I have seen this term thrown around a lot on forums; but everyone seems to have their own definition. What is your personal definition of work life balance, and do you currently have it?
Flexibility from boss to take time for appointments, important errands that have to be done during normal business hours, able to choose when to WFH/remote. The choice of when to WFH also means to me that if I need to adjust my personal schedule and take a half day without officially using PTO, but work on Saturday to catch up and finish work, etc. Essentially, meaning work doesnt always need to happen M-F 9-5, so as long as I am free to adjust my schedule at my own discretion and manage myself, thats what good WLB is for me.
Thanks for your insight. I definitely agree that flexibility is a very important and often underrated part of work life balance. Do you feel that you got that immediately at Amazon or is it something you had to “earn” through either performance or seniority? I’m just curious about jobs outside of my finance bubble at an investment bank which has essentially zero flexibility for entry level graduates and 100% flexibility for seniors.
I've learned throughout the years (9 YOE) that unless theres a written rule or process specifically in HR paperwork/employee handbooks, your right for flexibility is earned and not an entitlement. This usually happens the more experience you get, the easier you'll be able to "prove" you "earned" the right for flexibility. However in the end its a 2-way street and hinges on the org/team you join. Though the more experience you have the easier and more palatable the flexibility is to the manager for letting you be trusted to manage your own WLB.
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Thank you sir!
Work from home or flexible schedule
The flexibility to take care of things (family events, medical appointments, errands) without necessarily taking paid time off. The flexibility to work from home when needed, or to adjust my schedule so that the emphasis isn’t on “clocking” 8 hour work day, 5 days a week but rather on getting the necessary work done in a manner that is most efficient for me. Also it’s the company culture that respects your personal life and allows for clear boundaries between personal and professional life. Nowadays where increase in technology (company cell phone with work emails, company laptops, international teleconference calls) makes it harder to have physical boundaries between personal and professional life, this flexibility is realistically what defines "WLB" for me, way more so than the traditional “9-to-5” schedule.
Having the ability to spend time with your loved ones when you want to. That is the most important
At DB?
Work life balance is having the flexibility to make time for the things you care about. This doesn’t mean that you don’t have to get your work done, but it means that when something really important or meaningful happens outside of work, you’re able to step away for an hour / day / weekend and enjoy it. Unfortunately, this seems like something that’s hard to achieve in modern America and especially in finance.
Work life balance depends a lot on the manager. It means to have a good productive 8 hours in office so you don’t have to open laptop at home. Except for some days when there is a release etc. It means you have a good manager who is good at people management and recognizes your skillset and mentors you to perform on your strengths. A manager who is smart and invested in their people’s growth. So you don’t have to worry about your work once you leave office. A bad manager is bad for your health and your career. Step out of these managers ASAP.
Work on the weekends is an absolute no go for me. A good work life balance would be starting between 8 and 9 am and finishing between 6 and 8 pm with enough time to go to the gym or meet with some friends during the week. I also think it is not purely about the hours but also about the stress, being able to be cut off for a few hours during the weak from work is really great :) Unfortunately rarely possible
Flexibility to go to appointments. Flexibility to avoid peak rush hours. No implicit expectation to work > 40 hours every week. I can put in the hours when needed but it should not be the ground expectation. The company culture should also respect employee time off
Plenty of PTO(20 ish days a year or more) mostly 8 hour days but 9-10 hour days are OK once every 2 weeks or so. No weekend work. Also work has to be sufficiently enjoyable that I don’t hate going in every day. I think the last point is pretty frequently overlooked. flexibility from boss to take an hour to go to appointments, WFH when needed etc
Thanks! Has that definition been pretty constant for you throughout your career, or has it evolved? Do you think work life balance in your early 20s is / should be different from work life balance in your 30s?
I think @Boeing provides a great definition. I’d also add to that last point that it’s not just the work, but also the people you surround yourself with. I think it’s important you feel like you can learn from them, and vice versa.