Achieving WorkLife Balance is Good Business

1
Achieving Work/Life Balance is Good Business

• Does Business Travel Have an Effect?

2
Human Capital is Human

• The most valuable asset a company has are its
  people, their skills talents and their ability
  to turn it on when required.
• People are intellectual, psychological and
  spiritual beings.

3
Does Psychological Well-Being Matter?

• When PWB is at healthy levels people
• Learn and problem-solve better
• Greater enthusiasm to change
• Relate to others positively
• Accept challenges more readily

4
PWB/Performance Relationships

• Organizational studies have shown
• Almost a quarter (23) of variance in employee
  productivity is
• explained by
• Psychological well-being
• Perceived commitment of organization to employee
• Resources and communications
• Study showed a correlation between the
  psychological
• well-being of a person and performance
  levels.

5
Travellers Face Unique Challenges

• Research shows for travellers versus
  non-travellers
• Long working hours eat into home / family life
• Work carrying over into home life/blurred lines
• Travel lengthens the work day

6
Effects of Business Travel

• Time zone changes jet-lag
• Ircadian rhythm
• Irritability fatigue
• Memory and brain (temporal lobe) changes
• Concentration alertness
• Blood pressure, heart rate Cortisol

7
Effects of Business Travel

• Pre/during and Post-Trip Events
• Travel anxiety and anger
• Respite and benefits
• Work stressors
• Autonomy Control
• Work relationships
• Resources and communications
• Work overload
• Work life balance

8
Travel Affects Psychological Well-Being

• Research shows for travellers versus
  non-travellers
• General medical claims are generally higher for
  travellers
• Psychological illness claims are also 3 times
  higher
• Claims from spouses of travellers are 16 higher
• Young children are negatively affected
• Source Liese et al., 1997, Espino et al., 2002,
  Westman Etzion, 2002

9
Travel-Specific Stressors

• Duration of travel
• Frequency of travel
• Leaving on or before weekend
• Rest recuperation upon return
• Perceived control over where and when travel
  occurs
• Perceived ability to refuse without
  jeopardizing career
• Travel experiences contributed by quality of
  services, etc.

10
Travel-Specific Areas of Focus

• Companies should pay immediate attention to
• Frequency need for travel
• Family specific to each employee
• Flexibility telecommute opportunities
• Travel experiences review suppliers
• Travel policies practices governing travel,
  entitlements, etc.

11
Consider Travel Predictors of Poor Work-Life
Balance

• Significant family responsibilities
• Interference with weekend spare time
• Lack of freedom to travel at convenient times
• Transit through airport

12
More Evidence

• Frequent Flyer magazine polled 638 readers in
  2004 on how they coped with the complexities of
  life on the road and balancing them with the need
  to stay human.

13
Frequent Travellers Don't Enjoy Business Travel

• 24 percent like it
• 69 percent deem it a necessary evil
• 13 percent downright dread it
• My Conclusion Business travel is to a large
  extent tolerated by most
  employees (82).

14
What is Driving Business Travel?

• Global economies competition, clients
  expectations, 24 X 7 business, etc.
• Communications technology more relationships
  being made
• Quarterly earnings reports shorter cycles
• Age of workers younger workers willing to
  travel drive so older workers keep up
• Companys service culture encouraging
  frequent face-to-face meetings
• Availability of travel services increased air
  travel capacity, improved services, etc.

15
Whats Aggravating the Situation?

• More time spent at airports and the stress
  related to being in them
• Company issue of PDAs means no downtime for
  travellers
• Downsized workforce means upsized
  responsibilities

16
Challenges obstructing positive work/life balance

• The highest rating issue was increased work
  demands are overshadowing personal needs, at 76
  overall.
• The next biggest hindrance to cultural change was
  leaders who find it difficult to change their
  views about the value of flexible working - 69
  of organizations.
• Another key challenge is leaders who do not have
  the competence to manage the demands of business
  and staff with work/life issues 60 of
  organizations
• Source The Work/Life 2006 Balance
  Benchmarking Survey

17
Are travel policies disconnected from HR
policies?

• Probably the most important factor in the
  progress of work/life initiatives is the extent
  to which they are seen as strategic to the
  organizations achievement of its objectives.
• Again, this view is still not the norm (only for
  31 of organizations), but it is higher than for
  last year (26).

18
What Can We Do To Achieve Better Balance?

• Evaluate potential cost to the business
• Conduct survey to understand the real issues
  among various
• traveller segments
• Discuss main points with travellers
• Identify weak points in travel policy
• Discuss with HR and senior management
• Amend travel policy accordingly
• Review on regular basis using surveys

19
The World Bank A Case Study

• Main issues facing travelling employees
• Jet-lag and exhaustion
• Impact on health
• Family disruptions
• Compromised work effectiveness

20
The World Banks Response

• Action taken to alleviate work/life imbalance
• Matching through scheduling software of employees
  with right skills in close proximity of client
• Overnight travel rewards time off or cash
  compensation
• Use of advanced technology to reduce travel
• Use contract resources for extended on-site
  assignments
• Creative travel arrangement spouse accompanying
  employee for travel over weekends
• NOTE The World Bank made conscious efforts to
  communicate to its road warriors its appreciation
  of their service and the offers of the Road
  Warrior Programme designed for them.

21
Your Turn Now?

• Group Learning
• Take time to think about it
• Share your thoughts
• Ask questions
• Offer your responses

22
Question 1

• What major difficulties do you anticipate
• with efforts to align a companys travel
  policy with work/life balance concerns?

23
Question 2

• What impact would work/life balance
• initiatives have on a companys travel
• cost-management/reduction goals?

24
Question 3

• If you were to receive instructions from
• the top to incorporate work/life
• balance objectives into your travel
• programmes, what do you think would be a
  practical plan to accomplish it and which
  departments would you collaborate with?