Achieving work-life balance

The increasing complexity of many people's lives and today's technologically driven, "switched-on" culture means that "work-life balance" has never been more important.

The concept of work-life balance first emerged in the 1980s and some say the term has become overused and undervalued since then. For example, is work-life balance just for those with families, or is it an out-dated notion given that it's no longer possible to fully separate work from home in today's technologically driven workplace?

"Work" is part of "life", and the line between work and home has become increasingly blurred over the past decade or so.

But this trend makes it even more important to achieve some kind of equilibrium between the energy and time we devote to work and that which is preserved for the other important parts of our existence. This applies to everyone, regardless of circumstance and caring responsibilities.

We are all individuals and our need for a life outside work is universal, although our personal attitudes and situations will influence the flexibility we need from work.

1. Draw a line between work and home life. We know from research by CIPD - the professional body for HR and people development - that the more emotional involvement a person has in their work, the higher the rate of burnout they can experience. We also know that increases in mental ill health and stress are far higher in public services.

People working in frontline roles involving vulnerable groups like children and young people are likely to be among the most emotionally engaged in the UK workforce; so it is even more important that they are able to switch off from the job and emotionally disengage outside the workplace.

We are noticing a rise in "presenteeism" - people working when ill - as well as people using their annual leave to work. This makes it harder for people to switch off and is not good for long-term health, so be alert to any underlying issues like unmanageable workloads. Encourage people to "disconnect" and use their leave for leisure and not for work.

2. Create a flexible culture. Another myth about work-life balance is that it is just about having a flexible working policy. Having a policy that actively promotes a wide range of working arrangements and is implemented fairly by managers is important, but it is about much more than that.

Leaders need to encourage a flexible-working culture and make sure the organisation's values are demonstrated by all managers. This means not working long hours yourself and not praising others who do. We need to work smarter and not longer. Refrain from emailing outside of the normal working day and send a clear message that emails should not be sent during weekends and evenings unless there are exceptional circumstances.

3. Embed the right practices. Line managers are key to ensuring that work-life balance is a reality. They are the main interface between the organisation and its people. They control workloads, set the tone for working reasonable hours and are usually responsible for implementing people management policies, including flexible working. They have the day-to-day relationship with people and should be alert to changes in behaviour that could signal signs of stress if someone is struggling to reconcile conflicting work and domestic demands. They should be confident to have sensitive conversations and discuss working arrangements to suit individual needs, as far as possible.

It is vital that organisations invest in their people managers by training them and making sure they are fair and compassionate in how they implement flexible working. Managers also need to build a culture of trust, based on outputs and not presenteeism.

4. Lead by example. Being able to switch off from work commitments is just as critical for senior managers in children's services as it is for team members. Leaders are important role models, and their behaviour influences the actions of everyone in the organisation. But the responsibility of knowing that the buck ultimately stops with them can be a heavy burden. This will be even greater if you're heading up a frontline service and juggling decreasing budgets with increasing demands. Lead by example by setting clear boundaries for yourself, and look after your own wellbeing by ensuring you have the time to relax outside work.

5. Promote good physical and mental health. To be effective, a work-life balance policy needs to be part of a holistic health and wellbeing strategy. Prevention is better than cure and organisations need to promote good mental and physical wellbeing as well as support for people if they do experience poor health. This can include a range of "lifestyle" initiatives like walking clubs, smoking cessation, health screening and encouraging openness about mental health issues.

The best programmes involve people from the start, so think about setting up a voluntary network of health and wellbeing champions who can tap into the best ideas from the wider workforce.

It is very likely that their passion and creativity will help to steer the organisation's health and wellbeing programme in the right direction.

Rachel Suff is senior policy adviser at CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development