WORK LIFE BALANCE Case Study WHAT IS

WORK –LIFE BALANCE Case Study

WHAT IS WORK –LIFE BALANCE? Work Life Balance is Meaningful DAILY Achievement and Enjoyment in each 4 of our Life Quadrants: WORK FAMILY FRIENDS SELF

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates Global privately held company. 8, 000 Employees 45 Locations Worldwide Innovative Business Style: “To make money and have fun”. Organizational culture is founded on a team-based environment. Employees have no job titles. Leaders emerge naturally

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates 4 Basic Principles Fairness to each other and everyone with whom they come into contact Freedom to encourage, help and allow other associates grow in knowledge, skill and scope of responsibility. The ability to make one’s own commitments and keep them. Consultation with other associates before undertaking actions that could affect the reputation of the company by hitting it “below the waterline”.

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates manage themselves by being fair. There are very few company policies; practices develop naturally and do not need to be framed. There are no set working hours. Personal and Family responsibilities are okay; no need to explain for missed days of work. Challenges: “Very easy to get caught up in the positive environment and find yourself overcommitting”

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates What are key elements in the corporate culture that may prevent employees from taking advantage of there being no set work hours? Looking back at the 4 basic principles: Fairness to each other and everyone with whom they come into contact, and the ability to make one’s own commitments and keep them. If everyone in the corporation is being treated fairly and staying committed at the same time then employees may feel bad if they take advantage of the company because they’re not being mistreated.

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates What are some challenges employers may face when trying to implement W. L. Gore’s distinctive approach to work-life balance in different countries of its operations? One mane challenge that is most likely faced would be the no set working hours, because some groups of people don’t have that level of morale that this company expects. Associates will miss days and not care because they know they will not get into trouble.

CASE STUDY 1: W. L. Gore & Associates Key Points When they are part of a clearly understood management style, work-life balance arrangements can work without being supported by formal policies and procedures. Work-life balance can be an integral part of a holistic management approach. Organization should focus on life issues for employees/associates and actively work on these as well as work development to ensure the balancing of work and life. Good leadership and mentorship are important to encourage employees to balance work and their professional life.

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Founded in 1928 in the U. S Currently employs more than 100, 000 people worldwide Employs 1, 530 staff in East Kilbride, Scotland where 700 are operators Operates plants 24 hours a day, seven days a week

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Work-life Balances Arrangements Offered Part-time work Dependency leave Employee assistance program Job sharing Health care Special shift arrangements Study leave Emergency holidays

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Only offered to premier employees to attract high caliber people Recognize and reward

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Major change in work hours in the year 2000 at the East Kilbride plant Today full-time operators work seven 12 -hour shifts over a 2 week span Four days one week 3 days the next week When work hours changed job sharing was offered 2 people share a full time job between them Equally splitting number of hours worked Mary Mc. Donald was a single parent with two children Full time was too strenuous

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola She wrote a letter to the HR dept. Her application was successful and she was matched with a job partner She says the system has worked very well for her “I’m full of energy on the days I work – Motorola gets 100 percent from me” She says it’s very good for her family life Neil Mc. Kinven is a senior life manager Believes job sharing plays a high-profile role Helps plant remain competitive Helps retain high pool of job talent

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Most job share employees are women Family Commitments Maternity leaves Problems with job sharing Temporary employees during holidays Unfamiliar with work Management has to step in

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola Keys elements of job sharing Processes have to transparent and understood Everyone must be aware of expectations Maintain good communication Identify any issues

CASE STUDY 2: Motorola How does Motorola’s job sharing fit their business needs? Maintain high profile workers Retain pool of highly qualified and well trained talent Benefits to company’s high rating America’s 100 Best Corporate Citizen award list What are the advantages and disadvantages of job sharing to job sharers and their managers? Flexible schedule Competitive work environment to obtain benefits Holiday temp do not know work Managers have to step in

CASE STUDY 3: Health Promotion @ IKEA Swedish home furnishing retailer. Global Business: 150 stores in more than 20 countries 25 stores in the U. S. Dream: “to create a better everyday life for the many people. ” HR Idea: “to give down-to-earth, straightforward people the possibility to grow, both as individuals and in their professional roles, so that together we are strongly committed to creating a better everyday life for ourselves and our customers. ”

CASE STUDY 3: Health Promotion @ IKEA Organizational Culture based on Swedish national values of commitment to, and time with, family and community, combined with concern for a healthy environment. Emphasize coffee breaks so that employees can socialize. Work-Life Balance Expressed: Paid days off for all staff for first day of school leave, marriage leave and “moving house leave”.

CASE STUDY 3: Health Promotion @ IKEA All employees can take advantage of free podiatry and massage sessions during work time. Shows investment in workers. Most recent health initiative would be IKEA’s fit for a week program. Work-Life Balance = Win Situation It increases morale and commitment by improving psychological contracts and gives “something tangible to staff so they perceive IKEA as a caring company that they enjoy working for.

CASE STUDY 3: Health Promotion @ IKEA Key Points Work life balance is tied closely to organizational culture. Work-life balance is not just about flexibility in work for life outside work, it also works the other way around: “Bringing aspects of wider life-like health initiatives and socializing-into work can be fun” “The best way to engage more people in work-life balance programs is to let co-workers who have experienced it advocate it by word-of-mouth.

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services 52 court sites employs approximately 1, 000 civil servants Extends throughout Scotland Divided into 3 operational headquarters Agency headquarters, Supreme courts, Sheriff courts Did not get serious about work-life until 98 -99 Lost key employees over paternity leave and family issues Women compromise 57 percent of workforce

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services Today SCS has a high variety of work-life balance arrangements Flex-time (start work anywhere between 8 and 10) Long as specified amount of hours worked every week Home-working Job sharing Study Leave Emergency and special Public community (voluntary work ) Care leave (ill family member)

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services Parental leave Childcare financial allowances (nursery care)

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services Joe Smith – executive officer at Dumbarton Sheriff Court Daughter Rebecca born with complex heart disease Not expected to live Beat the odds with 13 operations at the age of 3 days Now in first year of elementary school Spent 18 months of her life in hospital Faces a heart-lung transplant in future Smith tried to manage work through all of this Driving 84 miles a day after a promotion Contacted management about this problem

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services Smith was granted a special leave Also accessed SCS Employees assistance program Private counseling and free for employees Smith felt supported and seen benefits He states, “all the managers have supported me and it’s two way”

CASE STUDY 4: The Scottish Court Services Key Points Important for staff to align their expectations or work- life balance initiatives to business needs Employees are more likely to benefit if they ask the people directly affected what arrangements they want Understand situation from individuals point of view Support line managers making the decisions on implementing the WLB policies through training and coaching

Work-Life Balance in your life Student Work, school, and extracurricular activities Is your work and school life balanced? Does your job offer flexible hours or special time off during finals week

Work-Life Balance in your life Do you often find yourself sleeping in class? Maybe you should research and consider work-life balance