In the new organisations that are emerging in the 21st century, the focus on work-life balance is increasing. Attention is increasingly being focused on balancing the demands of work and family & personal commitment. There is a clear distinction even in the semantics, work is a demand whilst family and personal needs are a commitment. Though most of us view work and family as competing priorities, few realize that in reality work and family are complementary. One cannot exist without the other!

If the employee can healthily and satisfactorily meet his or her family commitment (e.g. childcare, parenting, elder care, filiality, spousal relationship management), personal commitment (pursue personal interest & hobbies, participate in sports, maintain a healthy lifestyle) and community responsibility (e.g. participate actively in voluntary organization, social & community activities in the community), he or she is more likely to more motivated and driven to come go to work and meet the demands of work whole-heartedly.

Balancing of work and life involves all employees at the workplace. It involves the acceptance of a diverse range of family and personal needs and how these vary across the life span between work cultures. It also involves the empathetic understanding, acceptance and compassion for family and personal life issues and recognition of the depth that each person brings to work from their family and personal experiences.