S Jha S Mishra WLB Paper
Best Practices in Implementing Work-Life Balance Programs
Srirang Jha
Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi
E-mail: sjha.asm@gmail.com
Swarn Kant Mishra
Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida
E-mail: mishra.swarnkant@gmail.com
Abstract
Work-life balance programs are important for contemporary organizations not only for ensuring long-term wellbeing and good health of the employees but also to attain long-term competitiveness. There have been a number of researches establishing relationship between work-life balance and organizational effectiveness. However, not many researchers have attempted to capture or review best practices in implementing work-life balance programs. This paper is a humble essay to explore if there are indeed any best practices in implementing work-life balance –a catchphrase which most of the companies love to swear by –and whether a holistic model for efficient work-life balance program can evolve from what the companies at the top are following on the ground. The authors have also tried to present a critique of gaps in current work-life balance programs. The paper raises more questions than it answers and thus provides enough fodder for the intellectual investigation on the theme.
Keywords: Work-life balance, Best Practices, Organizational Excellence
Introduction
Work-life balance programs have attracted the attention of corporate leaders in recent times thanks to significance of such initiatives in augmenting organizational performance.
The organizations across the globe are trying to remain competitive by pampering their employees who in turn are increasingly finding it difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle and cope with the overwhelming demands of work and home. No wonder, work-life balance programs offer a win-win scenario for both the employers and the employees. A comprehensive work-life program is likely to strengthen employee value proposition enabling the executives to stretch themselves out of their own
Srirang Jha
Apeejay School of Management, New Delhi
E-mail: sjha.asm@gmail.com
Swarn Kant Mishra
Footwear Design & Development Institute, Noida
E-mail: mishra.swarnkant@gmail.com
Abstract
Work-life balance programs are important for contemporary organizations not only for ensuring long-term wellbeing and good health of the employees but also to attain long-term competitiveness. There have been a number of researches establishing relationship between work-life balance and organizational effectiveness. However, not many researchers have attempted to capture or review best practices in implementing work-life balance programs. This paper is a humble essay to explore if there are indeed any best practices in implementing work-life balance –a catchphrase which most of the companies love to swear by –and whether a holistic model for efficient work-life balance program can evolve from what the companies at the top are following on the ground. The authors have also tried to present a critique of gaps in current work-life balance programs. The paper raises more questions than it answers and thus provides enough fodder for the intellectual investigation on the theme.
Keywords: Work-life balance, Best Practices, Organizational Excellence
Introduction
Work-life balance programs have attracted the attention of corporate leaders in recent times thanks to significance of such initiatives in augmenting organizational performance.
The organizations across the globe are trying to remain competitive by pampering their employees who in turn are increasingly finding it difficult to maintain a healthy and balanced lifestyle and cope with the overwhelming demands of work and home. No wonder, work-life balance programs offer a win-win scenario for both the employers and the employees. A comprehensive work-life program is likely to strengthen employee value proposition enabling the executives to stretch themselves out of their own