Work/Life Balance isn't a myth!

Most of us work because we need to pay the bills and if you're like me you like spending money.

As much as I love my job (most of the time I do!!) I do it to fund my lifestyle and I'd love to be a lady of leisure but until I win the lottery I plan to stay at the ONS because it pays me well and its flexible working approach allows me to work when I want and have the flexibility to live, enjoy my life and spend my salary. I currently work 37 hours a week compressed into 4 days with a Friday off. This works well for me as it allows me to do the things that are important to me outside of work namely working with clients in my Counselling business.

As it is work/life balance week I have spoken to a few of my colleagues and asked them to share their thoughts on work/life balance and what it means to them. Their stories are below:

Paul is our Head of Recruitment, a Man Utd fan and cycling aficionado with a habit of using movie quotes to explain things during meetings. Here's what he had to say:

'So what does work life balance mean to me??Up until this time last year they were words I used a lot, helped me to support others, but in retrospect, not ones that had any internal meaning for me personally.

?Then I had a few challenges with my mental health, and needed to take some time away from work.?My own lack of work life balance was a symptom of a number of underlying causes – self-esteem, self-expectation, and setting healthy boundaries amongst other things.?So what does work-life balance mean to me now?

?Work is a part of our wider lives.?I get a huge amount of energy and satisfaction from my work – but it is part of my life.?Family, friends, health, interests . . . are the most important things, and giving them their rightful priority helps me keep that balance, and get more value from my work overall.?But it’s definitely a work in progress.

?I read a lot while I was away.?One particular book called 4000 Weeks helped me get a lot of perspective.?It’s full of metaphors and similes.?I like a metaphor and a simile.?Some of the most helpful ideas that stayed with me are about deciding what we do with our time, whilst recognising that it is finite.?For as long as I can remember I saw the amount of time I could commit to work as limitless, meaning I didn’t have to make so many hard choices about what work I could or couldn’t do.?A last minute report – I’ll just work until 10pm.?The work that was important that got moved, I’ll just start at 6am.?But the choice I was consistently making was to work more and more.

?We constantly have to make choices about how we spend our time – and in a work context that’s often not easy.?Knowing that something can be accomplished if you just work a bit more, but choosing not to, is a constant frustration and challenge.?But trying to do everything is an impossible task – so deciding what is the biggest priority and making sure you do it means you accomplish things, which is a virtuous circle for reinforcing balance, striving to achieve the right things, and feeling better about your choices.??

?I’ve been very grateful to a large number of colleagues since I’ve returned to work who have supported me and checked in on me – and I feel completely different to how I did this time last year.?ONS’ flexible working policies and overall approach to work-life balance helps me to keep the healthy boundaries I have put in place.

?I expect those around me to have a healthy work-life balance, in whatever way that means to them, which I fear hasn’t always been the vibe I’ve given off, even if it was the words I was saying.?So I promise to keep boring people with book recommendations and other reflections.

?On that note, some of the reading that has helped me and my balance includes:?4000 Weeks, Deep Work, A world without email, Personal Kanban and a couple of books by Sarah Knight'??

Another one of my colleagues that endorses our flexible working approach is our Head of Analytical Recruitment Natalie Tooze. Natalie is a Swansea fan (resisting the urge to get all Cardiff fan here!), coffee enthusiast always with an extra shot and above all that a Mum.

Here is what she had to say:

'When I returned from maternity leave in 2021 I was na?ve in thinking wrapping being a mum around working 34 hours over 4 days would be absolutely plain sailing. I work in the ONS analytical recruitment team and at times it feels like my to-do list is never fully ticked off. It is just a daily recurring list of good intentions. I could easily get into the habit of working around the clock and not prioritising my work life balance. I came back all empowered with good intentions of going for a walk every lunch time, but my calendar soon filled up even though I had blocked my calendar out daily. Being the only part time working mum in my senior leadership team meant I began to feel guilty for needing to log off early and not being able to commit to last minute, late afternoon meeting requests (even if that wasn’t the intention from my colleagues).

?I got to a bad place where work was becoming more important than being a mum, something I’d waited and tried long enough to achieve. I definitely was not leading by example and I became difficult company at home. Christmas 2021, my Nan said to me something which has become something I will hold in my heart forever, work is there to pay the bills and house your family, create memories. It’s these memories with your loved ones that will comfort you in your older years, not ticking off a to-do list on the 10th October 2022. I took a step back and realised being a good leader really is leading by example. The way you carry yourself, prioritising your life outside of work and having a duty of care to make sure your team do the same thing. I’m always family first.

?At ONS our bandwidths have increased from 5am – 10pm, this means my working pattern is now wrapped around being a mum and not the other way round. I work 7 hours in the day. I log off at a sensible time and enjoy those precious moments with my family. If required I then finish off my emails in the evening. I can even fit in a cheeky walk during the day, often dragging those in the office with me at times talking about anything other than work.

?Life is precious, and my family will always come first. ONS absolutely supports this with their flexible approach and commitment to work life balance.'

Two of my lovely team also enjoy the work life balance of the ONS and here is what they have to say:

Vicky Lord is one of my Recruitment Partners that looks after our Digital, Data and Technology vacancies. She has a fur baby called Billie and a knack at cooking weird stews, just last week Chicken and Cauliflower stew was on the menu.

Here's her view on flexible working:

'Working within such a flexible organisation Office for National Statistics, has given me the opportunity to work compressed hours, a 9 day fortnight… This allows me to have every other Friday as my NWD whilst still working full time! This has made such a difference in the last 12 months for both my work life balance and mental health. Being someone who really values my friends and family, I’m now able to spend more time with them making memories and of course, more lovely walks with the furr baby!?

I feel more motivated and enjoy my work much more now that I’m getting that better balance…'

And last but not least another Recruitment Partner on my team is Rhiannon Gordon. Rhi also a Man Utd fan and coffee enthusiast is a new first time Mum so is enjoying being back to work using our flexible working model:

'Since having my daughter my idea of a good work life balance has completely changed. It used to be logging off in time to have my tea and watch a bit of TV with my husband or going out for dinner with my friends. While I still enjoy doing those things my favourite time of the day is when I pick my daughter up from nursery and hear her screech of excitement to see me. Having to come back to work after spending the first 11 months of her life with her made me feel so guilty but it would be so much worse if I wasn’t able to be flexible with my time.

During my maternity leave I would take my daughter to lots of different classes but two of our favourites were a music class and swimming lessons. When the time came for me to return, I was determined to be able to continue going to one of these groups and made the decision that I was go part time and not work a Friday so we could go to the music class. I was disappointed that I couldn’t continue swimming, but I knew it was a sacrifice I would have to make . . . or so I thought. After talking about what my return to work would look like with my line manager I mentioned (on the off chance) that I would also like to take a longer lunch on a Tuesday to potentially continue swimming, the answer was a resounding yes and it is one of the best parts of my week.

To me not missing out on moments with my family, especially my daughter is what work life balance is about and I’m so grateful that I’m in an organisation that supports and encourages this.'

Hopefully these 4 awesome people have shown you that here at the ONS you can do a job that you love whilst having an epic work/life balance!?