It is said that the society we live in today runs on gears well-oiled by coffee – the drink that has become the modern-day workers’ drug. This analogy mocks the predominance of work today and how it appears to have taken over all remnants of our personal lives. Even so, achieving a balance between one’s career and one’s personal life – be it building a family, friendships or achieving personal goals – is not an unrealistic goal to strive for in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds.
Unfortunately, the odds can be particularly demanding. With the globalisation of economic activity and the increased integration of the labour force, there is an undeniable strain on all workers. Job competition on a global scale is perceived as a threat to increasing one’s work productivity or facing the dreaded O-word – outsourcing. Pressure on this scale takes a toll on workers, and it is their families that are neglected in the process. Therefore, to many in this situation, a work-life balance can appear not only unrealistic but even unheard of.
With so much emphasis on careers today, it is not surprising that a set of values and ethics have evolved in the workplace. It is even less surprising that these business ethics have negative implications for one’s personal time. For example, in Asian countries, particularly in Japan, leaving work punctually at five o’clock is regarded as a sure sign of ‘skiving’ (local slang meaning ‘shrinking one’s responsibility’) on the job. In order to convey the impression of being hardworking, many workers, therefore, remain at the office till late – sacrificing time with their families in the process. The overwhelming social pressure to put one’s career first can indeed make achieving a work-life balance an unrealistic task.
Furthermore, there is great access to higher education today and people easily equate their careers with life ambitions such that there may appear to be less of a need for a personal life. After all, if self-actualisation and one’s career are one and the same, a work-life balance to allow time for individual pursuits would seem unnecessary. The rising proportion of singles in the developed economies seems to exacerbate this trend, as there is less of a need to set aside time for family. In view of this, it would appear that as work-life balance is unrealistic, societal expectations and lifestyles may have changed to make it no longer desirable.