Page 30 - Banking Finance September 2021

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aging parents on one hand and their children on the other, Actually work life balance is meaningfully daily achievement
a situation that places an even greater strain on the and enjoyment in each of the four quadrants - Family,
growing number of single parents. Amongst all the main Friends, Self & Work.
sufferers are women as it is their inbuilt feeling that family
is their main priority though they are very much in need of It’s a concept which needs proper prioritisation between
earning bread and butter nowadays. “work -career & ambition and life style i.e. leisure, pleasure,
health, family, spiritual etc. Of course it does not mean that
Some of the very these aspects should be always together in the life of all
important facet of individuals. Every parameter is important for different
women’s life i.e individuals and they can be clubbed together in different
Work Life Balance, manner to gain fulfilment in life. If we talk about women
their women hood then; right of choosing those quadrants for gaining
Issues, Traits fulfilment does not lies with them independently. Their
Needed, Personal choice is affected due to various circumstances and that is
Success are all the main reason of their stress. Women banker being
treated as secondary financially independent always does not mean that she is
or unimportant. physiologically /emotionally independent too.

Attaining "work-life balance" is not as simple as it sounds.
All must accept the fact that what all men cannot do,
Work-personal life conflict occurs when the burden,
women do it properly & carefully. The best part is the
obligations and responsibilities of work and family roles
consistency. Initially they were helping the man who was
become incompatible. Obligation of one can force an
working & the bread winner of the family. Slowly, they also
individual to neglect the other.
took the charge of helping the family on the financial terms.
Still they were expected to travel in both the fields which
are home & family. This is not only challenging but equally The Double Standard of Work-Life Balance
exhausting. The expectations have become more Traditionally, women have been looked upon as nurturers
demanding & challenging. and care givers and assigned all roles related to maintaining
and managing a family. Men perceive themselves as
What is work life balance? In breadwinners and society also expects them to perform
the words of Jim Bird, CEO of workroles to earn and support the family. However, the
worklifebalance.com, work- nature of work-force has been changing and the percentage
life balance does not mean of men as wage earners and women as housewives has been
equal balance between rapidly declining. In urban India, the percentage of dual-
professional and personal life. earner couples is gradually increasing and for most women
It is careful synchronisation of and men today, their work environment and the family have
an individual's varied pursuits become the two important institutions in life.
that may include family, work,
leisure, social obligations, Changes in the work force are accompanied by changes in
health, career and spirituality. values, creating a new emphasis on the balance between
While some of the pursuits work-life and family life. Work-life balance assumes great
need greater attention, significance for women as they are virtually in two full time
others may require lesser focus. Striking a fine balance jobs - one at home and the other at office. Working mothers
by prioritising these human quests will result in work-life often have to challenge perceptions and stereotypes that
balance. It is individual specific and keeps changing over evolve as a working woman becoming a working mother...
time. When a woman seeks a position of power within an

30 | 2021 | SEPTEMBER | BANKING FINANCE