Enabling Work-Life Balance for Everyone

Silke Eilers works at the Institute for Employment and Employability (IBE). As project manager of “ZEITREICH,” she and her team researched how work can be organized within the framework of new and more flexible processes in a way that benefits both employees and employers. The interview addresses the question: How can the various work-life balance needs of employees be taken into account?

What different interests might arise when it comes to work-life balance?

Work-life balance is often reduced to the issue of child care. In reality, however, it is an issue that accompanies us through all stages of life. There can always be reasons for wanting to arrange flexible work hours or work part-time. One person might want to pursue continuing education alongside their job, another might be caring for their parents, and a third might currently need a lot of extra energy to build their house. Throughout one’s working life, situations arise time and again in which one asks oneself: How do I juggle it all? As a result, a team can have very diverse needs. Meeting all of them requires a great deal of flexibility and understanding—not only from employers but also among colleagues.

How can employers effectively keep track of the needs of all employees?

Employers should always ensure that measures benefit as many people as possible. Flexible work schedules and remote work options benefit not only employees with children, but also those who have time-consuming hobbies or volunteer. Of course, these options should truly be available to everyone. However, flexibility must go hand in hand with reliability. To achieve this, it’s important for team members to be able to discuss their respective needs. This allows them to better understand one another and reach agreements. For example, if one person always has to leave on time in the afternoon to pick up their child, another might be able to take Fridays off in exchange. This give-and-take fosters mutual understanding and acceptance. Establishing this culture requires a great deal of tact on the part of managers.

How do companies benefit from taking the needs of all employees into account?

One important aspect is the health and well-being of employees. Employers gain nothing if their employees are overworked. Ultimately, this has a negative impact on the quality of work and employee engagement. And in the worst-case scenario, it leads to resignation. This brings us to the second key point: employee retention. Especially in times of a skilled labor shortage, it’s important to view and value employees as whole people. This includes recognizing that they have lives outside of work. For years, surveys—particularly among younger people—have consistently shown that this is a factor they value when choosing an employer.

We conducted the interview in 2022.