The rise of remote and hybrid work arrangements has largely erased the boundary between work and home and re-energized the debate over work/life balance. Multiple surveys have found that as employers require workers to return to physical workplaces, work/life balance is falling while stress is climbing.
As a result, some workplace experts suggest that the time has come to retire the concept of work/life balance (which was first introduced in 1910) and replace it with one better suited to this century.
Work/life integration (WLI) is a holistic approach that seeks to blend personal and professional needs. Rather than treating work and life as separate entities or creating a conflict between them, the goal of WLI is to find areas of compromise and synergy.
“When there’s continuity between your personal and professional life, work can be part of a fulfilling life,” said Tracy Brower, vice president of workplace insights at Steelcase in Holland, Mich., and author of Secrets to Happiness at Work (Simple Truths, 2021). “Work/life integration is the key to work/life fulfillment.”
Top executives at consulting firm Deloitte U.S. are aware that their employees are their greatest asset and that their ability to meet business objectives depends on their well-being, said Melanie Langsett, principal of rewards, recognition, and well-being for Deloitte in Atlanta. She sees the 24/7 “on-duty” mentality as an impediment to individual well-being, which, in turn, has a negative impact on the ability to meet organizational objectives and goals.
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