To: Wei Wang, Director of HR Business Partners (Client Service) From: HR Client Service Team Support Date: February 19, 2022 Subject: Request to Conduct Research on Overwork and Poor Work-life Balance
Homework help – Summary As the World Bank Group HQ human resources client service team, we support and assist more than three thousand HQ and regional staff. Because of that, the HR support teams and HR Business partners are overworked, working overtime and weekends. To improve this situation, I propose that the HR department enforce the current health policies for employees and include a work-life balance policy, meaning policy intended to provide a framework for introducing flexible working arrangements to the mutual benefit of employees, the organisation, and users of the services provided.
What the Problem Is and Why It Needs to Be Investigated The problem the HR department is facing is that work is taking an important place in employees life, especially in terms of time:
· They leave work late at night or arrive very early in the morning.
· They regularly bring work home in the evenings and on weekends.
· They do not take all their leaves.
Overworking has negative consequences and impacts on employees and organisations. Suppose an organisation, consciously or not, stifles the privacy of its employees by overworking them. In that case, this inevitably leads to dissatisfaction and stress, which in turn manifests itself in illness, reduced productivity and alienation from the company. That is not to say that employees cannot work long hours for the seasonal work increase or resolve a crisis but chronically overworking is detrimental to the overall wellbeing of employees and organisations.
What Secondary Research I Have Conducted about the Problem Secondary research that I have conducted on the problem spun around the consequences of overworking and its impact on employees’ work-life balance. Many publications show a correlation between overwork and work-life balance, employee performance, and health issues.
Research also shows that overwork hurts employees and companies. Overwork results in stress that can lead to all sorts of health issues, such as sleep deprivation, depression, heart disease and other chronic diseases. It is terrible for a company’s business, showing up as turnover, lack of engagement and rising health costs. Furthermore, it shows that overworking does not lead to productivity but rather decreases effectiveness.
Why We Will Benefit from My Research and Recommendations Our department will benefit from the research on the issue because the research will provide a better understanding of what overwork looks like and how it impacts employees and the organisation. In addition, the research will show ways in which overwork can be avoided and work-life balance improved; it will also show the benefits of having employees that are not overworked and have a good work-life balance such as:
· Increased productivity or output
· Improved employee engagement
· Greater motivation and commitment
My recommendations will allow the HR client service managers to consider the consequences of failing to enforce health policies and implementing a work-life balance policy. More importantly, help them help their employees achieve a better work-life balance.
Conclusion HR as a whole is the driving force in driving change, and as such, it must lead by example. The HR Client service department is increasingly overworked, leaving employees with so much work that they have to either work long hours or take work home. HR needs to apply the very policies, care and attention it gives to the organisation’s employees to its very own staff. Therefore with your permission, I will conduct extensive research to provide you with a strategy that we can use to put in place a work-life balance policy and indicate the benefits associated with its implementation.
