Our Op-Ed in the British HR Magazine in June 2017
Why work/life balance needs a rethink
Isaac Getz, JUNE 19, 2017
Our time is split into two boxes: ‘work’ – things we earn money for – and ‘life’ – things we do outside of work. HR takes care of the work box, leaving employees free to nurture the life part. Less understandable is HR’s ranking of these two boxes. The ‘life’ box is ranked as more fun. To put it differently, HR departments tend to view employees as preferring notto work. Now this conception is set (i.e. that work is separate from life, life is fun work isn’t) it is HR’s role to compensatefor work suffering.
First of all, we need to be materially compensated for the work we do with a salary. However, that doesn’t make people motivated or particularly productive, which is why they are offered benefits, perks, or bonuses. The effect is famously ephemeral. Like a donkey who is given a carrot, employees stop moving once they finish the vegetable. To move again they ask for a new carrot – and a longer one this time.
Read the full article here