What does it mean to balance all aspects of our life?
What does work-life balance mean?
In trying to juggle the different aspects of our lives, we often experience a deep sense of loneliness, frustration, and sometimes even failure. We struggle to align work schedules with free time or the time spent with our children, we feel guilty, and we think we're not capable of putting everything together.
The point is that, in this daily "Tetris," we think we're the only ones who need to take action. It shouldn't be that way. The real question is: does the society I live in provide me with the tools to keep everything in balance?
Did you know that in the Netherlands, May 1st is not celebrated? This is the case in many countries. I grew up with the idea that it was a universally celebrated holiday, necessary to reflect on workers' rights. Overall, we've achieved a lot in terms of rights—at least in the West. Certainly not for all categories, but in theory, we have little to complain about.
In the Netherlands, work-life balance is a key aspect of individual and family organization. It's not just a buzzword but something truly practiced. In Italy, everything shuts down in August! Try calling a Dutch person during the three consecutive weeks they take off for the summer break. Internationally, these are known as "Dutch holidays." The school calendar includes several weeks of breaks throughout the year. The longest is the summer break, but it's "only" six weeks. This setup helps to balance school life with work life. That said, most Dutch people take three straight weeks off between July and August. There are no emails or calls—they are completely disconnected.
How can one achieve sustainable work?
On one hand, we need to work on ourselves by evaluating our values and priorities to find a job aligned with what we want or to renegotiate our current working conditions. On the other hand, we need tools provided by lawmakers and a breakdown of societal biases and myths (such as, "Oh, leaving early today?" when it's already 6 PM, for example).
This is exactly what some governments are working on today
Right to Smartworking (United Kingdom and Other Countries)
In the United Kingdom, discussions are underway regarding the introduction of the right to telework (or remote work) as an option that employees can request from their very first day of employment. In other European countries, like the Netherlands, telework is already regulated, and workers have the right to request flexible work arrangements.
Right to Disconnect (European Union and Various Member States)
The right to disconnect is becoming a central topic in discussions across Europe. I mentioned it earlier. Technology facilitates many aspects of our lives, but it also keeps us constantly reachable. What is meant to be a possibility often becomes an obligation. I remember when I was younger, if there wasn’t a phone nearby, no one could ask for anything until we returned from vacation.
Countries like France, Italy, and Spain have already implemented regulations that guarantee this right, while others are considering similar measures. In Italy, for instance, the 2021 Agile Work Protocol stipulates that work can be divided into time slots, and a specific time window must be identified where the employee has the right to disconnect from devices.
Right to Work-Life Balance
Directive (EU) 2019/1158 was introduced to improve the balance between professional and family life, providing new rights for workers, such as paid parental leave and greater work flexibility. In the Netherlands, for example, it's possible to request different hours than the standard ones: many parents start working at 7 AM to pick up their children from school at 3 PM. Consider that children, especially those under 10, go to bed between 6 and 7 PM, which means the time spent together is limited. Being able to leave work earlier allows for a shared family life.
Right to Transparent and Predictable Working Conditions
Directive (EU) 2019/1152 establishes new rights for workers, particularly for those in atypical work arrangements, such as zero-hour contracts and other flexible types of employment. This directive requires:
Transparency regarding working conditions, including hours and methods.
Predictability for workers, ensuring they know in advance when and where they will be working.
Limitation of on-call work, requiring employers to specify when workers must be available.
This directive aims to enhance job security and clarity for workers across the European Union
Right to Sustainable Work
Some countries, such as Sweden and Denmark, are experimenting with policies for reduced working hours and more sustainable work models, such as a four-day workweek without a reduction in pay. This approach aims to enhance productivity and the well-being of workers by reducing stress and burnout while increasing the ability to balance work with other aspects of life. In many cases, these initiatives are driven by private companies that not only offer a reduction in weekly hours but also provide other incentives for the well-being of their employees.
These efforts reflect a growing recognition of the importance of work-life balance and employee welfare in promoting a sustainable workforce
Right to Support in Career Transition
In Europe, the issues of reskilling and upskilling are central to addressing the challenges of the digital and ecological transitions, with the goal of enhancing workers' skills and ensuring their employability in a rapidly evolving job market. This topic resonates with me, both because it is part of my work and as someone who constantly seeks to improve their skills.
The European Union has launched several initiatives to promote continuous learning and skills adaptation, such as the Skills Pact and the European Year of Skills 2023, aiming to train millions of workers in strategic sectors.
These policies aim to address the specific needs of sectors affected by digitalization and the ecological transition, promoting inclusion in the labor market, particularly for women, youth, and disadvantaged groups.
Additionally, the European Commission has allocated significant funding through the European Social Fund Plus and other tools, thus supporting large-scale training projects for professional updating and reskilling
Right to Equal Pay and Inclusion
The European Union is advocating for greater salary transparency to combat gender pay discrimination. In March 2023, the European Parliament issued the pay transparency directive, which, among other measures, penalizes companies that maintain a wage gap greater than 5%, as I mentioned earlier.
The proposal includes measures such as:
Requirement for companies to publish data on pay differences between men and women.
Stronger rights for workers to obtain information about the salaries of their colleagues.
More effective complaint procedures for those experiencing pay discrimination.
These measures aim to promote pay equity and enhance inclusivity in the workplace across the EU.
Cultural changes drive legislative changes. Yet, it seems that everything progresses very slowly. On one hand, there are segments of the population pushing for and promoting change, while on the other hand, some people love the status quo and struggle to accept that things should be different. Equal pay for the same work seems obvious and taken for granted, yet it is not a reality, and we accept a 5% margin just to see some change.
We talk about awareness and self-care, but for many, working part-time or not answering the phone after hours is still a luxury.
Hearing young people aged 20 to 25 "complain" that internships are unpaid or poorly paid takes me back twenty years, when I experienced the same treatment with the old adage "the pay is the experience," which doesn't cover rent or even lunch breaks today as it didn't then.
Sustainable work doesn't depend solely on us—on me or you. It's a bit like saying, "If you believe it, you can achieve it." No, external conditions must also be in place for this to be possible.
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