Work Life Integration: A Primer For Management Part I

Part I: What & Why

One of the hottest buzzwords of the past few years, work life integration means taking advantage of natural trends in the workplace and society in ways which benefit employees and employers.  It sounds great in theory, but the concept isn’t without controversy, as we’ll examine below.

What is Work Life Integration?

One of the earliest uses of the term comes from Forbes contributor Dan Schawbel, who describes work life integration as the contemporary lifestyle/workstyle of many modern workers, “where professionals have to blend what they do personally and professionally in order to make both work.“ This may mean taking home reports over holiday break, scheduling a Sunday conference call, or even taking a long lunch break to hit the gym, bringing your dog to the office, etc.

Why is it Relevant Now?

In “Work Life Integration: The New Norm,” Schwabel outlines three key factors that have created–and will continue to support– the melding of professional and personal spaces. First, he argues that the lines between family and career are blurred, citing statistics like the increasing number of women who balance career choices and family planning, the increasing use of social media during the work day, and the number of employees who use the same phone number for work and personal calls. Second, more workers feel the need to work–or at least stay connected–outside of business hours, by email or otherwise. Third, more people are working remotely, leading to a literal integration of work and private space. In the forward to “Work–Life Integration Case Studies of Organisational Change,” Suzan Lewis and Cary L Cooper offer broader historical and sociological context for the shift to work life integration:

Several broad and widespread demographic and economic factors have increased the salience of work and family. There are now more women in the workforce. There are more dual-earner families as well as more single-parent households. There has simultaneously been an intensification of work. More women and men are working longer hours and reporting greater demands in their workplaces. The downsized, restructured, outsourced, networked and allianced organisation now requires more from fewer employees as they struggle with heightened worldwide competition, and more demanding customers in an environment where speed and cost have become more important.

 

Increasingly, the old model of work-life balance doesn’t fit contemporary needs to care for our families, collaborate in a global market, or stay connected with our friends, family, and workplaces. Work life integration can reconcile these seemingly competing factors in a way that benefits employees and employers. For managers, this phenomenon offers the opportunity to enable employees to be happier, healthier, and more productive in the workplace.