ASK THE EXPERT
I’M A DAD – HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY WORK-LIFE BALANCE?
Q WORK is really busy and I’m working much longer hours, which means my wife often has to look after our young children on her own. How can I spend more time with my family without causing problems at work?
A JONATHAN SWAN, right, head of research at the Working Families (workingfamilies.org.uk) charity, says: “Nobody minds when they have to put in extra time at work now and again, when there’s a big project or looming deadline.
“But when this happens all the time, and long hours are the norm, it becomes a problem, especially when there are other things you want to do, like spending time with your family.
“Research shows what people need are ‘human-sized’ jobs, where the workload matches the hours allocated to the role. When hours get longer, there are negative consequences – performance drops and resentment builds. People need to go home on time.
“Fathers can find this particularly difficult. The idea of being an involved dad has evolved and fathers want to spend more time with their young children.
“Expectations and social norms have changed, but often workplaces haven’t adjusted correspondingly. Although many offer flexible working policies, these are often undermined by the underlying culture of long hours and presenteeism believed to be essential to progression.
“There are a number of actions parents could take. They could put in a flexible working request, which any employee with at least 26 weeks of service has a legal right to do. Finding others who seem to have a better balance and learning how they’ve navigated this would also be worthwhile.
“The most daunting task is to talk to your manager about reducing your workload.
“To really effect change means grappling with the twin issues of work volume and work intensity, and for this you have to enlist your line manager’s help. It’s a tough conversation – but if you really want a better work-life balance, it’s one you’ll have to have.”