Over the last week there has been much talk in the recruitment blogging community of work life balance, and what the reality actually is.
Ever one to have an idea, Bill Boorman, started the whole thing off with a video he posted on You Tube, aptly titled 'The work life balance'. in which he believes there are four areas of balance that are needed in todays busy and hectic lives; Work; Life; Life/Work; Me time. When you listen to it, he will confuse you by inverting work and life, but he has raised an interesting point around a hugely important subject.If you spoke to my wife (feel free to do so on Twitter -@saraheadworth - by the way!), then she would tell you that my work - life balance is firmly entrenched on the work side! My Blackberry is always at my side, and while I do try to manage my time, it has become part of everyday life.
This means that my 'work brain' is very rarely turned off (much to the disgust of Sara!), and that I am continually considering something to do with work, both consciously and subconsciously. (Yes I know this isn't overly healthy!)
Now you may call this a little sad, especially if you are in a 9-5 job (do they actually exist anymore?) and go home at night, completely detached from work. But, the difference is that I run my own business - my business, by default, then becomes my life. If you then factor in the fact that I really enjoy what I do, then it really doesn't bode well for a solid demarcation line between work and play, does it?
The crux for me is that I enjoy what I do, and for me the social aspect of the web that has 'exploded' over the last couple of years has really added to this. Just in case you think I am a complete addict, I do know where the 'OFF' button is on my Blackberry - I just don't use it often enough!!
I was recently sent some information regarding a forum of 10 HR experts entitled Raging Debates in HR, and some key HR conversations they discussed between them. While reading through it, the subject of 'weisure' was covered by these HR guru's. It makes interesting reading, so I thought I would share some of the responses with you. The question they were asked was:
Is "weisure" good for business or do we need to maintain boundaries between work and leisure?
Peter Capelli: I think the idea that we have a new generation of workers that doesn’t care about boundaries between work and life outside of work is wrong. It is probably true that many younger workers are willing to have most of their life absorbed by interesting career opportunities, especially when they are living in a new location and have no other ties there. That’s not particularly new. Once people grow a little older, acquire families and other non-work interests and responsibilities, the intrusion of work into those spaces is an annoyance at best.
David Creelman: Too late. Weisure is here. Personally I interweave business and pleasure—was that trip to Paris really just to maximize my net present value? But each individual has to find their own way of being.
Kris Dunn (Founder of Fistful of Talent): Unless you are an hourly worker in America, boundaries between work and leisure are dead. Work bleeds into life, and life bleeds into work. People have the smart phone, aka the "digital leash". Work will never be the same. It's already gone.
Richard Hadden: I don’t know if “weisure” is necessarily good for business or not, but I am reasonably convinced that it’s a part of life as we know it in the first decade of the 21st century. If a “weisure” lifestyle is here to stay, there should be limits within which both the employee and the employer should work. It takes organization, skill, discipline, and a measure of assertion, but I believe that the purposes of work and of leisure can be met simultaneously.
Lance Haun: I've fortunately never heard of this term but I don't think it is bad for business. Now it might be bad for the employee but a good employer should recognize the boundary issues and seek to define it for people that have trouble with the concept.
Sharlyn Lauby (President of ITM Group): I’m cool with the idea of weisure. Hate the name…maybe we can call it something else? Reminds me of the band Weezer. Businesses need to deal with work time, productivity and results in the high tech world.
And the last word goes to the lady of Punk Rock HR blog fame……
Laurie Ruettimann: Weisure is an offensive term. Boundaries are healthy and important to maintain. I'm more than just an extension of the company's brand. So are you. Take the day off.
So what do you think? Do you have set rules in place? Do you let you iPhone or Blackberry govern your social activities?
Ultimately Laurie is quite right when she tells us to 'take the day off', and it is a sentiment that my wife would definately echo, but come-on, it doesn't happen anymore does it?
