“[W]ork needs to have a balance that I have rarely lived. It’s a balance that lets us offer our gifts to the world but not at the cost of self and family.[i]”—J. R Storment, President @ FinOps Foundation, reflecting on work and life after the loss of his 8-year-old son.

The vast majority of American workers say that work–life balance is a problem, with 54% calling it a “significant problem.[ii]” Technology has fueled 24/7/365 work connectivity, and 57% of employees say it has ruined the family dinner, viewed as an important ingredient to balance. More than half (57%) of employees think their employer is not doing enough to solve work–life balance problems, and 60% blame their boss.[iii] These statistics highlight that attaining work–life balance is a challenge and employees want their companies to do more to help. The goal of this article is to answer three questions to help leaders address these problems

Each year since 2015, the Visibility Committee of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology has hosted Smarter Workplace Awareness Month, highlighting the work that I-O psychologists do to make work better for everybody, and providing resources organizations can use to improve their workplaces.

For the third week of the 2019 celebration, SIOP members share information and insights on agility and agile organizations, the gig economy and contract work, and sexual harassment and the #MeToo movement.

SIOP’s Smarter Workplace Awareness Month continues with a question and answer session with SIOP member Carra S. Sims on another Top Ten Workplace Trend for 2019, sexual harassment.  Carra is a senior behavioral and social scientist at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation.

The Gig Economy is #4 on SIOP’s Top 10 Workplace Trends and, as part of SIOP’s Smarter Workplace Month, Emily Campion, assistant professor of Human Resources in the Strome College of Business at Old Dominion University, agreed to answer some questions to help us understand why it is growing in importance (moving up six spots from number 10 in 2018).  

CEOs and other executives have plenty to keep them up at night: the possibility of shifting economic cycles (i.e., recession), trade concerns, cyber security, acquiring and keeping top talent, adapting to changing customer preferences, regulatory influences on their business, and more.

Additionally, technology continues to advance rapidly, requiring organizations to adapt quickly or risk obsolescence. These pressures all require change; but in particular, these pressures require organizations to become increasingly agile—or nimble—as they proactively navigate their given industry or sector.