What Causes Work Life Imbalance Among Young Working Professionals?
Mar 06, 2021
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So you landed your first job right out of college and are now a working professional. You’re learning new things and are getting used to the company work culture. The first salary comes in and you get a sense of achievement.Over time, you feel you want to party on Saturday night but have to stay back at work for an urgent assignment. You want to travel with your friends over the long weekend but haven’t yet submitted your work. You fail to plan your week and now you may not reach in time for your family dinner.
Sound familiar? These are just a few scenarios. In today’s employee market, young professionals are suffering because they aren’t able to maintain a healthy work life balance. For millennials, having the time to enjoy their youth and freedom is of high importance. They also seek instant gratification through material things and want to work hard to make money to buy these things.
But what happens when the lines between work and life start getting blurred? Let’s look at what exactly are the major reasons for work life imbalance among millennials.
Not able to meet expectations:
When an employee feels they have been assigned work and are expected to to meet demands that do not match their capability, it can lead to stress.
If they feel they are not able to cope up and the consequences of not coping are serious, it can seriously affect their mental health. The fear of these consequences can lead to them trying harder to focus on work and neglecting personal life.
Not getting paid as per their capabilities:
With time if an employee has been performing well but hasn’t been compensated enough, it may cause resentment towards the organization. Not being paid enough for their hard work can cause employees to feel undervalued.
At the same time, if an employee’s expenses keep rising but salary doesn’t, it can be a major reason for dissatisfaction. This can reflect in their behaviour as signs of irritability and not giving in their best at work.
Longer than usual working hours:
This is one of the major reasons for the lack of balance in the lives of young professionals. Since they are filled with fresh energy, they are more capable of taking the strain of working till late for urgent work as compared to their older counterparts.
When they are made to work till late frequently, it can give rise to feelings of missing out on spending time with their friends or do things that pique their interest.
Indulging in work even at home:
Often young professionals hear complaints from family members about always being on their phone checking emails. This is a clear sign of poor work-life balance.
Make sure to completely disconnect from work after a fixed point and spend time with your family. Not doing so can prevent you from enjoying the social engagement you get when you spend quality time with your family and friends.
Unsupportive managers:
There are many negative effects of having a boss or a manager who doesn’t understand the value of allowing employees to disconnect from work outside of work. Among other things, it prevents employees from having quality time with their family after a hard day of work.
Organizations must ensure managers are well-trained to schedule and plan work effectively in order to prevent them from pushing employees to work till late. There are various free eLearning software available that can be used to train managers for workforce management skills and interpersonal skills.
Conclusion:
While millennials do not shy away from taking up responsibilities, they are most likely to suffer from mental health issues when they are not able to find a good balance between work and life. Employers must take necessary steps to ensure their young employees are not made to sacrifice their personal life for work.
Tags: English