Finding the elusive work-life balance

If it's true that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," we are spawning a legion of Jacks - and Jills. According to a Canadian study conducted in 2012, the amount of time we are devoting to work has increased dramatically over the years. 

In 2001 just over half the men surveyed, and almost 40 per cent of the women, said they were working more than 45 hours a week. In 2012, that went up substantially, to 68 per cent of the men and 54 per cent of the women. Anecdotal evidence suggests those numbers may be even higher. 

In this age of computers, email and smartphones, it is undeniable that the lines have blurred between our work lives and our personal lives. This has spawned an avalanche of articles and books that admonish us about the importance of achieving work-life balance, and dish out advice on all the things we can do to make our lives better.
Michael speaks with two experts who have done a great deal of research in this area. They believe there is a great deal more that employers can do, to help employees find the balance between their work life and personal life.
Linda Duxbury is a professor at the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University; she has conducted countless studies for both the public and private sectors. In addition to work-life balance, her research interests include managing a changing workforce, and employee mental health.  

Ron Friedman is a social psychologist who specializes in human motivation. He has taught at a number of U.S. universities. He left academia to bring his research into the workplace as a consultant. He is also the author of the recently published book, The Best Place to Work: The Art and Science of Creating an Extraordinary Workplace.