Purple Paper^TM: The integration myth—how a misconception about work styles might be harming worker well-being

Workers are asking for more and more flexibility in their work arrangements, and they are getting it. Flexible work arrangements can make switching between work and nonwork very convenient, and many workers are taking advantage of that convenience and blending their work and nonwork time. But that integration of work and nonwork life domains can have a hidden cost.

From Balance to Integration

In recent years, even before COVID19, the idea of work-life balance has fallen out of fashion. In its place, many promote work-life integration.

The work-life integration approach proposes that workers should not try to balance work and nonwork as if they are in competition, but to seamlessly integrate work and nonwork wherever and whenever it is convenient. The approach also implies that the blurring or eliminating of boundaries between work and nonwork is healthier than separating them.

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The Integration Myth

Make Hybrid Work