The idea of work-life harmony

The origins of the idea of work-life balance

In 1908, in the United States, a factory in New York was the first to introduce a five-day work week with Saturday and Sunday off. Between 1920 and 1930, companies in various countries began to experiment with the five-day workweek. In Poland, however, it was not until the 1960s and 1970s that Saturday began to be treated as a day off. At the same time, i.e. at the beginning of the 20th century, the discussion on shortened working hours began. In 1914, Henry Ford was the first to introduce an eight-hour workday in his factory, which became a watershed moment. Governments began to introduce laws regulating working hours, which helped improve work-life balance. In the 1980s and 1990s, as the pace of life and work began to accelerate with technological advances, a discussion began about how to find a work-life balance. It was noticed that employees who spent most of their time at work were far less productive and creative. This is when the concept of work-life balance first emerged, and companies began to introduce policies to improve this balance, such as flexible work hours[1].

How do we strike a balance in Poland?

A study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)[2] shows that Poles are among the busiest of 35 countries. On average, we work 1,928 hours a year. Instead, a recent report by the Polish Economic Institute (pl. Polski Instytut Ekonomiczny, PIE) [3] shows that Poles are the second busiest nation in the European Union, working three hours more per week than the EU average. In response to these alarming reports, an amendment to the Labor Code[4], which implemented the work-life balance directive, went into effect on April 26, 2023. The changes that took place in the labor law include reconciliation of work and family responsibilities and transparent and predictable working conditions. Thus, employed persons have gained additional rights in terms of:

• Care leave: unpaid, of 5 days per calendar year, granted to provide personal care or support to a person who is a member of the employee's family or resides in the same household,
• Leave of absence due to force majeure - 2 days or 16 hours per calendar year, for urgent family matters caused by illness or accident; the employee retains the right to half his/her salary,
• Exclusive parental leave - each parent of a child is entitled to an exclusive right to 9 weeks of parental leave. This part of the leave cannot be transferred to the child's other parent, but the parents may take parental leave together.
• Protection against termination of employment - the employer may not terminate or dissolve the employment relationship from the date of the employee's application for leave: maternity, paternity, parental, guardianship leave - until the date of termination of this leave.
• Paternity leave - employees may take paternity leave until the child is 12 months old (currently - 24 months).
• Overtime work - extending from 4 to 8 the age of a child whose parent cannot be employed overtime, at night or posted outside the permanent workplace without their consent.

This is a really big step towards taking care of the mental as well as physical health of workers in Poland. However, nowadays you also often hear about the concept of work-life harmony. Is it right that some people use these terms interchangeably?

What is work-life balance?

By definition, work-life balance means clearly separating work from leisure time and consistently ensuring that the former does not dominate the latter. So how should this look in practice? An employee should skillfully set boundaries and be assertive at work. The state of the mentioned balance can very easily be disturbed, for example, by not knowing how to organize one's time at work or escaping into work from problems in private life. Even if we really like our work, the lack of balance translates directly into the quality of work and our commitment, and thus can lead to professional burnout[5].

What distinguishes the concept of work-life harmony?

The change is primarily ... in the mindset. According to the concept of work-life harmony, the private and professional spheres should coexist harmoniously and complement each other; it is not about a clear division of time between work and rest, but about maintaining integrity and coherence to be in harmony with oneself. Work-life harmony is a more holistic approach that integrates work and personal life. It recognizes that the two aspects cannot always be separated and that there will be times when they overlap. So, work-life harmony puts work-life balance in an uncomfortable position, because it emphasizes that while the idea in itself is not bad and has changed a lot in our reality, it can breed some stress and anxiety in employees, in case of failure to maintain a clear boundary between work and personal life. So, by definition, work-life harmony means finding a balance between professional and personal demands, leading to the satisfaction of both spheres of life. This means not only successfully completing professional tasks, but also taking care of personal development, relationships with loved ones and mental health.

Is work-life balance and work-life harmony a myth?

We all may have experienced the imbalance between personal and work - during the Covid pandemic. For many people, this new reality was so difficult that they began their therapy journey in this way. A Human Power report published in 2021[6] found that nearly 80% of respondents experienced panic attacks after nearly a year of the pandemic. Seven in ten respondents felt more stress compared to before the pandemic. 70% of respondents had turned to stimulants, and one in five had thought about changing jobs due to emotional overload. The conclusion, therefore, is one - we cannot underestimate the fact that overload at work affects our mental and physical health. Discussions undertaken on the topic of work-life balance or work-life harmony originated precisely from the need to make some changes in working life, the effects of which benefit both employees and employers.

What do we gain from the changes?

• Better well-being and health - less stress and psychosomatic symptoms, more time for physical activity,
• Greater productivity - the more rested we are, the more energy we have for action, and we are able to complete more tasks in less time, while remaining motivated, focused and creative,
• Positive employer image and employee loyalty - according to Deloitte's Well-Being at Work Survey,[7] more than 90% of people believe that a manager should be at least partially responsible for the well-being of employees, and more than one in three people surveyed would seriously consider changing jobs to one that would better affect their well-being.

The future: a 4-day workweek?

With the growing interest in wellbeing at work, the discussion of a shortened work week has also increased. How to test in a measurable and factual way whether such a change means only positives? Researchers from the University of Cambridge and Boston College in the US undertook this task. The experiment ran from June 2022 for six months in the UK and involved 61 organizations, employing a total of 2,900 people. These included companies from industries such as e-commerce, financial services, consulting, real estate, IT, HR, hospitality, marketing, beauty industry, healthcare, movies and even a local fishmonger. It was decided to cut working hours by 20%, while maintaining current salaries. The researchers surveyed employees throughout the experiment to monitor the impact of the extra day off on their quality of life on an ongoing basis. In addition, the study authors conducted in-depth interviews with employees and company managers.

Some companies have introduced a three-day weekend, halting work altogether, while others have structured schedules so as to ensure continuity of work through the traditional workweek. The result? 39% announced that they felt less stressed, and as many as 71% said they felt less job burnout. The researchers also noted a reduction in sick days (65%), and there was a 57% decrease in the number of employees quitting their jobs for another company. Finally, what was the financial situation of the companies? After the aforementioned 6-month period, the companies' revenues did not decrease, and in fact increased slightly - by 1.4% on average. Of the 61 companies participating in the UK pilot program, as many as 56 (representing 92%) said they plan to maintain the four-day work week. Of these, 18 companies intend to make the change permanent.

Did the above experiment prove that such a change would have an impact on employees' work-life harmony? 60% of respondents noted that they had more space to take care of their children and other family members, and 62% said it was easier for them to participate in social life. They also observed a significant decrease in anxiety and fatigue levels, while mental and physical health improved. Through the aforementioned interviews, the researchers learned how employees used their extra free time. Most responded that they carved out this time for better “life management,” which included shopping and doing household chores in a more relaxed way, as well as engaging in recreational activities that previously lacked time. Those who are parents, meanwhile, stressed that the new daily routine has enabled them to save on childcare expenses. In turn, all of the respondents admitted that the changes gave them time for more activities they enjoy, such as: sports, cooking, making music and volunteering. Some returned to their old hobbies, others found new ones, and still others used the time to improve their professional skills[8].

Harmony and balance - the necessary changes

The example of a British experiment with a four-day work week shows that striving for a better work-life balance is possible and benefits both employees and employers. The results of the study are promising: increased productivity, improved well-being and even a positive impact on companies' finances. Although implementing such a work model may require courage and organizational changes, the positive results it brings are undeniable.

In Poland, where work culture is firmly entrenched and work overload is still a problem, it is worth considering implementing similar initiatives. The amendment to the Labor Code in 2023 was a step in the right direction, but the introduction of solutions such as a shortened workweek can bring even greater benefits. Changing the approach to work, incorporating the ideas mentioned above, can become the key to a better quality of life and greater job satisfaction. And new work models can bring positive changes for both parties.

Sources:

[1] Work-life balance, Gov.pl, 2019.

[2] OECD Employment Outlook, 2022.

[3] “Ponad 60 proc. pracodawców uważa, że elastyczne formy zatrudnienia zwiększają produktywność pracowników”, Polski Instytut Ekonomiczny, 2024.

[4] Kodeks pracy, 2023.

[5] “Co to jest work-life balance i jak go osiągnąć?”, Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych, 2022.

[6] Raport Human Power “Stres odporni”, 2021.

[7] Raport Deloitte “WellBeing at Work Survey”, 2023. [8] “New results” world’s largest trial four day working week”, University of Cambridge, 2023.