In 1930 economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that our generation would be working for just 15 hours a week and living a life of leisure. Needless to say, he was mistaken.
With the rise of non-stop emails and a 24-hour work culture, the average working week in the UK has actually risen to 42.7 hours for full-time employees, with research suggesting millennials are even more likely than their elders to blur the line between work and home.
So why do so many of us struggle to switch off? Professor Peter Fleming places the blame with the rise of insecure employment. “Much of this pressure stems from the disempowerment of the workforce. Insecurity naturally makes it more likely that people will sacrifice everything for their job,” he says.
But even permanent employees can struggle with the pressures of our “always on” culture. To find a better work-life fit, you need to harness the power of saying no, advises Leeds-based life coach Melanie Allen. “If you tend to say yes without thinking when you’re asked to do something extra, stall. Say you’ll get back to the person asking, then use that time to think clearly about whether to say yes or no. If you want to say yes, fine. But if you want to say no, say no and keep saying it.”
It’s also important to break away from the idea of perfection, adds Allen. “If you’re overworked, you need to explicitly tell yourself that what you’ve done may not be perfect, but it is good enough.”
Ultimately with work-life balance, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Some people find being self-employed or working flexibly improves their mental health, while others find moving into more secure employment relieves stress.
So whether flexitime, office-based work or freelancing suits you best, how can you make sure you strike a better work-life balance? Join us on Thursday 29 June from 1–2.30pm BST for our webchat with the experts. We’ll be discussing:
- Tips for achieving a better work-life balance.
- Advice on flexible working rights and requests.
- How to find a job that suits your lifestyle.
The Q&A will take place in the comments section below this article. Taking part is easier than ever: create a free Guardian account, or log in using your Twitter or Facebook profiles to comment. Alternatively, you can tweet us @GuardianCareers or email your questions to sarah.shearman@theguardian.com, who can post them for you.
The panel
Sarah Archer is a qualified career coach, and co-founder of CareerTree. She specialises in helping people change career and regularly advises clients on effective interview strategies.
Matthew Creagh is a policy officer at the Trades Union Congress. He covers areas such as labour market enforcement, employment tribunal fees and family friendly rights. He is currently leading a research project to better understand the situation of young, working parents.
Tracey Eker is the chief executive and founder of Flexiworkforce, a career platform which specialises in flexible working. She is a family friendly working champion for the Scottish Government, advocating flexible working policies as a means to improve diversity and inclusion in the UK workforce.
Peter Fleming is professor of business and society at Cass Business School, City, University of London. He has written several books on the topic of work. His new book, The Death of Homo Economicus, will be published by Pluto Press later this year.
Claire Gilbert is an employment law specialist and volunteers for Working Families’ legal advice service. She has 11 years’ experience advising employers and employees on a wide range of employment law issues including flexible working, discrimination and workplace disputes
Jo Martin is a senior employment law specialist at Bond Dickinson LLP solicitors, and advises employers and employees on all legal issues arising, from discrimination to contractual matters, restructuring to dismissals.
Annie Ridout is founder and editor of online parenting and lifestyle magazine The Early Hour, as well as a freelance journalist, copywriter and blogger. She is a full time mum to her three-year-old daughter and four-month-old baby boy.
Gary Wood is a chartered psychologist, life coach and author of Unlock Your Confidence. He works with clients to achieve work-life balance, career development and confidence at work.
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