Apartment Living can improve your Work-Life Balance
Creating an ideal balance between work and life is something that most of us need, and to achieve the required balance, it is important that one assesses one’s values and priorities. It is necessary to picturize one’s perfect life, assess the current situation he or she is in, and then work towards determining the gap. I do remember having many conversations with colleagues on this. Frustrated because I never found a perfect balance most of the time and while debating the topic with colleagues, I recall my own words ‘But what can be done about it?’ The answer given by a friend of mine was so true and is still stuck firmly in my mind. She did reply saying ‘Something can be done about it’. Yes indeed!
Each of us understand something different and have our own definitions when it comes to work-life balance. However, all of us share the same idea that work life balance essentially means having time to do things one enjoys outside work-related activities. As truly said by Thomas Merton “Happiness is not a matter of intensity, but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.”
SURVEY ON WORK LIFE BALANCE
Outlook conducted a recent survey on work-life balance wherein a lot of interrogation was done on different issues related to the same. They questioned employees (both men and women working in different levels) as to how many hours they spent on other aspects of life, which of one’s personal hobbies would benefit from work life balance- initiatives and why do work life balance measures fail.
The following responses were received. Employees said that although ideally, they would like to spend 41% or more of their time on other aspects, they were actually spending only 33% of time for activities outside work. 44% of the employees agreed that a lot of importance should be given by companies for self-development and training because a better skilled and trained employee can perform well at work and will not have reasons to quit or work overtime. 38% of the employees said that work life balance measures fail because they receive nil support from the management to manage this issue. 61% also agreed that men and women should receive equal support to achieve this balance.
COMPANIES NEED TO PITCH IN TO HELP EMPLOYEES HAVE A HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Many companies have now realized that to bring out the desired performance from their employees, their intervention is much needed to keep their employees in good spirit and help them have a good work life balance. Working towards the same goal, most companies now offer support in the form of allotting flexible working hours, having their own on-site fitness and exercise facilities, having on site canteens offering food at subsidized rates. Some companies go as far as offering counseling when an employee is going through difficult times like death of a close member.
There are companies which are also offering on-site child care. Many companies give compensatory offs or time off to employees for special occasions or for a project well done. Most companies are offering free health insurance with coverage for the entire family and also organizing a complete on-site health check-up, thus saving employees’ time to get the same done during week-ends or other holidays, when they can be spending time doing something else enjoyable. Most importantly, companies are conducting and encouraging their employees to attend free seminars and workshops which help them train to perform better at work and improve their skills, which would result in achieving the desired goals or targets.
With Companies assisting employees towards attaining a good work life balance, we have employees who are opting for deluxe/premium apartments where a certain set of much needed amenities are available well within the same campus. Most of them want to be a part of a community where they can make like-minded friends and relax with them doing fun activities during holidays and weekends. They also want to live in such a place where facilities like tennis courts, swimming pools, gymnasium etc. are available so that they need not travel far for a game with friends or for regular work-outs.
HOW APARTMENT LIVING CAN IMPROVE WORK LIFE BALANCE?
Most of them want a convenience store or supermarket within the vicinity of their apartment which helps them get their daily essentials without travelling far, especially after they come back tired from work. People with children want child play areas close by to their apartments. Most of them like landscaped gardens for a nice morning or evening walk or to simply meditate and connect with the Divine, a party hall for celebrations like birthdays or anniversaries and of course tight security 24/7. There are also many other services offered by premium builders for apartment owners like laundry services, car wash and maintenance, garbage clearance and power back up facilities.
By offering all these amenities to owners/tenants, living in such apartments actually improve the work life balance of people an enormous deal. If home can become a place of relaxation and rejuvenation, life will be happier, more peaceful and hassle free. Because of all these reasons, apartment living has become highly popular and we have more and more people opting to move into apartments. Not only can people have a happier and better life at work place, they can remain stress free and relaxed even after they come back home.