By Tina Strandvig, HR Department. Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication

What is work-life balance and why is it so important? This question was on the Main Joint Consultation Committee agenda under equality and diversity.

- We thrive and perform better when we don't feel guilty about having a private life or vice versa. So on the one hand, we need time to pursue our professional ambitions and, on the other hand, time to create a harmonious family life with room for leisure interests. This way, we can be passionate about our work without burning out. And be family-oriented, without being absent from work.

These were the words of Rector Per Michael Johansen in his remarks at the Main Joint Consultation Committee theme day this year that was about work-life balance, on Tuesday 28 September 2022.

- Work-life balance sounds simple but in reality it’s complex. Because it's not just about balancing time and tasks. It also requires that we take into account staff members with different types of families, types of work and circadian rhythms. It means goodbye to 'one size fits all' and hello to 'one size fits one' solutions, said Camilla Kring, PhD, about work-life balance.

Life phases – working life in a new perspective

On the theme day, there was also a focus on life phases, as age is no longer the deciding factor for how we design our lives. You can have children at a late age, want to prioritize your career for some periods, and need to slow down at others. But how do we adapt our working lives to new needs and opportunities? The Main Joint Consultation Committee discussed this using playing cards and life-phase-related dilemmas.

- The game allowed us to recognize ourselves and colleagues in one or more phases of life and discuss needs and solutions. If AAU is to be an attractive workplace now and in the future, it is crucial that we give serious attention to well-being, work-life balance and life phases, said Jesper Lindgaard Christensen, joint union representative and deputy chair of the Main Joint Consultation Committee, and added:

- There is a need for more than one item at a consultation committee meeting, which is why we prioritized a full-day workshop to go into depth with the themes, he said.

Tools to create work-life balance

The Committee for Equality and Diversity and the Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee will continue to work with input from the theme day and initiate concrete measures at AAU.