of a

workplace* i.e. if it is felt to be 7eible and accommodating* can

ha/e signi$cantly bene$cial e8ects on workers happiness and

health. Workplace c%lt%re will a8ect those facing a crisis

pregnancy in a n%mber of ways. The paths to potential career

progression will be clearly mapped o%t* and if these ro%tes are

seen as incompatible with childcare responsibilities and needs* itmay a8ect the decision to contin%e with the pregnancy* or the

decision to remain in employment if the pregnancy is contin%ed

with. "e/els of s%pport for working parents in the workplace* for

eample the a/ailability of 7eible working policies and the

pro/ision of direct or indirect childcare facilitiesGs%pports* may be

determining factors for those facing a crisis pregnancy. 4/idence

of a long-ho%rs c%lt%re in n )reland and other ind%strialised

economies is widespread in the literat%re. The press%re to be

present for longer than contracted ho%rs is partic%larly felt by

those with caring responsibilities. This is what 9itpatrick calls the

sandwich generation* meaning people !partic%larly women# who

ha/e sim%ltaneo%s care responsibilities for children and for older

people !2((:; 22#. These d%al caring responsibilities were also

reported by the respondents in the st%dy by >o/eney* M%rphy-

"awless and Jheridan !1&&D#. 0%ssell et al. also eamined the

diPc%lties women eperienced in negotiating the epectations of

the long-ho%rs c%lt%re with their caring responsibilities. Ane

@2


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respondent reported the scr%tiny she recei/ed for lea/ing work on

time to look after her child; ,J%ddenly ) was lea/ing at :.(( and

e/erybody else is t%rning aro%nd and staringQ my whole career

plan was o%t of the window. ) was not taken serio%sly once ) had

my children !2((2; :1#. >learly* when workers m%st str%ggle to

%stify lea/ing on time* there is a need for change in the

longho%rs c%lt%re of c%rrent workplaces. )f those facing a crisis

pregnancy percei/e that they C


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feel that they are a realisable option for them if they want to keep

their child. Workplace c%lt%re is th%s the key to %nderstanding

workplace beha/io%r* partic%larly in accessing 7eible working

schemes. "egislation and formal policy alone are not eno%gh to

determine the s%ccessf%l implementation of work-life balance

policies in the workplace. )n this regard* it can be seen that

management personnel are cr%cial - they embody the ethos of

the workplace* and can be either instr%mental or %ns%pporti/e in

implementing and promoting work-life balance. 4/idence from the

literat%re s%ggests that they m%st be trained and s%pported inorder to e8ecti/ely implement* promote and assess work-life

balance policies. Workplace c%lt%ral change will re=%ire s%stained*

committed e8ort from all stakeholders.


45/56

elderly relati/es* or for those engaged in ed%cation and training.

This le/el of interrelated compleity is partic%larly important to

point o%t in relation to crisis pregnancy iss%es* as those facing

s%ch a pregnancy may not ha/e tho%ght abo%t parenting before*

and may immediately look to the c%rrent sit%ation of working

parents in their workplace as a way to $g%re o%t their options. 9or

those facing a crisis pregnancy* the range of choices may not be

entirely clear* and there may be conf%sion* especially aro%nd the

option of adoption. The o%tcome of those choices may also not be

clear to an indi/id%al faced with the task of making them.>onf%sion o/er the best possible o%tcome on a personal le/el may

be a8ected by eternal factors* and the workplace may be a key

point of in7%ence. Cro/ision of worklife balance policies and a

workplace c%lt%re that s%pports parents may positi/ely in7%ence

the decision to contin%e with the pregnancy. )t may also in7%ence

any decisions abo%t whether parenting is compatible with

creating and s%staining work-life balance. The re/erse may also

be tr%e; if the workplace c%lt%re does not s%pport worklife

balance andGor working parents* those facing a crisis pregnancy

may feel it is impossible to contin%e with the pregnancy if they

ha/e a commitment to that partic%lar career or workplace. The

decision-making process* as in7%enced by workplace str%ct%res

and policies* is a topic that m%st be eplored f%rther in relation to

those facing a crisis pregnancy. What is clear from the literat%re is

that there is a consistent and increasing demand for change in

the workplace thro%gh the adoption of work-life balance as a

g%iding policy. This is beca%se iss%es of work-life balance are as

@:


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rele/ant to working parents as to men and women who do not

ha/e children.


47/56

who do not ha/e children on both 7eible working arrangements

and childcare policies. Ab/io%sly* the $rst stage in the research

process wo%ld be the e8ect of work-life balance policies on

parents. Iowe/er* those that do not c%rrently ha/e children are

potential f%t%re parents* and their decisions regarding whether or

not to ha/e children may be in7%enced by their c%rrent

workplace. Their attit%des may also re/eal information as to what

they wo%ld do if faced with a crisis pregnancy* and if their

decision wo%ld be in7%enced at all by their workplace. )t wo%ld

also be /al%able to know whether or not* and the etent to which*they a/ail of 7eible working arrangements* as well as for what

p%rposes* as this wo%ld indicate f%t%re trends in s%pport - or

nons%pport - of 7eible working practices.


48/56

a crisis pregnancy sit%ation. Iowe/er* these hypotheses abo%t

the workplace ha/e yet to be established in detail thro%gh

research. 9ine-5a/is et al.s !2((@# st%dy on )reland* 9rance*

5enmark and )taly highlights some important areas for f%rther

research. The a%thors identify the need for more information so as

to gain greater %nderstanding of the press%res facing working

parents as well as to help inform de/eloping social policy* both at

the workplace and at go/ernmental le/el !9ine-5a/is et al. 2((@;

22(-221#. The $ndings highlighted the following iss%es; there

needs to be promotion of e=%itable work-life balance policies thatnot only bene$t the indi/id%al b%t also the collecti/eK women

need to be relie/ed of the do%ble b%rden of work and family

responsibilitiesK men need to be enco%raged and s%pported to

take a more acti/e role in family and domestic lifeK employers are

responding with partial* b%t not s%Pcient* workplace 7eibilityK

indi/id%al co%ntries are responding with /arying le/els of social

s%pport for workers with families.


49/56

why this trend is so pre/alent. J%ggested reasons for this are the

gendered wage di8erentials* which see men earn more than

women* or the gendered market segregation that sees women

a/ail of 7eible working more easily than men beca%se their obs

are seen as more s%itable to these arrangements.


50/56

s%ccessf%l in achie/ing high response rates than one-on-one

inter/iews or telephone s%r/eys. hildminding)reland s%r/ey !2((@# of its members was an interesting insight

into pri/ate childminders eperience of interactions with the

formal childcare and health and safety systems. The intention of

this s%r/ey was to e/al%ate the relationship between the

childminders and the state system. )ts limited scope was a missed

opport%nity to analyse their /iews on other facets of their ob*

s%ch as their income* their le/els of training* their ro%tines* and

their s%ggestions for impro/ements in the childcare system. )t

m%st be noted* howe/er* that >hildminding )reland is

representati/e only of those childminders who are registered and

members of their organisation* and th%s they cannot in/estigate

those that operate solely in the informal economy. Jimilarly* other

st%dies* in their p%blished data* re/eal little if any disaggregated

statistics that wo%ld allow more in-depth knowledge of the

research sample. 9or Work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re and

maternityGchildcare iss%es - < literat%re re/iew Centre for

:(


51/56

Cartnership and Cerformance !2((@# re/eal responses from

employees and employers* b%t f%rther breakdowns of the data

wo%ld ha/e re/ealed m%ch more. 5i8erentiated categories s%ch

as age* gender* occ%pational class or socio-economic stat%s

wo%ld gi/e more precise information that co%ld be %sed in

secondary data analyses* or to follow %p for f%rther st%dies.

"iterat%re eamining work-life balance* workplace c%lt%re and

maternity and childcare iss%es is generally descripti/e in nat%re*

i.e. eplaining the incidence and take-%p of 7eible working and

childcare arrangements. A+ee8e !2((@# pointed o%t that atheoretical model linking attit%des and intentions with beha/io%r

and o%tcomes is needed to %nderstand crisis pregnancy. Jimilarly*

it is necessary to make theoretical links between the three

thematic areas of this literat%re re/iew in order to %nderstand

what is c%rrently happening in )rish workplaces. J%ch an approach

wo%ld attempt to connect attit%des and act%al beha/io%rs* which

are not always considered within the same st%dy. 4/en when they

are considered* there is little attempt to correlate them or to draw

a direct analysis. )f this were done* it wo%ld pro/ide fr%itf%l

information on the reality of the workplace* rather than an %nclear

statement of peoples attit%des on the one hand and their

beha/io%rs on the other. )t wo%ld allow for a proper assessment of

changes made in organisations in any of these areas. :.2

0ecommendations for policy makers :.2.1 Work-life balance policy

recommendations Both national and international literat%re on the

implementation of work-life balance policies recommends that; L

policies be implemented as a res%lt of a cons%ltation process

:1


52/56

between employers and employees* and that comm%nication is

prioritised thro%gho%t the process !9or%m on the Workplace of the

9%t%re 2((:* )B4> 2((2# L 7eible working arrangements be

piloted on a small scale before they are implemented on a larger

scale !?>CC 2((3a* )B4> 2((2# L proposed changes in working

arrangements be considered by representati/es from all grades of

sta8 in the organisation !9or%m on the Workplace of the 9%t%re

2((:# L action on possible sol%tions is taken rather than f%rther

policy initiati/es that are not implemented !9itpatrick 2((:# L

practical* tailored ad/ice on work-life balance polices and 7eibleworking initiati/es be pro/ided to meet the needs of indi/id%al

enterprises !)B4>* website

www.ibec.ieGibecGibecdoclib3.nsfG(G:343


53/56

performance and workplace inno/ation !9or%m on the Workplace

of the 9%t%re 2((:; '@# L partnership-style approaches be

adopted* both in the p%blic and pri/ate sector* in order to achie/e

more positi/e workplace relations in all organisations - incl%ding

employee $nancial in/ol/ement !?>CC 2((3b# L 7eible working

policies sho%ld be promoted in a way that ens%res that those who

a/ail of them are not ad/ersely a8ected in their career paths

!9ine-5a/is et al. 2((@* B%nting 2((@#. The 9amilies and Work

)nstit%te carried o%t research on the area of work-life balance and

concl%ded that the key to change lies in the workplace c%lt%re!9itpatrick 2((:; 26#. They o%tlined a fo%r-stage process for

implementing change that in/ol/ed a step-by-step process

c%lminating in a radical reorganisation of work. The following are

the fo%r stages o%tlined; Jtage 1; Nrass roots - address childcare

and womens iss%es in the workplace. Jtage 2; I%man reso%rces -

address recr%itment and retention of employees. Jtage 3; >%lt%re

change - emphasise that work-life balance in/ol/es all indi/id%als

in the workplace and re=%ires inp%t from all gro%ps. Jtage @; Work

redesign - reorganise work in s%ch a way as to meet both

organisation and employee goals. This staggered process is a

helpf%l ill%stration of how change may be achie/ed if the

emphasis is on changing the entire workplace c%lt%re* and not

%st abo%t changing the employment practices of select

indi/id%als. 5%b%ry* Iiggens and >oghill !2((2* in Work-life

Balance ?etwork* 2((@# recommend the following policies and

practical initiati/es to impro/e work-life balance thro%gh changing

workplace c%lt%re; L awareness training for managers L

:3


54/56

organisational s%pport of work-life balance L childcare pro/ision L

policy-le/el impro/ements s%ch as increased bene$ts* 7eibility

and lea/e* s%pport of family commitments and a red%ction in

working ho%rs. These proposed changes wo%ld alter the str%ct%re

of the organisation to make it more open to 7eibility and change.

This* in t%rn* wo%ld ha/e bene$ts for changing the workplace

c%lt%re. :.2.3 >hildcareGmaternity policy recommendations L

4nhanced meas%res are needed to s%pport women re-entering

the workplace after childbirth* incl%ding etended and s%stained

f%nding of networking* coaching and mentoring schemes !9or%mon the Workplace of the 9%t%re 2((:# Work-life balance*

workplace c%lt%re and maternityGchildcare iss%es - < literat%re

re/iew Childcare 1&& L childminders

sho%ld be allowed to a/ail of p%blic s%bsidies in ret%rn for

reg%lation of the ind%stry thro%gh =%ality controls of their ser/ices

!A4>5 2((3# L child allowance bene$t payments andGor f%t%re

increases in this payment co%ld be linked - at least in part - to

%sing childcare facilitiesGser/ices !A4>5 2((3# L if greater =%ality

controls were p%t in place* s%bsidies for childcare facilities co%ld

be linked to the =%ality of the ser/ice* which wo%ld pro/ide

incenti/es to pro/iders to achie/e national standards of care and

:@


55/56

maintain =%ality !A4>5 2((3#. An a practical le/el* international

literat%re demonstrates possible strategies to be adopted in

)reland. 9or eample* in Jcotland new childcare initiati/es incl%de

the introd%ction of a >hildcare Ta >redit* the setting %p of

>hildcare Cartnerships in all local a%thority areas and the la%nch

of a free-phone national helpline in e/ery local a%thority area to

gi/e parents childcare information and link them to ser/ices

!ackson in >hildminding )reland 2((@a; D#. The participants in the

st%dy by >o/eney et al. !1&&D# o%tlined their needs in relation to

childcare* which can be seen as recommendations for f%t%repolicy as they stated that these did not eist for them; L access to

safe* sec%re childcare that is of high =%ality and that stim%lates

and engages children* so that the childs de/elopment is being

aided L a8ordable s%bsidised childcare facilities* which are

located either close to where they li/e or are workplace facilities L

7eible childcare arrangements for children of e/ery age* th%s

eliminating competing timetables of childcare and employment

and ens%ring that children do not face a daily s%ccession of

minders L locally accessibly after-school care for children of

school-going age L where there are comm%nity facilities* there

sho%ld be o8ers of places for children that are non-discretionary*

with membership of management committees open to the local

comm%nity L ass%rance that their children are content with the

childcare en/ironment so that parents can feel content abo%t

lea/ing them there L childcare arrangements that do not inc%r

great family obligations

::


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