Also Linked to Covid-19’s lockdown disruption to business, businesses now must rethink their approach to work-life integration and employee wellbeing.
“Work-life integration is not a passing trend; it's the future of employee engagement and well-being. By fostering environments that embrace this shift, we can empower both our organisations and our workforce to thrive in this digital era,” says Marieta du Toit, director, sensory coach, and workshop facilitator at Sensory Intelligence Consulting.
HR professionals have the responsibility to recognise and support this transformation in the workplace.
A recent survey conducted by Randstad highlights the significance of this shift, with a substantial 61% of workers, particularly those in the 18 to 34-year-old demographic, expressing their reluctance to entertain job offers that threaten the equilibrium between their professional and personal lives.
Equally striking is the finding that 48% of respondents would contemplate leaving a job if it infringed on their life enjoyment.
While several industries and sectors are witnessing the return of employees to physical office spaces, some forward-thinking organisations have embraced the hybrid working model, enabling a division of workdays between home and office.
Du Toit supports this approach and says it fosters higher performance. However, she adds that working from home can pose challenges for some people.
"The ability to organise and focus may clarify why some individuals find remote work more stressful than traditional office environments. “In the office, the expectation is to dedicate undivided attention to work-related tasks, with all other life responsibilities - whether as a partner, parent, child, sibling, or a member of society- temporarily set aside.
“The workplace typically entails fewer demands for multitasking - no hungry children, shopping lists, dirty dishes, ironing, entertaining friends and family, or household maintenance.
"However, it is these multifaceted responsibilities and roles that bring meaning to our lives, elements we cherish and cannot do without."
Sensory Intelligence Consulting has compiled a list of suggestions to help organisations establish and sustain a successful work-life integration.
Successful work-life integration should be a paramount concern for both employees and employers.
"The most pivotal question to ask oneself is, do you work to live, live to work, or are you content in successfully integrating these two essential facets of your life?" says Du Toit.
