EEO Trust news: Work life balance earns staff commitment
16 April 2007New EEO Trust research is exploring the links between workplace initiatives to encourage work-life balance and increased employee engagement and discretionary effort. A comprehensive literature review revealed that if workplace culture supports work-life balance, staff are more likely to ‘go the extra mile’.
Alongside the literature review, the EEO Trust interviewed people at two Auckland workplaces to explore how their supportive approach to work-life balance impacted on staff loyalty and commitment. Penny Smith from the Auckland Chamber of Commerce explained that Chamber Chief Executive Michael Barnett takes a genuine interest in people’s lives outside work. “It makes a huge difference and I love my job so I have no hesitation about going beyond the call of duty.”
Gary McMahon is Manager of MS Auckland which supports people with multiple sclerosis. He described his approach to staff and clients. “You need to have energy and positivity when you’re providing services to people, particularly people with MS who often feel that they have little or no control over their health or their lives. Our approach is to give them back a sense of control and, to do that, the whole team needs to be happy and positive in order to deliver a positive message.”
His staff agree that this approach works for them. As fundraiser Nicola Garland says, “It’s a whole give and take thing and there’s definitely a lot of give from Gary.”
The EEO Trust plans to further develop this research project with a survey of employees of some of New Zealand’s leading employers in work-life balance. Each participating workplace will receive a report on its employees’ work-life balance and engagement benchmarked against other participants’ results.
If you would like to discuss participating in this research email the EEO Trust
For more on the research go to the March issue of the EEO Trust Work & Life Bulletin.