Work Life balance with different generations

How can a healthy work life balance add value to your personal life?

Maintaining a healthy work life balance has numerous professional and personal benefits. Most of our activities dedicated to our work life. 



1) Reduce Stress

Work related stress is a growing problem around the world that affects not only health and well-being of employees, but also the productivity of the organization. Stress does not only affects us on individual level, but it also impacts on our relations with family, friends and our colleges at work place. creating a balance between work and life can be challenging, whereas both demand your attention and energy. When properly balancing a career and personal life, you become healthier, both mentally and physically and enjoy an enhances lifestyle ultimately reduce the stress.   

Recent studies have a confirmed that having a good work life balance can significantly help to reduce stress.

Stress can be defined as any type of change that causes physical, emotional, or psychological strain. Stress is your body's response to anything that requires attention or action. (E Scott , 2023)


2) Higher engagement levels 

Employee engagement is a measurement of the level of loyalty and commitment an employee has to their work and their company. Employee engagement is not static, and will definitely change over time throughout an employee's journey with the company. (B Williamson , 2023)

There are three type of engagements. Actively engaged , Not engaged , Actively disengaged. When the employee is highly engaged it means their overall well-being and happiness.  


Work Life balance with different generations

What are the different generations

  • Baby Boomers
  • Gen X
  • Millennials
  • Gen Z


Baby Boomers and work life balance

The "Baby Boomer Generation" refer to people who was born during the years following World War II (1945 - 1965) Though the team "baby boomer" wouldn't be used for this generation until 1963, the boomers were the largest generation group in the USA until very recently. (R Smith , 2020)

During that period living has been challenging task because the didn't give much attention to work-life balance. as a result of it 80% Baby boomers has to faced high level of stress due to various reasons such as personal health problems etc. 


Gen X and Work life balance

According to Beresford research, Gen X refer to who was born during 1965 - 1980. ( E Hecht , 2022) They grew up seeing their Baby Boomer parents working too much, with little to no work life balance. This was the time of economic growth and job opportunities, but also of corporate scandals and downsizing.

Therefore, Gen X give high priority to work life balance than to Baby Boomer. For them proper work life balance is a mandatory requirement when looking for job. 


Millennials and Work life balance

Millennial Generation refer to who was born between 1981 - 2000 (A Zelazko , 2023) Millennials entered to workforce during the late 1990's and early 2000's. They grew with the technology which influenced their attitudes towards work and communication. Millennials value work life balance , flexibility and social responsibility.

Today Millennials is the largest generation in the workforce. They have good understanding of new technology. Their Preference is flexibility and work life.


Generation Z and Work Life Balance

Gen Z is the name given to the current generation of young people by many demographic researches. According to the Pew Research Center , Generation Z consists of people born between1997 and 2012. (K Warren , 2022) Gen Z is just starting to enter the workforce now. Gen Z is comfortable to work from anywhere , digital communication and like to work independently with freedom of choosing their work environment along with the work life balance.    


Generation Alpha and Work Life Balance

Alpha Generation refer to anyone born between 2012 - 2025. Generation Alpha confined to the traditional 9 to 5 schedule and the are more like to embrace flexible work arrangements that cater to their life style preferences. Employers should prioritize employee recognition strategies that cater to Generation Alpha's preferences. Example Digital recognition.  




List of References

E Scott (07th November 2022) stress meaning [Online] Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/stress-and-health-3145086 [Accessed on 07th December 2023] 

B Williamson (21st August 2023) Employee engagement is [Online] Available at: https://www.lumapps.com/employee-engagement/benefits-of-employee-engagement [Accessed on 07th December 2023] 

R Smith (25th November 2020) Baby Boomer Generation is [Online] Available at: https://www.familysearch.org/en/blog/baby-boomer-generation-characteristics [ Accessed on 07th December 2023] 

E Hecht (02nd September 2022) Gen X Generation is [Online] Available at: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2022/09/02/what-years-gen-x-millennials-baby-boomers-gen-z/10303085002 [[ Accessed on 07th December 2023] 

A Zelazko (12th November 2023) Millennials is [Online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/millennial [Accessed on 07th December 2023] 

K Warren (29th August 2022) Gen Z [Online] Available at: https://www.investopedia.com/generation-z-gen-z-definition-5218554 [Accessed on 07th December 2023]    













Comments

  1. Dimuthu Dharshana9 December 2023 at 12:32

    Most employees finds work life balance as one of the most challenging task in their busy life schedules these days. I find your article as very informative. Specially the work life balance aspect in different generations.

    ReplyDelete
  2. M K D Pandula Piumal9 December 2023 at 20:29

    Baby Boomers, having grown up in a different era, faced challenges in achieving work-life balance, leading to high levels of stress.
    In what ways can organizations support older employees, such as Baby Boomers, in transitioning towards a more balanced work-life lifestyle?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kalpa Premachandra10 December 2023 at 05:43

    Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is crucial for both personal and professional well-being, as outlined in your informative article. Considering the higher flexibility do you think that the existing employee's jobs are threatened by the Gen Z workforce?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chaminda Senadeera10 December 2023 at 07:22

    I would say WorkLife balance is one of the most important thing in any generation and any industry while agreeing with your points highlighted in the article.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Muditha Manchanayake13 December 2023 at 02:45

    An insightful exploration of work-life balance across generations. The shift in priorities from Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha is particularly fascinating. I'm curious, with the evolving nature of work, how can organizations effectively adapt to meet Generation Alpha's preferences for flexible arrangements and digital recognition?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tharanga14 December 2023 at 23:43

    Businesses gain enormously from the vast amount of knowledge and experience that each generation bring to the table. In addition to making good use of this , understanding how to manage generational divides in the workplace ensures that the multigenerational workforce discovers their full potential.while employees balancing the life with work.
    (officernd, 2023)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Charith Perera16 December 2023 at 23:25

    Worklife balance is a key to build more efficient workforce , But many organization in Sri Lanka are not actually doing this , What is your opinion ??

    ReplyDelete
  8. Oshada Vinod Ranasinghe17 December 2023 at 06:58

    Good article, It claims that maintaining this equilibrium can benefit your personal and professional lives. Stress reduction is crucial, and research indicates that it significantly improves both physical and mental health. The essay also explores the various perspectives that various generations—from Baby Boomers to Generation Alpha—have on striking a balance between work and life. As we cope with these varying preferences, it is becoming increasingly vital to comprehend and adjust to flexible work arrangements. The article examines the intricate relationship that exists between work, life, and the evolving workforce in general.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Roger Ramanathan17 December 2023 at 09:33

    Great article about work life balance!

    ReplyDelete
  10. zahranazhar18 December 2023 at 00:50

    This is a good article on WorkLife balance. In addition to that creating a work life balance environment is a key element to achieve organizational objectives in long run. Currently most of the individuals leaving the country and most of companies are lacking with skilled employees. Therefore how this work-life balance impacts the organization and current employees.

    ReplyDelete
  11. T. Yohani Thathsarani18 December 2023 at 03:14

    The article discusses the importance of maintaining a work-life balance and how it benefits personal and professional lives. It explores the varying perspectives and constantly changing nature of the workforce. Managing stress is important for good mental and physical health.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rushini Seneviratne18 December 2023 at 07:25

    Interesting approach to discussing work- life balance. While work-life balance is being talked about vividly in today`s world, often times it is being overlooked at how different generations get impacted. Especially since many work in collaborative environments. How do you suggest organizations navigate the impact of work-life balance on different generations when they working together in teams settings?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Chamila Siriwardena18 December 2023 at 10:24

    Interesting topic Mahesh, Generation Alpha's approach to work-life balance may seem unconventional, but it reflects a shift in priorities and values.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Nillmini Ekanayake18 December 2023 at 19:59


    Exactly! Balancing work and life varies among generations. Baby boomers may prioritize dedication, Gen X seeks balance, and Millennials/Gen Z value flexibility. Employers must recognize these differences to create a supportive and inclusive environment for all.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Rehana Uvais19 December 2023 at 00:41

    Agreed. Balancing different generations is a challenge. What suits one generation, may not necessarily suit the other, thereby creating the need for companies to be able to relate to the employees they hire and have an understanding to the varied requirements in order to create a healthy work-life balance for each generation.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Rashinka Miral19 December 2023 at 16:05

    Finding a work-life balance is essential for all generations.
    The concept of work-life balance refers to finding a balance between personal life, commitments to family, and career (Snchez-Hernndez, 2019)
    Reference: Snchez-Hernndez, M. I.-L.-M.-J. (2019). Work-life balance in great companies and pending issues for engaging new generations at work. International journal of environmental research and public health, 3.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Wazeer Ali20 December 2023 at 00:19

    Great Article, I honestly learnt what group I fall into with the read...
    I see a trend here where when we recruit or work together we need to put our stakeholders in either of these categories, so that we can better understand each other.... I mean to have an idea about the people that we work with...

    ReplyDelete
  18. Rochelle Shoaib20 December 2023 at 04:28

    Hi agreed, Analyzing how the expectations of Generation Alpha are changing the definition of work-life balance is very interesting. The idea of a typical 9 to 5 schedule is changing as more members of this age choose flexible work schedules that fit with their own preferences. Employers must acknowledge and adjust to these changes, and the recommendation of digital recognition tactics is excellent. It displays an awareness of how individualized techniques and technology may support the creation of a work environment that speaks to the particular requirements and preferences of Generation Alpha. This serves an important message for the employers to remain aware of the evolving dynamics across generations in the workplace.

    ReplyDelete

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