We’ve all heard the expression ‘work-life balance’ but it undoubtedly means different things to different people. In a nutshell however, it’s finding that optimum balance between the hours you spend working versus your ‘me time’, that is, time spent with your loved ones and undertaking hobbies, such as sleep perhaps!
Agencies – whether it be PR, advertising, design or communications – have a reputation for long and demanding hours – four in ten in PR professionals report their hours as between 49-79 per week*. It’s not unheard of for people to work late into the night as well as through the weekend. However, this is a trend that seems, in some instances, to be getting stamped out – or at least people are trying to.
It feels like there is a shift taking place in certain corners, for striking the balance between work and your personal life. Work hard, and yes there is always going to be overtime needed for tasks such as new business pitches or project completion, but as a whole it is becoming increasingly recognised that staff should leave the office at a reasonable hour to do other things. Live life!
Just recently there was a sad story about an employee from Ogilvy & Mathers Philippines who died after purportedly working overtime while suffering from pneumonia. While this is an extreme example, it highlights the ‘just having to get things done’ culture that exists within the industry as a whole.
Here at Approach PR we work very hard and absolutely love what we do, but we ensure there is time to enjoy everyday life outside of the work bubble. Our team is our greatest asset and balance, we believe, makes us better and more successful at what we do. A happy, motivated, non-exhausted and a non-stressed workforce is the key to high performance and ultimately, to happy clients. What’s not to embrace?
Check out our tips on achieving business and life goals and also our advice on staying inspired at work.
Image sourced from Wikimedia Commons.
