Work Life Balance: Strategies for Investment Banking Professionals

This essay examines the critical concept of work-life balance within the investment banking sector. It underscores the importance of maintaining equilibrium between professional responsibilities and personal life for employees, highlighting its positive impact on personal health, family relationships, and career advancement. The essay delves into the challenges of achieving work-life balance, such as overworking due to staff shortages, the desire for higher earnings, and the pressure to impress employers for promotions. The consequences of poor work-life balance are discussed, including employee underperformance, health issues, and increased absenteeism. The paper suggests that investment banks should implement strategies to promote a healthier work environment, such as establishing proper working hours and reducing overwork. Furthermore, it explores the negative outcomes of work-life imbalance, such as high turnover rates, and offers insights into how organizations can mitigate these issues by prioritizing employee well-being and creating a supportive work environment. The essay concludes by emphasizing the fundamental role of work-life balance in the investment banking sector, advocating for a balanced approach to achieve both professional success and personal fulfillment.

Running Head: WORK LIFE BALANCE 1
Work life balance
Names
Institution

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Work life balance
Work life balance is a word used to explain the equality that the workers need between
the times assigned for work and that of doing others activities such as taking care of family
(Dominika, 2016). It is important for employees who work in the investment banking sector to
have a work life balance because it improves personal health, strengthens family relationships
and also good for career growth. In some cases, creating work life balance can be a challenge to
most workers especially for those who do not plan well.
For example, workers may spend a lot of time working overtime hence limiting that of
other activities and of their families. People may engage in working overtime due to staff
shortage, desire to earn more money, attempts to impress employer to get promotion, and so
forth (Gargi, 2016). This is a sign of poor work life balance because it makes workers to spend a
lot of time in the company hence forgetting other important aspects of life.
According to Tara & Jyotsana (2010), overworking can lead to work related issues such
as underperformance due to lack of energy and concentration. For an investment bank to enable
its employees have a good work life balance, it should have proper working hours and also use
other mechanisms that can make the staff members to create a balance between time of work and
that of engaging in other activities.
Gargi (2016) affirms that sickness is among the key aspects result from improper work
life balance. The nature of work in banking sector the organizations to have enough workforce to
meet the growing demand for the services. When employees overwork, they can develop health
issues which may make them to spend a lot of time in hospitals or at home, hence having short
time at places of work. Some of the health issues which result from overwork include fatigue,

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health aches, and backaches, among others. When employees report high rates of absenteeism
due to sick offs or bed rests, an organization suffers a lot because of insufficient workforce, and
this may lead to unattained goals. Moreover workers who fall under this may not only have little
time at work but also have enough limited time for their families because they spend most of
their times visiting hospitals.
According to Sarla (2013) lack of proper work life balance also leads to high absenteeism
or day offs in order to spend time with their family or attend other emergencies that may occur.
High rates of absenteeism affect performance in investment banking institutions because of not
having enough people who can complete tasks. In order to have a balance of time and reduce
days absents, workers should have a proper schedule of events and inform their bosses in
advance. The absence of one employees may also affect the work balance of other staff members
because of being forced to extend their time to complete the pending tasks which the missing
worker would have completed. Additionally, it can also affect their health because of pressure by
to management and a lot of stress thinking about their families. For a company to have a good
work life balance employees should try to reduce absenteeism and number of days off. Giving
the most important events like work the highest priority is advisable to avoid various
consequences such as a losing jobs, disciplinary actions, and poor productivity, among others.
According to Kyoung (2014), lack of proper work life balance in banking institutions can
also lead to high turnover rates. This may be caused by high number of employees resigning due
to work pressure and little to attend other important things in their lives. It can also be caused by
the institutions firing their employees because of spending a lot of their time attending other
things that are not connected to their jobs. High rate of staff turnover can affect the performance
of investment banking institutions because with less workers, attaining some of the targets may

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be challenging. Sana & Mohd (2016) affirms that high turnover rates also makes organizations to
incur a lot of costs and time wastage in recruiting and training new employees. It also makes
them to lack talent management and experienced staff members.
In conclusion, work life balance is fundamental in investment banking institutions
because it enables employees to attend their duties at workplace and other important things such
as taking care of their families. Some of the negative impacts of improper work life balance
comprise high turnover rates, high absenteeism, under performance, and health issues.

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References
Dominika, P. (2016). Work at Home, Home at Work: Difficulties in Achieving Work-Life
Balance in Selected European Countries. Polish Sociological Review, 194, 2016.
Gargi, R. (2016). Impact of Mobile Communication Technology on the Work Life Balance of
Working Women - a Review of Discourses. Journal of Contemporary Management
Research, 10(1), 56-78.
Kyoung, K. H. (2014). Work-Life Balance and Employees' Performance: The Mediating Role of
Affective Commitment. Global Business and Management Research: An International
Journal, 6(1), 124-136.
Sana, S & Mohd, Z. (2016). Understanding Work-Life Balance with Respect to Medical
Practitioners: A Conceptual Framework. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior, 15(4),
65-89.
Sarla, R. (2013). Work-Family Balance: A Review. International Journal of Education and
Management Studies, 3 (3), 68-97.
Tara, S & Jyotsana, B. (2010). Work Life Balance, Employee Engagement, and Emotional
Consonance/dissonance & Turnover Intention. Indian Journal of Industrial Relations,
46(1), 145-168.