The buzzword of this decade seems to be ”balance.” What materialism was to the `80s, the search for the ideal mix between work and pleasure is to the `90s.
Achieving that balance is no easy task, especially since many of those people who are lucky enough to have jobs are working harder to compensate for staff cutbacks.
Statistics compiled by Juliet Schor, Harvard University associate professor of economics, show that Americans are working an average of one month more per year than they were in 1969. Schor, author of ”The Overworked American” (Basic Books, $21), also says that Americans are receiving 3 1/2 fewer paid vacation or sick days per year than they were in 1980.
She notes that a number of companies are offering some workers time off without pay as a way to save money and give employees time to pursue other interests. At Elk Grove Village-based United Airlines, for example, workers in the reservations department can request several weeks of personal time off without pay during non-peak travel periods.
”Trading income for time is something even the most skeptical of employers may go for,” Schor says.
She acknowledges that a lot of employers aren`t ready to jump on the balance bandwagon. However, she suggests employees who want less overtime, less than a 40-hour work week or who are willing to go witout pay for short periods should form small, informal groups.
”Put up a notice on the bulletin board or through your office computer system” or approach co-workers at social events to find others who are concerned about this issue, Schor says.
The groups can then begin talks with management about ways employees can negotiate extra time off.
Employees who can`t afford to take time off without pay need not abandon their goals for more balance, however.
”Balance is finding that spot that you are comfortable with, where you don`t feel you are putting off living in the moment,” says author Julia Sokol. ”We`re always sure that when we finished doing this job and that job that we`ll then be able to get it together and enjoy our lives.”
Sokol, co-author with Steven Carter of ”Lives Without Balance” (Villard Books, $20), says that a better balance can be achieved by re-examining our values.
”Shuffle through your head what it is you value,” Sokol says. ”If you are really sincere about wanting more time with your child or to be with a loved one, then start a negotiation process within yourself.”
You can claim more time for yourself or your family by first making small changes in your daily schedule.
”Give up power lunches, shopping and all the other things that are not really feeding your inner core but instead feed the image you want to project,” she says.
Among other ways to adjust your lifestyle to accommodate other pursuits:
attend night school, take in a boarder or roommate to lessen financial pressures from taking time off or start a more aggressive savings plan.
She urges people who are searching for balance to distinguish needs from wants.
”Not everybody who works day and night will become rich,” Sokol says,
”That may not be something we want to hear, but we`d better adjust to it and get emotional satisfaction in other ways.”
Depending on the kind of boss you have, Sokol says it may be possible to enlist the boss` help. One suggestion: Turn down non-essential business trips or meetings.
”You`re not going to go to the boss and say, `I don`t want to take a trip with some company bigshots,` but you may very well say, `I need to stay here and concentrate on other work,` ” she explains.
Among other suggestions for finding a better balance:
– Approach the challenge as you would a job search. ”If you put in the hours and time (rearranging your schedule), the odds are that you will reach your goal: You will have a more balanced life,” says Sokol.
– Use your political power. ”Put pressure on your congressmen for the Family Leave Act (to allow time off to care for family members) and for the government to mandate more paid vacation,” says Schor.
– Adjust your expectations. ”Material goods can be the means to an identity or way to create self-esteem,” she says. ”For many Americans, escaping the trap of overwork will also entail stepping off the consumer treadmill.”
LIFELINES
Parents` resource
The Parents Resource Network, a non-profit organization that addresses the needs of families, offers a 24-hour phone line to answer non-medical questions regarding raising children. For information, call 708-675-3555.
Support Center
The Support Center of Chicago, a membership group for people interested in or currently working for non-profit organizations, offers regular classes that are open to the public. Annual dues: $75, $50 students. 312-606-1530.
Marketing group
The American Marketing Assocation is open to workers in marketing and related fields. Annual dues ($130) include seminars and a bi-weekly newspaper. Membership department: 312-648-0536.
Ad club
The Women`s Advertising Club of Chicago is a networking group for women in advertising and related fields. Membership ($50 annually) includes monthly meetings, seminars and a newsletter. 312-263-2215.
Worker`s bookshelf
”Answers to the Mommy Track” by Trudi Ferguson and Joan S. Dunphy (New Horizon Press, $13.95); ”Jobs!” by Robert O. Snelling Sr. and Anne M. Snelling (Fireside, $13).
