The business imperative for work life balance
With low unemployment and skilled labour shortages, it is vital that employers are equipped with the tools necessary to assist them to grow and expand successful businesses. The value to employers of satisfactory work life balance for their employees should not be underestimated in both a social and economic context.
Work life balance is about providing employees with flexible work arrangements to enable them to both participate in the workforce and fulfil their family and lifestyle commitments and desires. Over the last decade, there has been an evolution in international thinking about the interaction between people’s professional and personal lives.
Employers must consider that when skill shortages exist or job applicants have a number of employment offers, the willingness of a business to accommodate an employee’s work life balance may be a deciding factor in them accepting a particular position, or remaining in a current workplace. This makes work life balance a key attraction and retention strategy and a business imperative.
The publication The business imperative for work life balance – employee attraction and retention [PDF 81KB] explains the link between work life balance initiatives and the ability to attract and retain employees in a competitive labour market.
The publication provides information on:
- the demographics of the Western Australian labour force;
- the benefits to business of better work life balance;
- work life balance and its relationship to recruitment and retention
- research findings on what works in attraction and retention; and
- how to use work life balance to your business advantage.
Work Life Balance Case Studies
The following case studies demonstrate the business advantages of introducing work life balance measures in a variety of workplaces: