Work-life balance isn’t working. Here’s what HR needs to know
A growing number of employees are prioritizing *work-life balance* above all else — even salary — according to a Randstad report showing that 83% of workers consider balance their top motivator in staying with or finding a new job. Yet, workplace experts caution that traditional ideas of work-life balance may be unrealistic or outdated in today’s professional landscape. Among them, Jennifer Moss, a workplace strategist and author of *Unlocking Happiness at Work*, argues that the very concept of work-life balance has eroded, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moss explains that while the pandemic initially seemed to create more flexibility, it actually blurred the boundaries between personal and professional life, creating what she calls a “persistent, constant inability to bifurcate” the two. Remote and hybrid work gave rise to what she describes as “pajama hours” — periods when employees work late into the evening under the illusion of leisure time. This false sense of flexibility, she warns, leads to overwork and burnout rather than genuine well-being. Moreover, as companies reinstate return-to-office mandates, workers are losing even more “unrealized hours” to commutes, childcare logistics, and preparation time, which further encroaches on personal life.
Instead of chasing a balance that pits work and life against each other, Moss encourages striving for *work-life harmony*. Harmony, she says, allows both spheres to flow together in a healthy and supportive way, where neither dominates or drains the other. Employees who achieve this harmony tend to perform better and feel more fulfilled, because their personal and professional lives complement each other rather than compete. “When I see people that really have that healthy harmony between work and life,” Moss explains, “they’re so high performing… They don’t feel like one is stealing from the other.”
Moss’s views are echoed by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, who emphasizes that HR leaders should understand the differences between work-life integration and segmentation. While integration blends personal and professional lives, segmentation enforces clear boundaries — and research shows that segmenters often experience less stress and higher satisfaction. Grant suggests HR can help promote harmony by offering flexible benefits that cater to both preferences, such as supporting on-site and off-site wellness options.
Ultimately, Moss reframes the conversation: the goal isn’t merely to juggle work and life, but to cultivate harmony that sustains well-being and performance alike. “When we use the term harmony,” she concludes, “it’s about not just integrating both [work and life], but actually striving for something better.”