It is evident that like all things, advancement in technology also has its pros and cons. With time and technological advancements, employees all around the world become easily accessible even after work hours. Due to this, it has become very difficult for employees as well as their organisations to differentiate between work and life outside work, especially as the ‘work from home’ concept gains popularity due to the pandemic.

For some employees work begins even before they reach their workplace. They do not even get the opportunity to start the day they want to. Checking messages and making calls first thing in the morning can be very stressful. Some do not get to spend enough time with their children and family, due to the exhausiting demands of their jobs. For some, vacation isn’t really time off.

Work to live, not live to work

It is important for both the parties, the employees and their organisations to understand the ‘work to live, not live to work’ ideology. As an individual, the employee must not let their work define them. There are various other aspects of life that are equally important. It is crucial to maintain a balance and not overlook the other aspects even if work provides them with recognition, power, status or money.

Otherwise, one day, if they were to lose their jobs due to unforeseeable circumstances (the pandemic for example) or even retire, they wouldn’t be left with anything substantial like human connections, hobbies or personal interests. To conclude, an individual shouldn’t be dependant on their jobs to the extent that they feel lost if they were to lose it, no matter how passionate they are about their work. Balance is very important.

Nowadays, it is very easy to get lost in the race of establishing oneself and earning more. Due to this, one never realises that they reached their initial goal years ago. It is human nature to always want more. However, it is important to be grounded and introspect from time to time so it doesn’t become a never-ending process.

As an organisation, it is equally important to respect their employees’ boundaries and preach and implement a healthy work-life balance. Although technology makes it very easy to reach people, it is important to use it professionally and set some boundaries. This will also benefit the organisation in the long run as employees who are not overburdened and overwhelmed with work and have a good work-life balance with frequent days off or vacations in the year, tend to be more creative and energetic and more importantly, feel cared for.

Therefore, it will not only increase the performance and productivity of the employees of the organisation but also help it retain its employees.

It is extremely important for an employee to be well-rested, have a good social life outside work to give their 100% at work. Studies show that overwhelmed and overworked employees are less productive and creative. Fatigue might result in low morale and zeal and takes a toll on the mental and physical health of the employees of the organisation which would lead to high employee turnover rates.

An organisation should promote healthy work life balance and days off for their employees so the employees feel like an integral and valuable part/asset of the organisation. This would boost the organisational citizenship behaviour of its employees which would ultimately help the organisation retain its employees.