Work-Life Balance is an ongoing issue for a lot of companies in our country. In this generation, we are so used to being able to pick up our phones or laptops and conveniently have our email account linked and ready for access. I personally will admit that I am a compulsive email checker even on my days off and after work hours. Throughout my career, I have struggled with the meaning and image of a “good employee”. Does going in on my days off make me a better employee than my coworkers? Will my boss appreciate and give me that raise I have been looking for if I cut my family vacation in half? Or will she notice that I will stay late when she needs me and miss dinner with my family? I wonder if she has noticed I have been responding to all my emails in my free time. These are all questions that I personally have asked myself, and I think a lot of other individuals can relate that we are being given the wrong definition of what makes a good employee.
So, what does make a “good employee”? “Workers have learned that enacting certain behaviors can result in being categorized as a good employee. Activities such as putting in long hours, coming in early and leaving late, not calling in sick (even when you are sick), carrying heavy materials on one's back to save time rather than using dollies or machinery, taking on extra tasks just because they need to be finished, having an unreasonably full calendar, being accessible even when technically on vacation or off the clock, not complaining about the heat or cold when working outside, picking up slack for co-workers, and prioritizing the job over family, friends, hobbies, or volunteer service are all encouraged and valued by the employer.” (Montoya & Tretheway, 2009). These expectations for a ‘good worker’ also relate to certain abilities (both mental and physical). Montoya & Tretheway point out that identifying these behaviors (in and of themselves) are not ‘bad’– but that the expectations are important to understand as we conceptualize a sustainable workforce. Montoya & Tretheway have the idea of creating a work identity that can help make you a great employee and also have the work-life balance without overdoing it. Examples of this are Communicate goals, make health a priority, support others & accept support, know your limitations, cultivate all employees and think about what you want to model for future generations. In the article “Give up on Work-Life Balance” by The Atlantic states “To many Americans, reading the research on work-life balance would feel like reading their own diary. The people most stricken by work-life-balance issues are, perhaps expectedly, dual-earner families” It is sad that this has become such a huge issue and most companies are still trying to find a way for their employees to have the balance. For most, you will find that it is the last thing on their plate.
Many companies will only expect all the extra steps when you show them you will take that overtime, not taking your paid time off and emailing on days off when they know you will take that extra step. Companies will not have it in their employee handbook that making a great employee is staying after hours. We have put it in our brains that doing all those extra steps will make us greater than our coworkers when it, in fact, causes many cons than pros in our personal life. Yes, you might get that raise but was it worth missing your son’s whole soccer season because you stayed after work every night of the week and went in on the weekends. Was the promotion you got last month worth missing your grandma’s 80th birthday party because your boss made you feel bad about missing a workday. We strive as humans to be better and we care so much what others will think of us especially our bosses.
References:
Montoya, Y. J., & Trethewey, A. (2009). Rethinking good work: Developing sustainable employees and workplaces. Report presented for The Project for Wellness and Work-Life at Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ.
Khazan, Olga (2019) Giving up on Work-Life Balance: The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/05/work-life-balance/590662/
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