The Recession and Work-Life Balance

6:39 am September 1, 2010, by Henry Unger

Balancing work and family has gotten tougher in this recession, according to a survey released Wednesday.

How do these numbers add up to you?

Thirty-eight percent of those polled said their work-life balance has gotten worse since the Great Recession started, according to a survey by polling firm StrategyOne.

Only 10 percent said it has improved, according to the survey of 1,043 Americans, including 613 who work full-time or part-time.

A vast majority of Americans (89 percent) see work-life balance as a problem, including 54 percent who said it is a “significant problem,” the survey found.

Still, 69 percent said their own balance is adequate, the survey said.

The consequences of an imbalance go beyond the workplace.

When Americans’ work-life balance is disrupted, families bear the brunt, the survey found.

Thirty-seven percent said that time with family is the first thing that suffers when work-life balance gets out of whack. Twenty-two percent said that personal time is most affected.

When asked if their company is doing enough to address the issue, 57 percent said yes and 43 percent said no.

What do you say?

© 2010 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution