“The IT field attracts high achievers who enjoy doing things faster and better, can handle a lot of pressure and relish a heavy workload,” says career-life coach Barbara Durst. “But they often have difficulty identifying when they have overstepped their limits and realizing how much is too much.”

The time to reassess your work-life balance is when certain “triggers” start kicking in, according to Durst. These include sleeping poorly, missing family time, losing your sense of humour and feeling resentful, fatigued or unreasonable. “People in IT find it hard to slow down, but they can do small things to manage the pressure,” she points out.

FIVE TIPS FOR IT EMPLOYEES

1. Hit the “pause” button:
   When you feel a trigger coming on, stop to think about what you’re doing and gauge its importance to your life.
2. Create a “don’t do” list:
   Critically analyze your to-do list and eliminate
   what you don’t need to do.
3. Watch your time management:
   Prioritize, delegate—and learn to say “no.”
4. Adjust your attitude:
   Accept that change is inevitable and welcome it
   as an ongoing opportunity for self-development.
5. Choose employers carefully:
   Select those that foster employee work-life balance.

“While everyone is different, a universal key to work-life balance is happiness,” says Durst. “And if you’re not happy, you know it’s time to pause and reassess.”

SUPPORTING WORK-LIFE BALANCE:
TIPS FOR EMPLOYERS
In its annual study, research and analysis company Quocirca cited “the elusive work-life balance” among 2008’s top technology trends and focus areas. The firm noted that increasingly, it is the business that has to get things balanced—between giving employees the flexibility and tools to be productive while controlling the amount these tools are used for personal rather than business applications.

But this is only one aspect of a broader corporate approach to supporting employee work-life balance. According to Michael Koscec, president of Entec Corporation (a firm that measures employee engagement), companies need to consider this issue from both a philosophical and a practical point of view. “Work-life balance is a partnership between the organization and the employee, where each takes responsibility,” says Koscec. “For example, companies need to ensure their practices accommodate an employee’s personal needs, sustain a positive and supportive workplace environment and encourage learning and personal development.” He points out that a work environment conducive to employee engagement allows them to function at peak performance – and better contribute to profitability.

Koscec adds that employees must take responsibility for following healthy lifestyles, meeting their client needs even when they’re absent, and ensuring that their personal issues do not erode their commitments to employers. In his best-selling book, Energizing Organizations, Koscec offers guiding principles for making this employee-employer partnership work.

A work environment conductive to employee engagement allows them to function at peak performance – and better contribute to profitability.

The bottom line: today’s employees take work-life balance very seriously. A 2007 study by the Association of Executive Search Consultants showed that 85 per cent of job candidates rejected an offer because it didn’t provide enough work-life balance. A clear message to employers that this is an issue to address.