Managing Your Work/Life Career in Hospitality

"A century ago, economist Sydney J. Chapman predicted that, as the economies of Western nations grew and production became more intensive, the number of hours that people worked would decrease and be replaced with growing amounts of leisure time. Some theorists at the time were even concerned that the dramatic increase in the mechanization of production would mean that people would soon cease to work at all!
Ironically, we are putting in longer hours than ever and, for many, work-life balance is a thing of the past" from Mariel Angus (A Reduced Work Week, In Theory). This is especially true in the hospitality industry where longer work hours is considered the accepted norm - where other industries have a 35.5 or 40hr work week, hospitality's norm is 50hrs with the expectation of a further time commitment whenever necessary.

In Canada, our relative incomes have been going in a downward spiral since the '70's and, as a result, many people have no choice but to work longer hours or take on a second job to compensate for their reduced incomes. The average Canadian family is now working 200 hours more a year than they were just a decade ago.

The negative consequences of work life overshadowing our personal/family/leisure time has opened discussion to cap the work week at 40 hours or engage in a 4 day work week instead of 5. For example, Quebec has a labour standard of a 4 day work week under certain conditions and France recently experimented with a 7 hour work day.

The problem is that some have the inaccurate view that the more hours an employee works, the higher their productivity. If you combine this with our high-bandwidth lifestyles – BlackBerry, laptop and Wi-Fi – some people are never clocking off. Human beings simply are not designed to be wound up like tightly coiled springs. Overstretched employees are more likely to suffer from ill health and high levels of stress, resulting in absenteeism and a lack of commitment to both employer and colleagues. The outcome, poor overall performance, satisfies no one.

So how can employers steer people away from an array of potential misfortunes, ranging from failed personal relationships to a heart attack? Does ensuring employees have the ability to manage their workload and balance competing interests fall within the scope of corporate social responsibility? Is it the individuals responsibility to balance work/life? We are not born inherently knowing how best to manage our time, delegate or prioritise tasks. These are skills that we have to learn, whether it is through on-the-job training, guidance from a manager or mentor, or a formal training solution.

Understanding how to manage priorities is relevant for people at all levels, in just about every industry. Specifically, learning how to ask for help and how to say ‘no’ are fundamental building blocks in the pursuit of work-life balance. Employees need to appreciate the significance of accountability. People who opt not to take on more than they can handle are more productive than those who accept every project that comes their way and end up overwhelmed. Educating staff about the goals and business objectives of your organization will improve their ability to judge which elements of their role are most crucial to the company’s success.

Companies that offer little in the way of work-life balance inevitably suffer from higher rates of staff turnover. Work-life balance should not, however, be perceived as a quick fix. Companies that try to paper over existing problems without research, planning and a rigorous evaluation framework will not reap the benefits. Ultimately, work-life balance is not a ‘feel-good’ policy but a strategic imperative for all businesses, requiring both employer and employee to commit to a positive change management process.

From: Quebec will introduce four day week for parents and caregivers. by
Source: Community Action, 2/17/2003.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2007 Community Action Publishers