BAHSHE ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Friday 30th June 2006

“Life – Work Balance” Peter McBride

Life – Work Balance

•The Rationale

•Burnout

•Getting There…

Life – Work Balance

•The Rationale

•Work-life balance is about people having a measure of control over when, where and how they work, leading them to be able to enjoy an optimal quality of life.

•Work-life balance is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society.

Life – Work Balance

•The Rationale•Work-life balance business benefits include:

Increased productivity Improved recruitment and

retention Lower rates of absenteeism Reduced overheads An improved customer

experience A more motivated, satisfied and

equitable workforce.

To put it in bottom line terms, employee costs are often at least 50 percent of a company’s expenditure, with replacement costing anything from £3,000 to £10,000 depending on seniority and level of technical skill.

Life – Work Balance

•The Rationale

•What Mitigates Against it?

•Increased work expectations

•Hours of work

•Work culture

•Impact of IT

•Decreased Life Supports

•Family break-ups

•Financial expectations

•Increased mobility

Life – Work Balance

•The consequences…

•Stress in the workplace (MIND 2006)

•Costs £100bn per annum in UK

•12.8 m lost working days

•58% of workers – job stress

•Reduced efficiency and productivity

•Social Impact

•Burnout…

Life – Work Balance

•Burnout

•Article in Scientific American June 2006

•The very attributes that allow a person to achieve success – may also cause them to burn – out.

•High levels of motivation and commitment

•High levels of enthusiasm

•Accepting of responsibility

•Focused and outcome driven

•Vocational – identification of self with work

Burn – Out – 12 steps

1. A compulsion to prove oneself

The beginning is often excessive ambition : their desire to prove themselves at work turns into grim determination and compulsion. They must show their colleagues – and above all themselves – that they are doing an excellent job in every way

Burn – Out – 12 steps

2. Working harder

To meet their high personal expectations, they take on more work and buckle down. They become obsessed with handling everything themselves, which in turn demonstrates their notions of “irreplaceability”.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

3. Neglecting their needs

Their schedules leave no time except for work, and they dismiss as unimportant other necessities such as sleeping, eating, and seeing friends and family. They tell themselves that these sacrifices are proof of heroic performance.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

4. Displacement of conflicts

They are aware that something is not right but cannot see the sources of their problems. To deal with the root causes of their distress might set off a crisis and is thus seen as threatening. Often the first physical symptoms emerge at this stage.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

5. Revision of values

Isolation, conflict avoidance and denial of basic physical needs change their perceptions. They revise their value systems, and once important things such as friends or hobbies are completely dismissed. Their only standard for evaluation of their self worth is their jobs. They become increasingly emotionally blunted.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

6. Denial of emerging problems

They develop intolerance, perceiving colleagues as stupid, lazy, demanding or undisciplined. Social contacts feel almost unbearable. Cynicism and aggression become more apparent. They view their increasing problems as caused by time pressure and the amount of work they have – not by the ways they have changed.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

7. Withdrawal

They reduce social contact to a minimum, becoming isolated and walled off. They feel increasingly that they are without hope or direction. They work obsessively “by the book” on the job. Many seek release through alcohol or drugs.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

8. Obvious behavioural changes

Others in their immediate social circles can no longer overlook their behavioural changes. The once lively and engaged victims of overwork have become fearful, shy and apathetic. Inwardly, they feel increasingly worthless.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

9. Depersonalization

They lose contact with themselves. They see neither themselves nor others as valuable and no longer perceive their own needs. Their perspective of time narrows to the present. Life becomes a series of mechanical functions.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

10. Inner emptiness

Their inner emptiness expands relentlessly. To overcome this feeling, they desperately seek activity. Overreactions such as exaggerated sexuality, overeating and drug or alcohol use emerge. Leisure time is dead time.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

11. Depression

In this phase, burnout syndrome corresponds to depression. The overwhelmed people become indifferent, hopeless, exhausted and believe the future holds nothing for them. Any of the symptoms of depression may be manifest, from agitation to apathy. Life loses meaning.

Burn – Out – 12 steps

12. Burnout syndrome

Almost all burnout victims now have suicidal thoughts to escape their situation. A few actually carry them out. Ultimately, they suffer total mental and physical collapse. Patients in this phase need immediate medical attention.

Life – Work Balance

•Getting There…

•Re-write the “Master-Plan”

•From perfection to pragmatism

•Budget Physical Resources

•Food

•Exercise

•Sleep

•Balance Tension and Relaxation

•Stress innoculating activities

•Choosing to relax

•Sharing the burden – get support