The New(er) Balance Between Work and Life

Several years ago – during the good old days before Covid – I was speaking with an HR executive at a large insurance company. She was about to meet with the CEO to propose a revolutionary change for employee schedules. 

Her company was massive, and with that massive footprint came an equally massive price tag for the firm’s office space. Tasked with figuring out a solution to this high-cost real estate dilemma, the HR executive came up with a creative proposal that didn’t involve layoffs, off-shoring, or relocations to lower-cost domestic markets. 

Like most American companies, employees were expected to work 40 hours per week, over the course of five 8-hour days. And to nobody’s surprise, employees worked well over 40 hours per week. Between arriving early or staying late, answering emails first thing while brushing their teeth, or finishing reports with the Tonight Show on in the background – the reality for most employees was closer to 12-hour days. The more accurate description of this model was work-life imbalance.

So, she came up with the following: the company would be open during traditional business hours, five days per week. Employees, however, were expected to work three 12-hour days and one of the days had to be Tuesday or Wednesday (to allow for large on-site meetings). This way, the company could move to a flex working space model, thus saving real estate costs, while employees would be less likely to experience burnout, thus improving productivity.

Her thinking was spot on, if not ahead of its time. In 2018, we conducted a strategic study with The Mix, a market research agency based in London, who opted to shift its company schedule to a 4-day workweek. What happened? Turnover improved by 57%, their client list doubled, and employee sick days decreased by 75%.

It’s no secret that during the previous year – where we answered Zoom calls with pajama bottoms but professional tops, kids swung around like a new zoo species in the background, or a symphony of barking dogs and meowing cats interrupted presentations – the concept of “work-life balance” was closely re-examined.

A recent Wall Street Journal piece analyzed pandemic trends and found migratory shifts to lower-cost markets, a broader acceptance of telework policies, and even accelerated retirement. People, by and large, are taking the opportunity from this disruption to reorient their professional paths and truly find a balance between work and life.

Covid is a global tragedy, and it’s difficult to find bright spots through the darkness. But let’s be honest, Covid didn’t cause employees working 12-hour days to suddenly discover the concept of work-life balance. Covid was an event that served as a catalyst for organizations to re-evaluate management practice that has seemingly changed little since the 18th century. Employees have been seeking and needing this reform for a long time.

So, while we adjust to this new normal, now is a good time to practice active inquiry: What are some other areas, like work-life balance, that might not have been disrupted by the pandemic but that are equally in need of positive change? Let’s be proactive and not wait until the next disruptive event.