Employers and work-life balance


 
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General terms

  • Core hours - hours (say 10am to 4pm) during which flexitime workers must be engaged in work.
  • Family-friendly - any policy or practice deemed to help families spend more time together and/or enjoy a better quality of life.
  • Flexible working - any form of alternative working pattern that is negotiable between the employer and employee. Flexible working allows employees to meet personal commitments (such as dropping children off at school) and aspirations (such as doing a degree) and meet business demands.
  • Time sovereignty - the control an individual has over their work and workload, including when, where and how they work. The more autonomy individuals have, the less stressed they are likely to be.
  • Work-life balance - having a measure of control over when, where and how you work, leading to being able to enjoy an optimal quality of life. Work-life balance is achieved when an individual’s right to a fulfilled life inside and outside paid work is accepted and respected as the norm, to the mutual benefit of the individual, business and society.

 

 

 



© Work-Life balance part of The Work Foundation 2005