Exploring a work-life balance impact audit: an aid to informed consensus?

Abstract

The effective management of employees’ work-life balance requires organisations to recognise and account for the array of non-work roles that impact their working-lives. Despite the literary attention given to the ‘work-life balance’ in recent years, however, contemporary authors still note the concept’s inadequacy both in terms of its definition and administration. In order to explore the boundaries of contemporary ‘work-life balance’, this paper adopts an Organisational Role Theory (ORT) perspective. The paper suggests that in order to manage these discrete impacts effectively, human resource managers should consider employing a Work-Life Balance Impact Audit as part of their job evaluation and performance management processes.