Appendix B: An Overview of the Coding Scheme
Part One: Challenges Faced by Employees with Respect to Balance (65% of all comments)
Organizational Problems(41% of all the comments)
Heavy Workloads (10%)
Downsizing (2%)
Unrealistic expectations (2%)
Being a manager (1%)
Inability to plan and to set priorities (1%)
Lack of resources (1%)
Lack of time (1%)
Impact of technology (2%)
Unrealistic expectations (2%)
Being a manager (1%)
Inability to plan and to set priorities (1%)
Lack of resources (1%)
Lack of time (1%)
Impact of technology (2%)
Non-Supportive Management (9%)
Immediate manager does not treat the employee with respect (2%)
Managers do not see their people management role as a priority (2%)
Immediate manager acts as barrier to use of supportive policies
A lack of leadership at the top (2%)
The wrong people are being promoted into management positions **
Upper management behaviour contributes to stress **
Upper management do not model the appropriate behaviour **
Managers do not see their people management role as a priority (2%)
Immediate manager acts as barrier to use of supportive policies
A lack of leadership at the top (2%)
The wrong people are being promoted into management positions **
Upper management behaviour contributes to stress **
Upper management do not model the appropriate behaviour **
Cultures that Do Not Support Balance (8%)
Culture of hours (2%)
Disconnected culture which is focused on policies rather than practice (1%)
Culture conveys that it is money rather than people that is important (1%)
Management culture (1%)
Culture of backlash (1%)
Culture of guilt
Culture based on the myth of "separate worlds" (i.e. work or family)
Hierarchical culture **
Disconnected culture which is focused on policies rather than practice (1%)
Culture conveys that it is money rather than people that is important (1%)
Management culture (1%)
Culture of backlash (1%)
Culture of guilt
Culture based on the myth of "separate worlds" (i.e. work or family)
Hierarchical culture **
The Perception that One Has to Choose Between Career Advancement and Balance (4%)
Strategy of putting family ahead of work (even when children are young) hurts career advancement (1%)
Career development activities often make it more difficult to meet family demands (1%)
Time crunch negatively affects career advancement
Career advancement often depends on relocation, which is difficult to do in families where both partners are working
Employees who make use of supportive policies will not get ahead **
Career advancement means putting in the hours, which makes balance more difficult **
Career development activities often make it more difficult to meet family demands (1%)
Time crunch negatively affects career advancement
Career advancement often depends on relocation, which is difficult to do in families where both partners are working
Employees who make use of supportive policies will not get ahead **
Career advancement means putting in the hours, which makes balance more difficult **
Work-Life Policies (3%)
Policies are not clear
Policies do not exist
Inequity with respect to the ability to use the policies
Policy versus practice - no accountability with respect to the use of the policies
Comments on specific policies (2%) **
Policies do not exist
Inequity with respect to the ability to use the policies
Policy versus practice - no accountability with respect to the use of the policies
Comments on specific policies (2%) **
Too Much Change Makes Balance More Difficult (2%)
Organizational changes such as downsizing, restructuring and amalgamating increase workloads and work stress and make balance more problematic (1%)
Too much change overwhelms an employee's ability to cope and makes balance more difficult (1%)
Too much change overwhelms an employee's ability to cope and makes balance more difficult (1%)
Temporary and Part-time Work (2%)
Temporary employees do not get the same benefits as those working full-time
The insecurity associated with temporary work is very stressful
People who hold temporary jobs have less control over their work and non-work lives
Canadians who cannot get permanent employment are delaying having families
Part-time work is career-limiting **
The insecurity associated with temporary work is very stressful
People who hold temporary jobs have less control over their work and non-work lives
Canadians who cannot get permanent employment are delaying having families
Part-time work is career-limiting **
Work-Related Travel (1%)
Work-related travel increases stress
Employees are not compensated for high travel demands **
Work-related travel makes it hard to have a meaningful life outside of work **
Work-related travel increases conflict at home **
Employees are not compensated for high travel demands **
Work-related travel makes it hard to have a meaningful life outside of work **
Work-related travel increases conflict at home **
Specific Challenges (3%)
Challenges facing the boomers
Stresses associated with teaching
Stresses associated with nursing
Safety concerns **
Demands exceed ability to cope **
Challenges facing unionized employees **
Poor working conditions **
Stresses associated with teaching
Stresses associated with nursing
Safety concerns **
Demands exceed ability to cope **
Challenges facing unionized employees **
Poor working conditions **
Problems at the Work-Life Interface (12% of all the comments)
Role Overload (3%)
Role overload (2%)
Having too much to do and not enough time (1%)
Having too much to do and not enough time (1%)
Work and Family Roles Interfere with Each Other (6%)
Work interferes with family (2%)
Children and family interfere with work and career (2%)
Work and family interfere with time for self (1%)
Housework interferes with time for self and family
The commute to and from work interferes with time for self and family
Children and family interfere with work and career (2%)
Work and family interfere with time for self (1%)
Housework interferes with time for self and family
The commute to and from work interferes with time for self and family
Specific Challenges (3%)
Challenges associated with being a single parent (2%)
Challenges associated with living with a workaholic (1%)
Challenges associated with living with a workaholic (1%)
Problems at the Individual or Family Level (11% of all the comments)
Personal (3%)
Death of a spouse or family member
Divorce or separation
Moving/change in residence - lack of support in community
Personal/mental health problems that made balance more difficult
Serious physical disorder that made balance more difficult
Dealing with being single **
Personal issues **
Divorce or separation
Moving/change in residence - lack of support in community
Personal/mental health problems that made balance more difficult
Serious physical disorder that made balance more difficult
Dealing with being single **
Personal issues **
Circumstances at Home (6%)
Parenting (4%)
Not being able to stay home with children because money is tight (1%)
Lack of support for the traditional family (1%)
Responsible for both child and eldercare (sandwich generation) (1%)
Having primary responsibility for the family
Lack of time for self
Dealing with illness within the family
Caring for a disabled dependant
Family responsibilities overwhelming ability to cope
Not being able to stay home with children because money is tight (1%)
Lack of support for the traditional family (1%)
Responsible for both child and eldercare (sandwich generation) (1%)
Having primary responsibility for the family
Lack of time for self
Dealing with illness within the family
Caring for a disabled dependant
Family responsibilities overwhelming ability to cope
Eldercare (1%)
Responsible for the care of an elderly dependant
Financial responsibility for elderly dependant
Lack of supports for elderly dependants
Supporting one parent after the death of the other parent **
Eldercare is time-consuming and overwhelms an individual's ability to cope **
Financial responsibility for elderly dependant
Lack of supports for elderly dependants
Supporting one parent after the death of the other parent **
Eldercare is time-consuming and overwhelms an individual's ability to cope **
Financial Strains (1%)
Balance difficult due to the financial need to work more than one job
It is difficult to balance when there is no financial security
It is difficult to balance when money is tight
Work demands have increased but pay has not gone up accordingly **
Government policies/taxes make things more difficult financially **
Pay increases have not kept up with increases in cost of living **
Financial compensation below the industry average **
Financial worries contribute to stress **
Inability to survive on one income **
It is difficult to balance when there is no financial security
It is difficult to balance when money is tight
Work demands have increased but pay has not gone up accordingly **
Government policies/taxes make things more difficult financially **
Pay increases have not kept up with increases in cost of living **
Financial compensation below the industry average **
Financial worries contribute to stress **
Inability to survive on one income **
Part Two: Positive Observations with Respect to Work-Life Balance
Positive Comments on Work-Life Balance (10% of all the comments)
General Comments (5%)
Factors that contribute to balance (3%)
Family makes it possible (1%)
It gets easier - having grown or older kids
Young, single - and happy about it
Flexible work hours make balance possible **
Family makes it possible (1%)
It gets easier - having grown or older kids
Young, single - and happy about it
Flexible work hours make balance possible **
The Organization (4%)
Has implemented flexible work arrangements (2%)
Offers a supportive, caring work environment (1%)
Concretely supports work-life balance (1%)
Supports a sense of team **
Offers a supportive, caring work environment (1%)
Concretely supports work-life balance (1%)
Supports a sense of team **
Immediate Manager (1%)
Manager is supportive
Manager understands the need for work-family balance
Manager gives needed flexibility
Manager understands the need for work-family balance
Manager gives needed flexibility
Part Three: Achieving a Balance
Achieving a Balance (11% of all the comments)
Personal Strategies (6%)
Use your faith to put life into perspective
Be organized
Recognize that balance takes work - and work at it
Have goals
Put things into perspective - "don't sweat the small stuff"
Enjoy life - focus on what is going well, not what is stressful
Find a job you enjoy
Have a supportive partner who does his or her share at home
Remain fit and use exercise as a way to deal with stress
Be organized
Recognize that balance takes work - and work at it
Have goals
Put things into perspective - "don't sweat the small stuff"
Enjoy life - focus on what is going well, not what is stressful
Find a job you enjoy
Have a supportive partner who does his or her share at home
Remain fit and use exercise as a way to deal with stress
Make Choices and Set Priorities (5%)
Consciously separate work and home
Consciously put family first
Reduce the amount of time spent in paid employment
Choose shift work so one partner is at home to care for the children
Learn to make do with less
Have a partner who does not work outside the home
Make time for hobbies and self
Decide not to have children
Postpone having children
Consciously put family first
Reduce the amount of time spent in paid employment
Choose shift work so one partner is at home to care for the children
Learn to make do with less
Have a partner who does not work outside the home
Make time for hobbies and self
Decide not to have children
Postpone having children
Part Four: Recommendations
Recommendations (11% of all the comments)
Recommendations to Organizations (4%)
Managers (2%)
Organizational support of balance (1%)
Daycare
Fitness facilities
Organizational support of balance (1%)
Daycare
Fitness facilities
Recommendations at the Policy Level (8%)
** Not presented in this report. Please see the more complete set of comments on the authors' Web site
Note : Numbers in parentheses are the percentage of all the coded comments that were grouped in this category of comments. All categories that are not marked represented less than 1% of the comments. Numbers were rounded to the closest decimal point and may therefore not add up exactly to 100.
Benefits
Increased flexibility with respect to hours of work
Leave (i.e. maternity, paternity, family days, sick days, special leave)
Reduce the amount of time employees spend in work
Support for the traditional family
Working from home **
Flexible work arrangements **
Increased flexibility with respect to hours of work
Leave (i.e. maternity, paternity, family days, sick days, special leave)
Reduce the amount of time employees spend in work
Support for the traditional family
Working from home **
Flexible work arrangements **
** Not presented in this report. Please see the more complete set of comments on the authors' Web site
Note : Numbers in parentheses are the percentage of all the coded comments that were grouped in this category of comments. All categories that are not marked represented less than 1% of the comments. Numbers were rounded to the closest decimal point and may therefore not add up exactly to 100.