Get involved in
National Work
Life Week
1-5 October 2018
Launched by Working Families, the first National Work Life Week, took place in 2010. The week aims to promote the balance between working life and home life.
We should be working to live, not living for work. Giving plenty of attention to both work and family is crucial to ensure that we live in a healthy society.
There are a whole host of ideas designed to promote this healthy work life balance. Some suggestions include ‘go home on time day’, and what about ‘take your child to work day’, or you could launch an internal best boss competition. And, if you are stuck for ideas, check out the official website to see what organisations did last year to celebrate National Work Life Week.
I used to be the worst offender of working late in the office every day of the week. Not only did this mean less time with my loved ones, but it meant getting home later and less time to myself. What’s worse is that many people stay late and end up doing more work rather than using it to finish off their existing workload. Research has shown that working more than the usual 9am to 5pm leads to a greater risk of heart disease. The researchers suggest that if GPs were to ask about working hours during consultations they could possibly spot 6,000 out of of the 125,000 people who suffer heart attacks in the UK each year. For more information about this research click here. So, if you really have work to do, try to do some home work rather than stay late at the office.
Employers and employees can get involved by joining networks and staff associations, organising training events or fun events such as quizzes and fundraising activities. It’s the perfect time to refresh company policies and promote diversity and role models across an organisation.
Whatever you decide to do this National Work Life Week let Working Families know and they will publish your workplace events on their website.
Working Families is there, not to encourage career changes, but to support real life changes that help people better balance responsibilities at home and at work. A good place to start is with National Work Life Week.
And whatever you do, make sure that on 21 June you leave work on time as it’s Go Home on Time Day!