Today is Valentines day, for many this is an important day to remind loved ones just how much you mean to them,But how many workers find it it hard to take even five minutes out of there working day to say those 3 magic words.
According to a recent survey by the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) on how a poor work-life balance can drive can affect relationships outside of work.
From a survey of 2,000 people, it was reported that long working hours and high workloads where the two main causes of relationship breakdowns
Dr Luise Vassie, Executive Director of Policy at IOSH, said: “The struggle to achieve a good work-life balance is an ever growing issue in today’s society. It seems that too many of us are letting work take hold of our lives – and our home life is often suffering as a result.
“Of course, people are working harder than ever, but as our results show, too many are seeing their relationships outside of work suffer as a consequence. And this isn’t solely a problem for the employee. An unhappy worker is often an unproductive one.
Leading researcher in the field of quality working life, Professor Cary Cooper, said: “IOSH’s poll ties in with the fact that the UK has the longest working hours in Europe.
“One of the main issues that lead to a poor work-life balance is bad management. There are managers out there who create a culture where people feel they cannot leave – they have to come early or stay late.
“Employers need to be open to flexible working hours to allow home-life and work-life to have a healthy balance. Saying that, it’s also down to the individual to make sure they organise their lives well and manage their workloads, avoiding working long hours.
“If people are experiencing a poor work-life balance they are not investing time with their partner, spouse, kids, friends or even families – and that is what causes a breakdown in these relationships.”
Wellbeing is high on the Government agenda and, in these tough economic times, a wellbeing policy can make the difference for any company.
