Between work-life balance and work-life integration as a payroll professional
Part 2: The first part of this article explored the topic of mental health and struggles in payroll, examining the challenges faced by payroll professionals and the implications for employee health and well-being, as well as I shared some examples of how organisation can overcome it. Employers can and should participate in employees’ well-being, but so should the employees.
By definition, stress is a ‘pattern of specific and nonspecific responses an organism makes to stimulus events that disturb its equilibrium and tax or exceed its ability to cope’ (Gerrig and Zimbardo 2002). We all are altered by stress, we can be affected by good, beneficial eustress and/or by bad harmful distress.
When stress results in energy boosts that improve alertness and enable people to cope with high-stress situations like exams and/or work deadlines, stress can be beneficial. Nonetheless, when stress is felt in excess, it can be harmful. It may have negative health effects on the immune, cardiovascular, neuroendocrine, and central nervous systems.
Due to the high level of responsibility, working as a payroll professional can be very stressful. Stress can take a toll on the health and well-being of a payroll professional, but there are several strategies that one can take to manage it effectively. How manage the stress in payroll? Well, the answer is it depends.
Strategies to manage stress effectively.
There are several approaches one can use to effectively handle stress, but it all depends on us. We are all different and some strategies that work for our colleagues, may not help us. It is beneficial to know and understand a few of them, and to find something that helps us manage the stress.
First and foremost, it's crucial to keep a healthy balance between work and life. Setting up distinct boundaries between the job and personal time is necessary for this. This can be accomplished by setting aside time for non-work-related pursuits like exercise, hobbies, and socializing. It's also essential to take breaks throughout the day to maintain concentration and productivity. You can for example get up from the desk for a couple of minutes to stretch or go for a walk.
Additionally, fostering a supportive workplace environment, and building effective relationships with coworkers and superiors can also help with stress. The planning of enjoyable social gatherings or team-building exercises can also promote a positive workplace culture. Payroll specialists can connect with coworkers and feel more supported in their work as a result, which additionally makes the workplace more enjoyable.
Thirdly, recognising when to seek assistance and help is essential for stress management. At times, the workload may become too much to handle, and it may be difficult to stay on top of everything. It can be helpful to ask for assistance from coworkers or management because they might be able to help with some of the tasks or provide additional resources. Effective delegation is a crucial skill for stress management because it frees up attention for the most crucial tasks.
Last but not least, managing stress requires taking good care of one's physical and mental health. This can entail getting enough rest, maintaining a healthy diet, and exercising frequently. Professionals in the payroll industry can also benefit from engaging in stress-relieving practices like mindfulness or meditation. It might be necessary to seek help from a mental health professional if stress becomes intolerable.
Maintaining a positive work environment, knowing when to ask for assistance, and caring for one's physical and mental health are all important components of managing stress as a payroll professional. Payroll professionals can increase their productivity and satisfaction while lessening the harmful effects of stress on their health by putting these strategies into practice.
The key here seems to be to balance work and personal lives. How to do it in payroll, in a world that continues to grow at an exponential rate, where there is an ever-increasing demand for individuals to be productive and successful. Where we often prioritize work above all else, taking on long hours. I’d like to introduce you to two concepts of work-life balance and work-life integration.
Work-life balance and work-life integration.
While they may seem similar at first, there are key differences between those two concepts. One thing that they share, is that both of them enable employees to maintain a healthy balance between their personal and professional lives.
Work-life balance refers to the split between work and personal life. It entails establishing distinct boundaries between the two and ensuring that neither interferes with the other. The ultimate goal of work-life balance is to achieve a harmonious life where both work and personal life are given equal importance.
Work-life integration aims at blending work and personal life. It enables employees to seamlessly integrate their personal and professional lives, as opposed to drawing a line between the two. It is a more flexible approach that allows individuals to prioritise their tasks and responsibilities.
How to achieve it?
What can you do to establish those concepts in your work (and in life) or how can you help to create them as a manager in your team?
In work-life balance, it's important to set boundaries between work and personal life. This can be done by setting a fixed schedule for work and sticking to it. Next, you need to learn how to priorities your work - once you have a list of tasks, prioritise them according to their urgency. It is also crucial to not take up too many tasks that will lead to overworking and stress. Learn to say 'no' if you feel that you cannot handle the workload or ask for help. To be more productive and focused during the day, take short breaks throughout the day to rest and recharge. Plan your personal time off in advance to avoid last-minute work stress. This can be done by using tools like calendars and reminders and by doing this upfront, you can easily align this to the payroll calendar. You need to do this to make sure that you take appropriate time for yourself and do things you love to do outside of work, that help you reduce stress. And last, try to keep your workspace, files, and task list organised – it will help you to avoid unnecessary stress and delays.
Work-life integration promotes flexible work: remote work, and flexible work hours. It gives employees the freedom to balance work and life commitments and helps boost morale and productivity. In order to work from anywhere, enabling employees to integrate work and life more seamlessly, it is important to adopt technology-based solutions such as modern payroll software, calendar apps, and video conferencing that allow employees to handle their tasks at their own pace. Similarly, in integration, we should prioritise the tasks that need to be accomplished in the day and delegate any that can be done by others. Taking time off to recharge is necessary for overall better performance in life and work, so you should plan and take personal time off.
Businesses, however, should be encouraging employees to take breaks, where they relinquish job responsibilities and engage in their personal life, be it family time, hobbies, or other interests. You need to be on the same page as your manager, so it is essential to have honest, transparent, and open communication. Ask for help, tell when you are overwhelmed, and provide feedback to your manager.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of work-life balance and work-life integrations in payroll?
Both concepts have of course their advantages and disadvantages. Work-life balance allows employees to have a structured and predictable schedule, which can help reduce stress and burnout. It is much easier to plan a day off when you work with a payroll calendar which is the structured schedule itself. It also allows individuals to focus on their personal lives and take care of their health and well-being after work hours. However, work-life balance can also lead to isolation from colleagues and job dissatisfaction, which can negatively impact job performance. It’s also not so easy to put that line in place between work and life when you work in payroll, where at a particular time of the payroll cycle, you are obligated more than ever to complete your tasks on time, very often on short notice. It means that you may work overtime, hence it’s hard to apply the balance.
On the other hand, work-life integration allows individuals to be more flexible with their schedules and responsibilities. It promotes a more balanced lifestyle, as employees can prioritise their work and personal responsibilities based on their needs. However, it can also lead to an ‘always-on’ mentality, where the work-life balance becomes blurred, leading to burnout and a decrease in productivity.
As a payroll professional, achieving work-life balance or work-life integration may present unique challenges. Payroll is a critical function that requires attention to detail and a high level of accuracy. What I see as a good approach here is a third, blend concept of those two that can help both balance the time you dedicate to work and gives you more time to focus on your personal lives. Use the best of both of the concepts when it's needed and when you can; allow your employees to use them when the possibility arises.
Flexibility in work hours could mean allowing employees to work from home or adjusting the start and stop times of work hours. Flexibility can be beneficial as it offers employees the opportunity to schedule their work hours around their personal lives. For instance, an employee can work from home to avoid commuting long distances to work every day or, alternatively, someone who has children can start work early in the morning to leave early for daycare pickups.
You can provide your employees with extended leave programs. These leave programs can be offered in the form of sabbaticals or extended vacation periods. Extended leave programs provide payroll professionals adequate time to rejuvenate and recharge their batteries. Moreover, employers can also consider offering mental health days or counseling sessions to assist with stress management.
Companies must encourage employees to disconnect from work when they are not on duty. Employers can achieve this by crafting policies that promote ‘email-free’ weekends, or ‘no-call-hours’ on a specific day. Additionally, employers can establish a rewards system that recognises employees who adhere to their work-life balance and work-life integration policies.
Whilst the work in payroll is stressful due to many reasons, and it’s not so easy to take the day off as our tasks are strictly related to the payroll calendar, I need to say that at the same time, the satisfaction that comes from this job is remarkable. We work with numbers and ensure that all data is correct; we see that our work has a direct impact; we enjoy being knowledgeable; we must find solutions to challenging problems; we build fulfilling relationships with different departments, as somehow all ‘company roads’ lead to payroll. Regardless of the stress, there is a point in the lives of many of us, as it was with me, where payroll is no longer just work, and it becomes a passion – this is my wish for all of you.
References:
Gerrig, Richard J., and Philip G. Zimbardo. 2002.Psychology and Life. 16th ed. Boston, Mass., United States: Allyn and Bacon.
By Sandra Was, Global Process Owner
We are running our popular webinar on Mental Health & Payroll - "Out of our Minds!" again we hope you can join us!