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1.1 INTRODUCTION OF WORK LIFE BALANCE
Work life balance
The term was first coined in 1986. It does not mean equal balance but it is of trying to schedule an equal number of hours for each of your various work and personal activities. The right balance of you today will probably be different for you tomorrow. Thus the core of effective work life balance definition are of two key concept they are daily achievement and enjoyment.
Modern life in the Western world:
• Stress levels on an upward trend.
• People working longer hours than ever.
• An increasing proportion of households with both partners out at work, or where the only parent has to work all hours to make ends meet.
Four broad categories associated with Work life balance:
• Role overload
• Work-to-family interference
• Family-to-work interference
• Care giver strain
Work Life Balance Solutions - how to create the best work-life balance solutions:
• Get back in control of your career and your home life
• Reduce your stress levels
• Find time for you
• Rediscover the interests that made you uniquely you before you had children
Skills needed to create a satisfactory work/life balance include:
• Communication
• Negotiation
• Knowing yourself
• Problem solving
• Resolving conflict
What are work/life balance initiatives?
Simply put, work/life balance initiatives are any benefits, policies, or programs that help create a better balance between the demands of the job and the healthy management (and enjoyment) of life outside work.
Work/life initiatives can potentially deal with a wide range of issues including:
• eldercare initiatives (may range from referral program, eldercare assessment, case management, a list of local organizations or businesses that can help with information or products, or seminar and support groups),
• emergency childcare assistance,
• employee assistance programs,
• family leave policies,
• fitness facilities, or fitness membership assistance (financial).
• flexible working arrangements,
• internal and/or external educational or training opportunities, or
• on-site childcare,
• on-site seminar and workshops (on such topics as stress, nutrition, smoking, communication etc),
• other leaves of absence policies such as educational leave, community service leaves, self funded leave or sabbaticals,
• parental leave for adoptive parents,
• referral program to care services, local organizations, etc.,
• seasonal childcare programs (such as March break or Christmas),
Simply put, work/life balance initiatives are any benefits, policies, or programs that help create a better balance between the demands of the job and the healthy management (and enjoyment) of life outside work.
Ways to find Work life balance:
• Stop being the boss
• Get your priority straight
• Know your opinion
• Plan and protect downtime
• Audit your weekly schedule
• Cant spare an week take an hour
Framework for successful Work-Life Balance in organizations
• Identify the key need or reason for introducing Work-Life Balance policies
• Build the commitment to Work-Life Balance Policies into the organization ' s vision or value statement.
• Set up a Work-Life Balance Task Force Examine current practices in the organization
• Hold joint discussions with employees to evolve policies, while also identifying possible barriers
• Communicate policies through handbooks, newsletters, Intranet and other forms of communication
• Hold workshops to help Managers implement and manage policies
• Begin with a few "quick win" policies
1.2 INDUSTRY PROFILE
Global Polymer Industry:
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is the second largest plastic commodity presently used. PVC resin demand all over the world is estimated to be 26 million tones per year. The major demand is seen in North America, Europe and Japan, where its consumption is about 60% of globally consumed material.
Global PVC Industry:
PVC is about 205 of total consumed, because it is tough and durable, competitive in cost very versatile with ease of processing, which includes inject in, extrusion, blow molding, calendaring, spread coating, dip coating. Products manufactured with their processes can be hard, semi soft or soft with exact desirable performance and low energy demand.
A wide range of PVC products are manufactured using various processes mentioned above. The range of PVC products manufactured include pipes windows profiles kitchen furniture packaging etc. in rigid range while in soft or flexible range we have products like leather cloths, Shoes, Films, Toys, Medical appliances like bloods bags, gloves & tubing (Electrical Cables and Wires).
PVC is processed comparatively at high temperature to manufacture above-mentioned wide range of products using various process and machinery. At this temperature of processing there is possibility PVC gets decomposed. To prevent this decomposition, PVC stabilizers are used during processing. These stabilizers are manufacturing using heavy metals like Pb, Ba, Cr, Zr, Ca etc. some of there stabilizers ca leach when in use and can cause health problems. This problems is very serious with PVC products use for products handled by children such as toys, erasers etc.
For manufacture of flexible PVC products plasticizers are added during processing of PVC resins. There are again a wide range of plasticizers and can be clarified in major types such as Phthalate, Adipates, Mellitalese, Poxy, Phosphates, Citrates and Polymeric. It is estimated that global demand for plasticizers is 4647000 MT per year. The plasticizer content in PVC product will vary depending on flexibility of the product but can be as high as 50% of the weight of the plastic product. Some of these plasticizers esters are considered not safe for some applications as toys etc; as they can leach from PVC products and can cause health problems.
Both the stabilizer and plasticizers, suite few new products are available which are safe and do not cause weather problems. Due to safety and health considerations PVC is facing a lot of resistance, especially from environmentalists and in the last few years, there is the lot of controversy on use of plasticizers for some of the applications of PVC products. In some countries DOP, which is the main plasticizers for PVC, is banned for such applications. However suitable substitutes have been already evaluated and are used for such critical applications.
The other constraint for the growth of PVC is the disposal of used PVC material. The methods adopted are incineration or burning which produce dioxin during this process and though the product is considered most toxic and is linked to cause of cancer and damage to reproductive system. However presently, quite a few systems have been developed where used PVC products are request to reduce the problem of disposal.
With all such constraint from environmental concerns and as a product contributing to a better stand and of living. The global PVC growth is about 4% while that of plasticizers is about 2% and for all plastic material it is 3.5%