Work-life balance: Is it possible?

DW (English)

For many young people, achieving the right balance between work and leisure is very important. But juggling so many factors like career, money, health, family and friends isn't always easy.

Transcript

00:00 Work-life balance. Work or life?

00:04 For young people of Generation Z,

00:07 work-life balance is especially important. Harmoniously balancing work and

00:11 private life,

00:12 having enough time for family, friends, leisure and health,

00:16 and for self-actualisation. Employers have to offer something to attract them

00:21 as applicants.

00:22 Flexible working hours, working from home,

00:25 a four-day week, or even so-called new work from a beautiful beach.

00:32 Numerous studies suggest companies would also benefit from this.

00:36 Employees would be more motivated, more productive,

00:39 identify more with the company and have less absenteeism

00:43 and fewer sick days.

00:48 But can there be such a thing as perfect work-life balance?

00:52 Doing excellent work, being super healthy,

00:55 maintaining great friendships, having an exceptional marriage,

00:59 and being the best mum or dad in the world

01:02 all at once.

01:06 David Sedaris' four burners theory says that it can't be done.

01:10 Take a gas stove. Each burner represents

01:13 a primary aspect of life. Family, friends, health or work.

01:18 But the fuel supply is limited. If all of the burners go at the same rate, you have

01:23 a balanced life,

01:24 but nothing is especially great.

01:28 If you turn up, say, the family burner, you must turn down the other burners.

01:34 Turn it up to a hundred percent and the other burners go out.

01:40 The theory now is to be successful you have to turn off at least one burner.

01:45 To be very successful, even two.

01:49 And anyway, instead of work-life balance, more and more people are now talking

01:53 about work-life blending.

01:55 The merging of work and life. No longer two separate spheres.

01:59 It could look like this. Immediately after a video conference on a Sunday

02:04 while on vacation,

02:06 hitting the waves. But that's another topic.

02:09 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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