Over the years, we as a society have shifted in our expectations of work. Back in the 1950s, working a 40-hour week with only one spouse (usually the man) employed was the typical family work life. Over the years, with the booming economy of the 1980s, there became a greater expectation of material needs. Society began to expect workers to go beyond the 40-hour workweek to compete. In addition, dual income families became the norm.
Since the new millennium, there has been another shift. More and more families are trying to still compete in the workforce but also find ways to balance that with more family time. Luckily, smart companies are finding ways to accommodate this shift. With work-at-home businesses, telecommuting, flex schedules and onsite daycare or exercise facilities, the ability to adjust your work to balance with your lifestyle is changing.
If you feel that your life is out of balance, you are not alone. This can be particularly true for families with young children, but even childless couples and singles are feeling the pinch as well. How do we come up with a balanced work-life formula?
The first place to look at is your current job and company. Do they have any programs to help? If not, you still may be able to negotiate a special arrangement. Usually that is the best avenue to follow first, before you start looking to switch companies. Often coming up with a reasonable plan and presenting it to the proper individual at your current employer is enough to get the ball rolling.
If you fail at this attempt and really want to find a better balance, the next option will often be to look at another company. Start with some of the “top companies to work for” lists. Working Mother publishes one each year and many individual states offer the best companies to work for as well. The key will be to find a place that already has programs in place to help their workers better balance their work and life.
Related Articles:
*How to Squeeze in Quality Family Time
*Some People Are Trading Down in Order to Spend More Time With Family
*Working from Home vs Working at Home