In a sense, it is the joint responsibility of the managements and administration professionals to maintain work-life balance as it depends on the structure they jointly put up. Back-up arrangements and rules influence the work-life balance.
Keeping these dynamics in mind, the following seven tips for maintaining work-life balance are suggested:
The best time: The best time to negotiate a work-life balance is when you are new to the job or when you are considering a job offer. But tact is needed for negotiations. You want certain things, but you can't directly ask the potential employer for them. What you can do is to put questions like "when would you expect me to be on call when I am out of office?"
Don't give 24/7 access: Don't get excited when you are given the latest laptop or a handheld email device. It can turn out to be a 24-hour burden. Don't consider it to be a status symbol. Make it clear right from the beginning that for you nights and weekends are not work hours. You can tactfully tell the employer that you can be contacted on phone in emergencies.
Don't allow your inbox manage you: Don't get into the habit of immediately acting on every message that comes to you whether you are at your desk or snoozing in the hammock on a Sunday afternoon. Train yourself to act in such a way that you are not dragged out of your bed in nights and weekends.
Make your priorities clear: Make a list of your work priorities for the week. On Monday morning, show your list of priorities to your colleagues and seek their suggestions.
Be flexible: If you want to strike a balance, you must be prepared for give and take. You must be able to adjust your style of functioning and expect your manager to reciprocate.
Make a cheat sheet for emergencies: When you have children and aging parents, you may have to attend to emergencies and abruptly leave office. So make it sure you leave a note to your manager or your colleagues to attend to any work you could not complete and has to be taken care of.
Take care of your well-being: Politely and tactfully tell your boss that you won't be able to give expected results unless you get time for rest and recuperation on most evenings and week-ends and would be obliged if you are not interrupted during vacations.