Work-Life Balance
Work-life balance essay
Work-life balance is an important and complex issue in today’s society. This essay will firstly outline the changing nature of the working environment in regards to the changing roles of women. It will then define work-life balance, specifically in relation to women in the workforce. Furthermore, it will assess what businesses are doing about work-life balance and argue that current policies and practices that are in place, such as flexible working hours, are not entirely effective. It will then go on to critically analyse various legislation, government policies and incentives, identifying major flaws within this legislation. It will further examine the presence of unions and acknowledge both the solutions and limitations of various businesses in achieving a sustainable work-life balance for working women.
Work-life balance can be defined as “The relation between work–family balance and quality of life” (Greenhaus, Collins & Shaw, 2003). The major flaw within this definition is that people have differing perspectives on what constitutes a work-family balance in order to achieve quality of life. According to the department of education and employment (2000) work-life balance isn’t just about women juggling a home and family, but also adjusting working patterns so that everyone, regardless of race, age or gender, can find a rhythm that enables them more easily to combine work with their other responsibilities or aspirations.
Changing gender roles have had a huge impact on women’s ability to participate in the formalised labour market. As stated by Australian bureau of statistics, 2008, a range of cultural and economic shifts in recent decades has seen a dramatic increase in the proportion of women participating in the labour force. According to Smith (1995), this has been caused as a result of improved access to a wider range of education, the increase availability of suitable jobs, and improved access to training and
Work-life balance is an important and complex issue in today’s society. This essay will firstly outline the changing nature of the working environment in regards to the changing roles of women. It will then define work-life balance, specifically in relation to women in the workforce. Furthermore, it will assess what businesses are doing about work-life balance and argue that current policies and practices that are in place, such as flexible working hours, are not entirely effective. It will then go on to critically analyse various legislation, government policies and incentives, identifying major flaws within this legislation. It will further examine the presence of unions and acknowledge both the solutions and limitations of various businesses in achieving a sustainable work-life balance for working women.
Work-life balance can be defined as “The relation between work–family balance and quality of life” (Greenhaus, Collins & Shaw, 2003). The major flaw within this definition is that people have differing perspectives on what constitutes a work-family balance in order to achieve quality of life. According to the department of education and employment (2000) work-life balance isn’t just about women juggling a home and family, but also adjusting working patterns so that everyone, regardless of race, age or gender, can find a rhythm that enables them more easily to combine work with their other responsibilities or aspirations.
Changing gender roles have had a huge impact on women’s ability to participate in the formalised labour market. As stated by Australian bureau of statistics, 2008, a range of cultural and economic shifts in recent decades has seen a dramatic increase in the proportion of women participating in the labour force. According to Smith (1995), this has been caused as a result of improved access to a wider range of education, the increase availability of suitable jobs, and improved access to training and
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