Changing Perceptions
Workaholics and 'over-workers' due their personal priorities will often not see the need for a balance between their work and personal life. In fact, some of them may not even understand the changing priority of the changing composition of the workforce often with the influx of the Generation-X. Most of the workaholics and 'over-workers' belong to the boomer generation. They perceive working long hours as a natural expectation and condition of employment! However, as CEOs and leaders get younger, the demand for work-life balance will progressively increase.

The more progressive organisations and even established names like PricewaterhouseCooper (PwC),IBM, Nortel, Nordsk Hydro, Keloggs and others have introduced flexible work arrangements as part of the work-life balance programme. In Singapore, the shift to work-life balance has been made by the Singapore Civil service, KK Women's and Children and NTUC Income, just to name a few.

Perspectives on Work-Life Balance
Research shows that relationship between work and life outside work; is broadly seen in different ways by different people. Traditionalists in the old paradigm maintain work and non-work two distinctly quite separate and have no influence on each other. On the other, we all know that work and non-work can influence each other in a positive or negative way. It is not unusual to bring our non-work 'problems and difficulties' to work and vice-versa.

Some of us, who find our needs or satisfaction not found at work, will try to find them in our non-work life or vice-versa. For example work may be routine and undemanding but this is compensated for by a major role in local community activities outside work. Yet another possibility is where activities in one sphere facilitate success in the other. The traditional often quoted example is the diligent and dedicated work-person who will seek to maximize earnings, even at the price of undertaking a routine job and working long hours, to allow the purchase of a home or a car for a young family. This is ideal balance most of us aim often at a personal price to ourselves including sacrificing happiness, relaxation, joy and satisfaction!

The final possibility is a conflict situation where there are high levels of demand in all spheres of life, some difficult choices have to be made and some conflicts and possibly some significant overload on an individual occur. In recent years interest has been focused in particular on the conflict between work and non-work resulting in the growing interest in work-life balance. Conflict usually occurs especially in dual career families, individual and families that have to provide eldercare, childcare or even both; or individuals who have to maintain their continued employability by undertaking lifelong learning.