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Sunday 4 June 2023 Dublin: 15°C

# work life balance

Last month
May 2023
# workin 9 to 5
Second four-day work week pilot to take place in Ireland
The first such pilot here saw a 100% success rate among employers.
Last year
2022
# work life balance
'Sick child leave' and ten days domestic violence leave recommended for Work Life Balance Bill
The Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth today published its pre-legislative scrutiny report on the Bill.
# govt to do list
Remote working, Garda body-cams, vape laws: Some of the Govt priorities for the coming months
Hate crime law, remote working and mental health reforms – just some of the priorities for the summer.
Parents to get five days unpaid leave to care for sick children
Paid breastfeeding breaks will also be extended from six months to two years.
Voices
Opinion: Hybrid work - is it offering the best or worst of two worlds?
Rowena Hennigan says a mix of office and remote may not be the silver bullet for new work practices.
All time
# work life balance
Other countries have tried it, so what does the 'right to disconnect' actually mean?
A public consultation is currently underway in this country.
# work life balance
'We should be actively looking at it': Calls for government to assess impact of four-day work week
Supporters of a four-day week say companies could have the same levels of productivity while helping employees’ work-life balance.
# Your Say
Poll: Is a four-day work week a good idea?
New Zealand’s Prime Minister has suggested a four-day working week could help tourism in the country.
# Employment
'It's like having a bank holiday every week': Trade union calls for four-day work week
A number of organisations have come together in support of the idea, saying productivity levels could be maintained or even increased.
# work life balance
Government to examine if 'right to disconnect' from emails out of hours would work in Ireland
The law would give workers the right to avoid emails out of hours.
# all about balance
Looking to achieve work-life balance without sacrificing career ambition? We want your questions
Is you life becoming all work and no play?
# the joy of flex
Study: Inflexible jobs can make workers miserable
And giving staff more flexibility makes them less likely to quit, the study found.
WATCH: We put your live questions about work-life balance to a career coach
Derval Chambers Petit joined us for a live video Q&A.
# BALANCING ACT
'Turn off your notifications': How to find work-life harmony in our always-on world
Hard to switch off? Work emails ruining your home life? It might be time to make some changes.
# work life balance
Government will not oppose Bill that will extend unpaid parental leave to six months
Under current rules, parents are entitled to 18 weeks unpaid leave.
# work life balance
'I was losing my memory but still trying to work. Then I started coughing up blood'
As part of our How My Business Works series, we profile the Offaly firm behind Mór Irish Gin.
# column
How to juggle a fit and healthy lifestyle with a busy working life
Personal trainer David Last outlines four key areas that you should be focusing on.
# work life balance
Poland, India and Thailand better countries for expats than Ireland
The new HSBC survey put Ireland in 27th place, up four places from last year.
# Change generation
Friendship and colleagues: Can work friends become real friends?
Can workplace bonds cut it in the real world?
# work life balance
Less than half of Defence Forces satisfied with military life
A recent report found that 48% of personnel were satisfied with military life, compared to 64% in 2008.
# making your mind up
The Change Generation: Milestones, big decisions and the time of your life
For the next three months, we shine a spotlight on a period of huge change for Irish adults.
# worked over
What people are secretly saying about some of Ireland's biggest employers
‘The worst place I have ever been in the past 10 years.’
# still in business
The CEO of a billion-dollar startup who quit for his family is back working in Silicon Valley
Max Schireson made headlines with his decision last year – but he’s making a comeback.
# Priorities
Having the craic with co-workers is more important than getting a pay rise
People in Ireland place more value on a positive work environment than money.
Voices
We need to stop the glorification of busy
Nowadays it’s almost as if it has become a competition as to who can be the busiest – but being overworked is not a virtue.
# work life balance
Baker who makes the best baguette in France is furious about being told he can't work on Sundays
He is obliged to shut his shop for at least one day a week – but he’s not happy about it.
# Step Away From the Desk
Are you a workaholic? Norwegian researchers have developed this way to check
Research team developed seven criteria to gauge working excessively and compulsively.
# Don't Worry Be Happy
This graph shows how to be happy at work
It’s all to do with flow, apparently.
# Home Office
Should you answer work emails from home? Most employers think so
A new survey has shown that 60 per cent of employers expect workers to check emails outside office hours.
# work life balance
No emails please, we're French: France lets people stop checking work email after 6pm
No, seriously.
Voices
Column: Yes, I leave work on time – that doesn't mean I don't work hard
Employers need to ensure they’re not discriminating against working parents that are organised enough to leave at 5 o’clock – judge the output, not the hours, writes Andrea Mara.
# productivity
Arianna Huffington: employers should let staff nap on the job
Not all day, you understand. That’s a duvet day.
# Downtime
Why working 6 days a week is a terrible idea
Working fewer hours, taking more breaks and occasional holidays can actually make us more productive.
Voices
Column: How to get the right work-life balance
Schedule your week in advance and create a system for managing your tasks, your email, and your family time. The more you organise, the more in control of your life you will be, writes Ciara Conlon.
# productivity
Why businesses should care how well their employees sleep
New research suggests stress messes with our sleep.
# lifehack
15 productivity tips to help you escape the 9-5 lifestyle
If you’re spending 12 hours a day at your job and still not finishing your work, it’s time to make a change.
# Wellbeing
How to manage workplace stress
It’s part of modern life – but there are ways to let go…
# Telecommuting
How to get sh!t done working from home
Yahoo says that its employees are no longer allowed to work from home – but if you do, these are the benefits and drawback of telecommuting that you need to know…
Voices
Column: Most would jump at the chance to work at home, but it has its downsides
Working at home is not as relaxing as one might think, writes Ann-Marie Scully who says she even misses the morning commute.
# Your Say
Poll: Are you satisfied with your quality of life?
The OECD says the Irish have some of the best lives in the world, with long life expectancy and a decent work-life balance.