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SINGAPORE : According to a recent survey by Watson Wyatt, employees who are able to strike a good work-life balance are twice more likely to stay in the job than those who are not.
They are also more likely to recommend their company to others as a good place to work.
Work and recreation may often seem like competing priorities, but at PricewaterhouseCoopers, work-life balance, in its various forms, is considered a strategic priority.
The accounting giant recognises that is one way to retain Gen-Y employees, who are looking for fulfilment and not just good compensation. And it is not just the rank and file who need to have balanced lifestyles.
Deborah Ong, Staff Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers, said, "The tone at the top is very important, so our partners have to be able to lead by example and show that they have a variety of interests as well. So, we do have partners who are very passionate about marathons, about being involved in the Ironman, and they have been able to take time away to pursue these interests."
PricewaterhouseCoopers said individuals who pursue their interests tend to be more energised employees.
However, while firms may be willing to help facilitate the balance, much depends on the individual's ability to manage time.
Ms Ong said, "I think the key to work-life balance is what we call flexible time. A lot of the time management...depends on the individual. So we actually encourage the individuals to firstly define what does work-life balance mean to them, so that they can manage their time according to their objectives."
Experts said it is important to recognise that work-life balance means different things to different people.
For some, it means more time with the family, but for others it can mean pursuing their interests or a sport.
Ms Ong said, "For example, the younger ones would love to have parties after office hours because they like to go to the clubs starting at eight, ten. And when we start our functions at seven, they come at eight and they all want to party until midnight.
"Whereas for the older staff who have families, they guard their time after work very closely, so what we do for them is that we then arrange lunch time talks, so the timing is important."
Companies have also found that younger employees prefer to work in organisations which contribute to the community and, more recently, which emphasise caring for the environment. - CNA/ms
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