From Work-Life Balance Toward Work-Life Integration

Among employees, one of the most prominent incentives driving the Great Resignation, or Great Reshuffle, is the desire to draw a clear line between their work responsibilities and personal life. While this demand has since become a de facto standard, remote and hybrid work models effectively blur the line between work and personal life in practice, focusing on outcomes and quality of work rather than when and how long work is done. This natural progression has effectively led to a work-life integration model that offers benefits to some while presenting significant challenges for human resources (HR) executives and companies.

To navigate this paradigm shift, industry leaders suggest placing the employees’ life priorities and incentives first so that HR leaders and companies can effectively adjust to employees or find personnel that adapts to the organization’s core values and priorities.

Experts concur that remote work brought new paradigms for work. Nevertheless, workers adapt differently depending on each case regarding their position or personal priorities. “The world after the pandemic changed office work and the technology industry. The notion of time and space was lost. Ultimately, it is about knowing how to integrate hybrid work into the reality of each individual,” said Eduardo Villarreal, People Performance and Transformation Director LATAM, AB-Inbev. 

Maite Delgado, People, Experience & Culture Director, Scania Mexico, explains that life integration seeks to bring work and personal life closer together instead of drawing lines between them. Employees address their responsibilities at the time that works best for them. In the life balance model, firm boundaries to dedicate all attention to either work or personal life is preferred. “The employee is given the option to choose, and a framework of rules is offered to gain freedom within this system. The employee chooses where, when and at what time to work, and we express what is expected of them as well as what the main guidelines of this system are,” says Delgado.

Pedro Obregon, HR Executive Director, Viva Aerobus, recognizes that there is a clear impediment to applying the same model for all employees as some positions cannot deploy life integration to the degree that others can. “Here is where companies also must clearly define their values and work models. There has to be a match between company and employee as well,” he added. 

Gladis Juárez, VP HR Mexico & Central America, Schneider Electric, emphasized the importance of individuals being sure about their plans. She added that the company also must accompany the individual in figuring out what model works best for them according to their own goals. “The first part is asking: what does the person want as an individual? Recognize if your job or role gives you what you are looking for on a personal level.”

Obregon added that this is where the importance of a match between the employee and the company's values and objectives becomes increasingly relevant, as some positions can only work in a single model. Employees must be aware and comfortable with this. “We must focus on prevention,” he added.

Furthermore, experts explain that these new paradigms can help reduce burnout among personnel. “The concept we start from is that work is part of life because it takes up a large part of our vital energy,” says Ricardo Combariza, Chief People Officer, Covalto.

Experts agree that explaining what is expected of employees and what priority each of their tasks has can also build a harmonious working approach. “There is no better way to help an employee than by asking them what they are looking for and explaining what is expected of them,” said Juárez. 

Combariza shares that the authorities also have a part to play in deploying legal frameworks and policies to address problems that could harm employees emotionally. To this end, Delgado added that people in leadership positions must be down to earth and have a diverse team to understand the full picture of different employee needs.