Reinventing Work-life balance

Can we bring balance between work and life? Instead of compromising between work and life, can we have both? Lets reinvent work-life balance.

Before the Industrial Revolution, there was no concept of work-life balance. Work and life were so intertwined that they often happened simultaneously.

A temporary separation of work and family was a consequence of military necessities. It was expected of the army man to leave their family behind while he was serving in the army. However, during peacetime, these men were part of the agrarian and service economies. This separation was not the norm; instead, it was an aberration caused by national calamities or invasions.

The strict and persistent separation of work from life came during the Industrial Age. Initial industrial activities, such as mining (particularly coal mining), metallurgy, and others, involved hazardous chemicals (explosives like TNT, acids, etc.), heat, and giant machines that posed a severe health hazard to workers. Here, the presence of danger became a cause for concern, particularly when vulnerable children and untrained adults were around such machines.

Modern organisations operating in these hazardous industrial activities were modelled after the army. They borrowed the separation of work and life from the military.

Modern economic activity, however, has moved away from the industrial services sector. But it has not changed the way organisations separate work and life. We are currently experimenting with a 4-day workweek, office leisure comforts, flexitime, and other ideas. These ideas do not solve the central problem.

The Central Problem - inefficiency in both work and life!

People cannot work, concentrate and be productive in long, pre-defined time slots of 8 hours. Invariably, their productivity declines, and work suffers. Many carry their work home. Some wait out at the office to hit the productive hours in their day. This means less life and more work. This means less family time, weaker relationships, fewer children, lesser satisfaction, and a loss of meaning in life.

We need to re-invest work-life equations.

Imagine an office environment where families work together. Work and life all meshed together.

• Here, kids are in the office, not secluded in a separate play area or on-site creches. They peek in on Zoom calls, bring you their drawings or homework, or borrow your pen or eraser right in the middle of work.

• So are pets! Pets, too, roam around and follow you, and cats often seek your attention during meetings. Dogs have to be fed in between emails.

• People, their spouses, and friends, as well as friends' spouses, are all in the same office, working for different companies and solving various problems, but their families are all in the same place.

• Or it could be an office where all people and their spouses work for the same company. Customers come in to visit, bringing their children and pets along with them.

• Some older kids may assist with the work. Some may help by playing or doing homework.

• There may be a group kitchen or restaurant, a gymnasium, or a library, all centred around the "office".

Why not?

Indeed, what I described above is quite radical. We will need to change what we expect from employers and what is expected from employees. We will need to rework the legal aspects, confidentiality and other variables to make it work.

But, we must not be afraid to imagine new equations of work-life balance - some that are more meaningful. Of course, we should discuss and debate it before we adopt it.

To me, the new office I described above sounds romantic. Such an office will have more and varied job responsibilities. You may need nurses, child-care specialists, cooks, librarians, and so on. Such an office will resemble a community centre - noisy and chaotic, yet warm and welcoming. Connections will be made, many skills will be learnt by watching, collaborations will occur, and relationships will form. Yes, we will have time for each other. Work won't be a burden; we will see more kids around. Sounds like life, doesn't it?

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