She and others at her company work from home, and she has noticed her boss wishing aloud lately that all employees were back in the office. On this topic Newsletters Managing the IT Professional. Whenever the economy slows, some managers think of work-life programs as just so much fluff. A kind of workplace paralysis can set in as a result, Mr. Rupert says, with a chilling effect on any program aimed at improving work-life balance. Anxious managers worry that they can't afford to have anyone working less than flat-out.
Employees fear repercussions if they make time for a life outside work.
At many companies, initiatives such as flextime and telecommuting have sold themselves. The program has expanded to 3,500 workers since it began in the mid-1990s. And with the labor market still tight, few companies want to risk eliminating programs seen as marque items in their drive to brand themselves as good places to work. The dynamics of the war for talent haven't changed. Still, programs that require cash outlays are on the chopping block at some hard-hit companies.