Work life balance
Do you spend more time at work than with your family? Do you face challenges in your personal life that are affecting your work? Do you feel that your work life and personal life is out of balance? Many employers are willing to help you to deal with your current family or personal difficulties.
Work life balance policies help employees to combine their work and personal life. These policies include statutory entitlements such as an annual leave, maternity and parental leave, carers leave etc. as well as non statutory policies and schemes as flexitime, worksharing, career breaks etc.
Non-statutory policies and schemes
- Flexitime – gives flexibility to vary starting and finishing time.
- Worksharing - allows staff to avail of an attendance pattern other than full-time – afternoons or mornings only, 3 or 4 days per week, week on-week off etc.
- Term time – allows employees to take 8, 10 or 13 weeks of unpaid leave from July to August to their children’s holidays.
- Career breaks – period of unpaid leave from work of between 6 months and 5 years; allowed for domestic reasons such as childcare, travel abroad or education.
- Teleworking/ e-working – employees work from home office and maintains a presence in the office electronically (e-mail, telephone, fax etc.)
- Civil service childcare initiative
Other special leave schemes:
- Marriage leave
- Bereavement leave
- Paternity leave
- Special leave for domestic circumstances
Tips on how to achieve a better work life balance.
- Make a list to do for one week. Include work and non-work related activities and decide what your priorities are. Drop unnecessary activities.
- Talk to your employer and find out if offer more flexible work patterns (job-sharing, working from home, working part-time or variable working hours etc.)
- Try to manage your time better. Ask your partner and family to share your responsibilities in your personal life.
- Create small-term goals and deadlines and enjoy the satisfaction of reaching them.
- Plan fun and relaxation. Discover activities you can enjoy with your family, partner and friends. Switch your phone and computer off when enjoying your free time.