9.6 - Individuals and work: Maintaining work and life balance

Question 1

Individual roles

Answer 1

• Work
• Leadership
• Parenting
• Caring
• Volunteering
• Religion
• Recreation
• Studying
• Hobbies

Question 2

Individual roles

Work

Answer 2

• It is difficult to maintain work and life balance.
• Individuals may look for flexible work practices and practices to help manage time.

Impacts:
POS (Economic): When circumstances change, their can access leave entitlements to maintain personal issues.
NEG (Emotional): The more responsibility an individual has the more time and energy spent in the workplace.

Question 3

Individuals roles

Leadership

Answer 3

Leadership roles generally mean more responsibility, and the expenditure of more time and energy.
This includes:
- Employment
- Parenting
- Volunteering
- Religion

Impact:

NEG (Emotional & Social): High stress, or even elation, may impact on the leader’s emotional well-being and can even cause conflict within the group.

POS (emotional): Individual can manage the work productivity status.

Question 4

Individual roles

Parenting

Answer 4

• Parenting is a 24/7 job with limitless responsibilities.
• Parents can access technology and informal support to help them maintain their work and life such as online shopping and grandparents.

Impact:
NEG (Economic) :Parenting can be costly, and the high costs of child care may influence the number of other roles a parent may take on.
POS (Emotional, physical and social) Technology and informal resources can help parents manage multiple roles and save time and energy.

Question 5

Individual roles

Caring

Answer 5

Becoming a carer will impact on an individual’s ability to manage their work–life balance.
E.g. caring for a parent who is developing dementia

The level of dependency of the person in care will dictate how much time a carer has to fulfill their working role.

Impact:
Pos (Economic): Individuals can use their workplace structure to help them maintain their circumstances. Formal support such as Centrelink may assist them.

Question 6

Individual roles

Volunteering

Answer 6

Volunteering is not profitable… no financial benefit. includes:

• sport coaches
• lifesavers
• gardeners
• Legal aid

Impact on wellbeing:
Pos (emotional): Enhances their self esteem as they are giving back to the community.
Neg (economic): No financial benefit

Question 7

Individual roles

Religion

Answer 7

Religion involves adopting a set of behaviours or to meet expectations set out by religious practices.
This includes:
- Baptism
- Prayer
- Meditation
- Fasting

Impact on well being:
Pos (spiritual and emotional): Gives the person a sense of identity. Doing religious practices can impact the emotional well being as it can motivate them to complete daily activities.
Neg (economic) May interfere with the workplace as some religions insists constant prayers throughout the day.

Question 8

Individual roles

Recreation

Answer 8

A recreational activity is a non-work activity done for relaxation, enjoyment, or entertainment.

• Catching up with friends/ family
• Working out

Impact on wellbeing:
Pos (physical and social): The recreational activity commitment can keep a balance between work/life and enhances their social aspects that impacts their sense of identity.
Neg (economic): Their recreational activity may be expensive which can create financial issues

Therefore, this personal commitment can help create a work–life balance.

Question 9

individual roles:

Studying

Answer 9

Continuing education either at TAFE, university or another educational facility is a commitment with external deadlines (assessments, examinations).

Impact on wellbeing:
POS (Economic): Some courses do night classes which helps the individual to work full time or part time and still earn an income.
NEG (Emotional): Can be draining on the individual as it is hard to stay consistent with motivation to maintain to study and work.

Question 10

Individual roles:

Hobbies

Answer 10

A hobby is a leisure pursuit or activity based on a person’s interests.
Examples include:
- Sewing
- Sports
- cooking

Impact on wellbeing:
(POS EMOTIONAL) Individual can engage in activities that makes them relax and entertain themselves which can foster foster work–life balance.
NEG (Physical): Can take up their energy to complete the activity.

Question 11

Individual strategies for managing multiple roles

Negotiating and sharing roles

Answer 11

Roles must be negotiated and shared by those family members with the capabilities to do so.

Strategies:
- Rosters: that list each family member’s chores and the times they should be completed help set clear expectations for busy parents and children.

Pos: Can ensure that all tasks are completed

Neg: Can cause conflict with one another if the roles are not completed.

Question 12

Individual strategies for managing multiple roles

Managing resources

Answer 12

Resources can be sustained or interchanged to help manage resources.

Sustainability resources strategies:

• using solar energy rather than electricity
• reading the newspaper on a tablet rather than in printed form.

Interchangeability resource strategies:

• using labour-saving devices, such as microwaves and rice cookers
• Carpooling to save cost and time.
• Shopping over the internet to save time.

Question 13

Individual strategies for managing multiple roles

Using technology

Answer 13

Labour-saving devices are those appliances and products that reduce the energy output of humans.

Strategies:
Internet: online shopping which saves time and energy, budgeting advice, quick education.
Weekly meal preps: e.g. Hello Fresh - reduce
the time meal prepping.
Prep prepped/ pre cooked meals: requiring only reheating all save on preparation and cooking time.

Question 14

Individual strategies for managing multiple roles

Accessing support

Answer 14

Formal support networks, such as counselling, childcare etc, are available to employees; however, many of these supports come at a cost.

Strategies: Accessing informal support.

• Can access on a short notice
• Saves cost
• Bonds can be created

Question 15

Individual strategies for managing multiple roles

Utilizing workplace structures

Answer 15

Using the structures when necessary can enable an
employee to meet their needs and the needs of those
around them.

EXAMPLE: an individual working through a grievance procedure (unfair treatment) may find support by accessing the appropriate trade union.

POS (economic and emotional wellbeing): save the employee in legal costs, as paying union members may
have free access to legal advice and representation.