Work-life Balance
How Today’s Businesswomen Strike a Work-life Balance
(ARA) - Gone are the days when women were expected to
stay at home to dote on their children and husbands.
Today’s women have broken through the glass ceiling and
are finding their way to corner offices around the
country.
Juggling life both inside and outside the home can be a
challenge -- that’s why it’s important to strike the
proper balance between work and personal lives. Luckily,
there are specific strategies that women can implement
to strike a healthier balance.
Find Work that Works -
With today’s struggling economy and families requiring
dual incomes, finding an employer that offers
flexibility is often the key to both a successful career
and personal life. And finding employers with this
approach may be easier than you think. For example, The
HON Company, a leading manufacturer of office furniture,
understands the importance of family and instills a
culture that enables work-life balance. Beyond creating
quality office furniture that creates a comfortable,
flexible and “home-like” work setting, HON offers its
members perks such as flexible spending accounts to help
offset the costs of daycare, local YMCA fitness center
allowances and family-oriented activities.
“A member committee plans monthly outings and provides
opportunities for members to purchase discounted passes
for local family events,” says Tim Heth, vice president
of member and community relations for HON.
“Additionally, members are allotted one hour of paid
volunteer time each week to utilize in any way they wish
-- from local Habitat for Humanity projects to their
children’s PTA. Each benefit helps improve employee
morale for both our female and male members.”
“Make sure you go to work with someone that has the same
philosophy as you do,” says Tammy Vasilatos, owner of
Tammy Vasilatos CPA, LLC, a 100 percent female
accounting firm in El Paso, Tex. Vasilatos has created a
family-friendly work atmosphere by offering flexible
work schedules to her employees. She adds, “Don’t give
up what you want, because you don’t need to do that
anymore. The women before us had to, but we don’t.”
“I am more understanding of the importance of work-life
balance,” says Michelle Horan, president and owner of
Salka Office Furniture, a full-service office dealer in
Meridian, Conn. “I am very flexible with hours and time
off. I believe that taking care of good employees and
customers is what leads to success.”
Set Realistic Time Schedules -
While work deadlines are a necessary evil that you must
complete, will anything bad happen if the dishes don’t
get done or the bed isn’t made every day? No - so don’t
sweat the small stuff.
Start each week with a realistic “to-do list” for both
your work and home life. Check yourself each day to
ensure that you are making progress and that your time
allowances are in check. By the end of the work week, if
you’ve completed enough tasks each day, your weekend can
truly be enjoyed. And don’t sweat it if you didn’t get
to the household chores. If you need to, you can hire a
professional cleaning or landscaping service.
Leave Work at Work -
With cell phones, laptops, PDAs and home offices, it has
become blurry when the workday begins and ends. Be sure
to separate your personal time from professional time by
turning off your connections to the working world and
turning on your connections with your family and
friends.
Learn to Say No -
If you’re a parent, you are probably a pro at saying
“no” to your kids, so learn how to respectfully say no
to projects that don’t fit within your schedule. Whether
it’s taking the lead on a project at work, or coaching a
soccer team, it’s okay to say no to projects that will
bring you more stress than joy. As long as you are
honest with your employers, they will most likely
understand.
“Don’t be embarrassed or apologetic that you want to
have both a career and a family,” adds Vasilatos.
“Employers just want good quality work.” Plus, if you
are in over your head, you may not be putting in your
best work anyway.
While striking a work-life balance in today’s fast-paced
world isn’t an easy task, by following these few
guidelines, it is possible. “Now is a wonderful time to
be a woman in the workforce,” says Vasilatos. “You
really can have it all!”
For more information on The HON Company, visit
www.HON.com.
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