Comments on: Has the Recession Killed GenY’s Dream of Work-Life Balance?

By: Did the Recession Wake Gen Y from Their Work-Life Balance Dream? | The Savvy Intern by YouTern

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 11:55:45 +0000

[…] this post, YouTern thanks our friends at Brazen […]

By: Yakezie

Yakezie — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 07:40:00 +0000

If you’re thinking about work life balance already, right out of college, then I fear things will be difficult.

By: 123123

123123 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 21:55:00 +0000

fuck that I have no life

By: YUA

YUA — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 18:20:00 +0000

I have a decent-paying entry-level job 5 years after graduating undergrad and then working “exit-level” jobs. I appreciate the luck and fortune of having it. But I also maintain the mentality that I could always lose the job, and I’m OK with that. To me, all the advice to not give yourself an escape plan and not allow yourself the option of failure just doesn’t ring true. Every time I think about losing your job, I remind myself that I have two choices: 1) Get over the stigma of poverty and be mentally prepared for it, or 2) Commit suicide. I choose #1 every time.
My job is not exactly where I want to be. But if I can get to exactly where I want to be, I’m not going to get there by being anxios. So I do a decent job on my office, but I don’t stress myself out trying to become indispensible. As a result, I have a good life-work balance. I’m aware that that puts me at a greater risk of becoming unemployed, but I’m so accustomed to that risk that it’s OK with me.

By: Alex Dogliotti

Alex Dogliotti — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 09:46:00 +0000

Here’s the thing. Work-life balance doesn’t mean anything. In its traditional sense people use it as work VS. Non-work activities (even in this article), somehow thinking having time to do lots of non-work related activities is great. In reality, that’s not the point. It’s not ‘work’ VS ‘life’, it’s about ‘doing stuff I like’ VS ‘doing stuff I don’t like’. Both at work and outside of it. Would you consider a good work-life balance to spend your time outside the office cleaning the house and changing nappies? Probably not. Probably you’d like to travel and go for cocktails with friends (all things that cost money, which you’ll have to make at work, but that’s another story). My point is, the entire work-life balance is an illusion that comes from factory work, when people couldn’t possibly mix their work with their life.. But today? Today is about meaning. It’s about doing meaningful stuff that fulfills you both at work and outside. Today work-life balance doesn’t mean anything.

By: One Year Later | Nanu's Nation

One Year Later | Nanu's Nation — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 04:28:15 +0000

[...] read a blog yesterday that pegged me perfectly at the moment. I don’t have an itch to start my own [...]

By: bangla news

bangla news — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:24:00 +0000

From my point of view, I think Franzi and Anna is right.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

I agree with Franzi and Anna’s points: entrepreneurialism is definitely an option, and although it means a ton of work, it’s work you care about. I think one of the big work/life balance issues is spending 8 million hours working at a job that you don’t care about (locked up in a cube), or that doesn’t make you feel valued enough that it’s worth it.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:04:00 +0000

PS Love the Detroit shout out!

By: Anna

Anna — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

I am absolutely dedicated to life-work balance despite the economy. My co-workers and I fight for it regularly but it’s an uphill battle. Some feel that we’re just lucky to have jobs and think we should be quiet but I think my generation knows better! There are options and we should fight for them as hard as we can. I’m not willing to sacrifice the happiness and sanity that a positive personal life brings just so I can climb the ladder at work.

I think becoming an entrepreneur is one option but that’s not for everyone. For those of us who are employed, I think the solution is being dedicated to the work-life balance mission – not giving up with managers, pushing bosses to realize that telecommuting is a viable option, etc. And my feeling is that a work place isn’t flexible and doesn’t try to keep up with the younger generation’s idea of balance then I wouldn’t really want to work for them, at least not long term. Though I recognize that that choice is a privilege that not everyone has.

By: Franzi

Franzi — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 13:39:00 +0000

entrepreneurialism can be a result of some people to attain work-life balance… a lot of young people were solely following the general sound of society… “work-life balance is important” aka another excuse to claim on the current corporate design, to accuse politicians to be not active enough etc. Here entrepreneurship was more an extrinsic motivation (aka short-lasting)…another option!

another way of thinking would be to think about people who are passionate about entrepreneurship… who see themselves in no other position than working for themselves, but there work-life balance is more a result of their passion…. their intrinsic motivation.
It is so misleading to think that entrepreneurship means to gain more work-life balance… it is the opposite actually… you re working your butt of…. but at the end of the day…you re doing sth you love and that s what matters… work and life are almost the same… you re spending your LIFE with WORK you LOVE…