Instructions
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Nowadays many people complain that they have difficulties in maintaining work-life balance.
Why is this the case?
What strategies do you recommend to maintain work-life balance?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Top rated answers
Here are the 5 highest scoring answers by real-users for this IELTS Writing Task 2 Problem and Solution topic.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 days ago
Recently, a lot is discussed about the necessity of work-life balance as an integral part of each person. This is particularly important, considering the stressful life of people all around the world due to the factors like work pressure, inability to spend quality time with family, in particular, with children as well as health issues due to disturbance in routine and food intake timings. To elaborate further, humans across the globe are either more career oriented or are compelled to work hard due the job pressure. Those who are inclined towards career first approach enjoy working day and night without enough social interactions. They just love to work hard and prove their capabilities and importance within their company or field of work. In fact, such people even love working during the weekends. By doing this, they create a de-facto standard in thier place of work, that is expected by everyone working in the same firm or field of work. On the other hand, there are people who, would like to strike a balance between their job and personal life. They do not mind working hard, if required, but are not in favour of being a workaholic, like the career oriented ones. For them, it is very important to give equal amount of quality time to their family like with their spouse, children, grandparents. They believe in the idea of, earning for the family. Moreover, these people love to go for family outings like picnics, travelling to different places, planning celebrations, which are few ways to strike a balance between professional and personal world. This leads to development of better socialization among such individuals. To conclude, work-life balance is the need for current times. It helps, in keeping most of the working crowd across the world motivated as well as healthy.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
4 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
4 days ago
In the modern world, with corporates highly focused on making profits, the individuals are forced to work for long hours. This has caused many people to struggle with work-life balance. This essay highlights the cause of this issue and possible strategies to maintain a healthy work-life balance. The main reason why everyone is struggling these days is the rise in competition amongst individuals to achieve growth and success rapidly. This has given rise to "hustle culture" where people proactively multi-task to achieve their goals like climbing the corporate ladder or setting up their own business. On the other hand, not everyone is into hustle, but still are forced by their employers to work for longer hours to fulfill the deadlines. This results in a person working for more than 50 hours a week and sometimes even on weekends. While hard work is necessary for success there has to be a hard stop somewhere to maintain a healthy physical and social life. I opine that there could be many strategies for maintaining work-life balance. To begin with, the government should implement strict labour laws to ensure that people are not overworked and stressed. Employers should be penalised for long work hours. Next one could be setting up various sessions by the employers for the mental health of their employees. Workplace should be made enjoyable with initiatives like fun fridays. Additionally, employees themselves should set strict working hours for themselves and should refuse to work on weekends upfront. Although it may cause some disruptions initially, in the long run it would certainly benefit other employees since this would establish a positive work culture. To summarise, though work is important, there has to be a balance between work and life. This is not only the responsibility of employers but also employees to learn to say no to maintain their own well-being.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
7 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
7 days ago
In today's fast paced world, human beings are in the rat race to success. Chasing dreams and goals became the ultimate priority. As a result, it has become extremnely strenuous to maintain professional life and personal life. Majority of the people are stressed out in concern to deterioration of relationsahips as a consequence of excess work. To begin with, many people spend tremendous amount of time in their office wether it be a business or a job. The mindset of the people has changed due to economic pressure that ascertains more money will lead to ultimate satisfaction. Little that they know, satisfaction and happiness is achieved with a combination of work, leisure and family. Secondly, the corporate world has always treated their employees like robots. Selfish working environment squeezes an employee's time to generate income. Such employees fail to realize that time doesn't wait or return. As a result, the eradication of happiness and well being occurs. However, there are numerous strategies to adapt for maintaining work-life balance. To illustrate, one must spend atleast 1 hour of time for themselves. In this one hour, a person must only carry out activities that they prefer. For instance, reading books, watching movies or exercising. Furthermore, waking up a bit early to spend some crucial time with family before heading to work will generate happiness sprawl in one's mind. Sharing thoughts with friends and family will eradicate stress abd provide an enthusiasm to maintain a better work-life balance. To conclude, though work and earning money is an undeniable fact to survive in this world, it should not come at a cost of personal life degradation. Career development and wealth progress should be prioritized while perpetuating health and family for the future generation.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
9 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
9 days ago
In this modern era, there are numerous problems faced by people with their personal and professional life. They find it hard to give equal importance to both.As a result of this,Eventhough,they excel in professional life,they tend to compromise their personal life. It is not like that in the previous decade,Nowadays,there are huge crisis going inbetwwen due to unemployement and demand of jobs,Moreover,there is a survey which states that people who work in Heathcare sector and Information Technology(IT) sector are the most affected job roles in India.Because,healthcare professionals usually have a long work timing because of the patient load.Due to the connectivity and hybrid working concept IT people has to work through their laptop or smartphones as replyiong to E-mail or attending a meeting,which causes lot of chaos in personal life.Also due to financial burden,many people take multiple shift,overtime,etc. To maintain healthy work-life balance there should be some strict rules to be followed in life.Define a clear timing about working and inform the superiors that you will not be available after work timings. Learn to say no when it comes to out of hours.Avoid responding to work related calls during your personal time. Keep yourself engaged in a hobby and concentrate in self care.Employers should arrange remote working and flexible work schedules for employees. Government can implement policies that promote work-life balance. In conclusion, companies should consider and as feedback and suggestions to their workers to improve their balance between professional life and personal life. Well=balanced life leads to a better productivity and over-all wellbeing.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
10 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
10 days ago
In Modern Era , People are more focused on doing work beyond their limits in early years of their lives and earning a lot of money so that they can retire early on in their lives. This has led to a great depression in work-life balance which has affected the Socio-economic and physcological effects on human beings and their overall wellness . In the following essay , I will be highlighting the various reasons that have created an imbalance and also suggest few strategies to maintain work-life balance. In ancient times , their was a culture of joint families , where their were about eight to twenty members of a family living under the same roof which included atleast four to five earning members . Those earning members earned sufficient enough for whole family and also in those times inflation was not on its peak as it is in current times . But in current scenario , families are becoming nuclear but the demand to live a life of luxury is also very common . People now demand of latest technology gadgets and wish to own latest model vehicles and live in ultimate luxury because they think getting those things will give them happiness . The prices of even common groceries has reached new heights and to own expensive gadgets and earn a decent livelihood people do plenty of over times at their job which leaves no time for family neither do they spend time on their health . People work extra hours and take no leaves and accumulate those leaves thinking that they will enjoy once they get retired and have enough money to live life full of luxury . In my opinion , Government should step in on regulating work hours and also releasing various retirement plans wherein people can work flexible hours throughout their lives and still accumulate enough funds to support their golden years . Business owners and company managers should make it a compulsion for workers to take one weekly off and to take no work home . Weekly hours should be fixed at 40 hrs a week and weekly offs as required. Moreover, additional holidays for festivals , important events and sick leaves should be included . Companies should also fund abroad travel once in three years for workers who are exceptional at their work , so that get to spend quality time with their families . At last , I would like to conclude that though times have become challenging as people have increasing demands to live a luxurious life which has led to overburdening of work but their are various ways of how employers can look after their workers , that is through giving various holidays and funds for abroad trips .
All Answers
Here are all the answers by real-users practicing writing for IELTS writing Task 2 Problem and Solution on our IELTS Prep App.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 28 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 28 days ago
In current era, more individuals have raised concerns in sustaining proper work-life balance. It can be due to several reasons. In my opinion, primary reason for this can be manpower shortage in companies. To illustrate with this, in my company, the admin department for whole unit is manned by a single individual. He has multiple job responsibilties to do in a limited time-frame which hampers with his work-life balance as he tends to work overtime on a frequent basis. Secondly, individuals are not having proper knowledge on effective time-management techniques & thirdly lack of policies & procedures in an organization on hybrid work culture which can promote wellness of employees and help in providing work-life balance are missing. There are some strategies which can help in maintaining work-life balance. Companies can do a manpower analysis based on job roles and responsibilities. They can also establish a system to track the working hours of employees and strict avoidance in employee working overtime to be avoided. Organisations can also follow 4 days work and 3 days off approach to promote work-life balance among employees. Learning modules on time-management tools like - Pomodoro technique, which helps in effecient use of time without reducing productivity, then Eisenhower matrix, which helps in priortizing tasks as per their level of importance and lastly an effective tool of delegating jobs to ensure effient use of time, can be widely promoted among employees. Post Pandemic era, I have seen a change in many multiple multi-national conglomerates and organisations wherein they have started adapting these hybrid work culture to promote wellness among employees. This have drastically reduced employee's attrition rate & it has not only contributed in maintaining a healthier work-life balance but have also increased productivity of employees.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months ago
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance has become increasingly challenging in today's fast-paced world. There are several reasons for this issue, including long working hours, technological advancements, and societal pressures. To begin with, many workplaces demand extended hours to meet deadlines or achieve targets. This often leaves with little time for personal life. Moreover, the rise of digital technology has blurred the boundaries between work and home. Emails, messages, and tasks can now follow employees outside office hours, making it difficult to disconnect. Therefore, social expectations to excel professionally while managing family responsibilities add to the pressure, especially for working parents. To address this problem, several strategies can be implemented. Setting clear boundaries is crucial; for instance, workers should avoid responding to work-related emails during personal time. Employers can also promote flexible working hours or remote work to help individuals manage their time better. Furthermore, engaging in regular activity, medication or hobbies can help reduce stress and maintain mental well-being. Another effective strategy is prioritization. By focusing on essential tasks and delegating where possible, individuals can free up time for personal pursuits. Hence, organizations should foster a supportive culture by encouraging employees to take breaks, use their vacation days, and avoid overworking. In conclusion, while achieving work-life balance is challenging, adopting practical strategies and encouraging a healthier workplace culture can significantly alleviate the issue. This not only benefits staff but also improves productivity and job satisfaction. Employers and employees must work together to create an environment where personnel and professional lives can coexist harmoniously. Ultimately, prioritising mental well-being and setting boundaries will lead to a happier and more sustainable lifestyle.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 22 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 22 days ago
We all know that work plays a very important role in everyone's life as it helps to shape a person's identity, stucture our time and helps us to come in contact with others. In today's fast-paced society people in the work force are finfing it difficult to accomplish their targets within Friday and hence, donot find a breath of fresh air in the weekend. Unsatisfied by their weekend, they dread for another week of work coming up and the never cycle that continues henceforth. Work-life balance doesnot mean an equal balance, It means the power to remain competetive at work while maintaining a healthy and happy lifestyle at home. It means achieving the goals at work as well as having ample time for leisure. In contemporary societies, employees have started to work over a long period of time which leads to burn out, fatigue and irritability amongst them. Consequently, this is reducing their performance and credibility at work. Due to the inflexibility of work timings, employees are working for multiple shifts which in turn is making them lack interest and interaction with their own families. In today's world, both men and women enjoy high social recognition which is making them take unsolicited stress in their working environment. The strains are creationg irreversible negative impact on their psychological as well as physiological health which in turn is having a negative impact on cardio-vascular, respiratory systems. Their entire immune system is degenerating because mostly people are working on computers and leading a sedentary lifestyle. The most important way to handle this growing issue of job-life balance is to schedule time. Companies specially their Human Resource depatments should proactively fix weekly hours of service. Additionally, giving an extra day-off and having on-site meal availability can help the employees to keep a check on their health as well. Health and medical insurance should be offered to the employees and provision should be there for open spaces or a gym inside the office premises. Moreover, Employee Assistance program can be held from time to time to keep personal issues at bay and have a control over Mental health also. Lastly, paid vacations can help rejuvenate the employees and this should be a part of the package. Thus, work-life balance is about creating and maintaining an inclusive atmosphere so that work and personal life can be managed and employee performance and satisfaction can be improved.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 27 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 27 days ago
I agree with the idea that maintaining work-life balance has become a major issue for all working professionals. This has become one of the major reasons for people experiencing physical and mental issues like back pain, anxiety, and depression. Individuals don't have enough time to spend some personal hours with their friends and family, whereas vacations are considered a luxury. This leads to boredom among the office workers due to their monotonous life. Now, it's time to discuss the reasons behind the imbalance in the professional and personal lives of people. One of the major causes of this problem is the unfair working hours and inadequate salary. Most of the people work the usual 9-to-5 jobs six days a week, which makes up almost 50 working hours a week. Moreover, a large quantity of employees are asked to work overtime even on the weekends just for a mere amount of overtime pay. Nevertheless, most of the workers agree to do overtime to save more money, and they end up sacrificing their health for it. For example, one of my friends has been working as a data analyst at a renowned firm for a year and a half, and she has been working almost seven days a week so that she can put aside some money for her higher studies. I have always felt that she has not been receiving enough salary for the hard work she has been investing in this company. Hence, this proves my statement that insufficient pay and unhealthy working hours are the two major reasons for imperfect work-life balance. We can take several measures to maintain strong work-life stability. Firstly, companies can organize a field trip every month, which will help the employees freshen up their minds and have better performance at work. Secondly, employers should also consider providing a few paid leaves to their employees, so that they can spend some quality time with their loved ones. Lastly, the offices should also provide some incentives, like holidays, gift cards, or a small bonus to motivate their workers. To sum up, I believe that having a proper work-life balance will always prove to be helpful to the firms in the long run, as the employees are one of the crucial parts of its success. If the employees are not happy or satisfied, their performance will be affected, which will directly impact the company's goals. Therefore, providing adequate stipends and incentives, along with a healthy work schedule is very important for both the corporation and its staff.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 27 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
2 months 27 days ago
Maintaining work-life balance seems like a difficult task these days as work is prioritized over physical and mental well-being. This appears to be the case among several working individuals as workplace demands attention round the clock. This essay will present resons why work-life balance is difficult to manage, while stating solutions to how to overcome the same. The workforce experiences burn-out easily as they are unable to catch a break from work, this further grows into neglecting ones needs and only focus on work. As a result of growing in an reward-based education system, by the time children grow up, they suffer the need to take up work as a priority, similar to when studies were given more weightage as compared to extra-curricular activities in childhood. Furthermore, a lack of maintaining boundaries at workplace can also lead to exacting work. For instance, over-time is seen as a badge of honor in certain offices, and if one expresses resistance, it can lead to set-backs afterwards. Aother reason is employees who work from home can also experience stress from work throughout the day, as they cannot simply disconnect from work, this was the case during the COVID pandemic as well, which lead to a great deal of workers feel exhausted as home became their workplace. However, there are several practises that can help in maintaining work-life balance. Firstly, creating healthy work boundaries, this will help by restricting work to certain hours of the day. Secondly, practicing time-management and looking for activities outside of work. This will help build focus and boost productivity during work hours. For example creating hobbies and participating in community activities, will encourage individuals to take time out of work and maintain their mental and plysical health. In conclusion, even though work demands a lot attention and is important, it can be taxing at times. Hence, it is important to balance work and activities out-side of work. This not only improves one's work productivity but also builds a well-rounded lifestyle.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 5 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 5 days ago
Work life balance is of utmost importance if professionals have to live life to the fullest and be joyful. In today's scenario, stress is a term that has been increasingly used and mental health issues amongst working individuals is alarmingly increasing, almost exponentially. A tactical approach is most definitely required, to estabilish work life balance at different professional spheres. Every employee in every workspace, does face difficulty, at one time or another in maintaining harmony between their job and daily life. Firstly, if one does not enjoy and love the occupation he/she is in, then achieving stability and happiness becomes an arduous task for life in general. Going to work should be something one looks forward to on a daily basis, but this is easier said than done. So it is a personal responsibility, to select an appropriate field of work, tailored to ones own needs and interests. Nevertheless, many professionals are not at liberty to work at places they like. This being said, the work environment is crucial aspect in constructing a healhty mindset. Work incentives, bonuses, allowances with adequate off days from work, all help in an individual in spending quality time with family and pursuing ones own interests outside of work. Understanding and cooperative colleagues further aid this process. At an individual level, discipline is to be practiced in not over working or indulging in laziness. Techniques like meditation, sports and short vacations help in disseminating one responsibilities inside and outside of work more seamlessly as both mind and body are kept optimally functioning. To conclude, work life balance is something that has to be consciously worked at to achieve a more than satisfactory quality of living.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 6 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
3 months 6 days ago
These days various individuals grumble about the hardships they face in continuing work-life schedule.This can be seen as hectic work as well as pressure from the boss and many other things.Both the cases and strategies are discussed below. In my understanding as I have seen the growing number of adults struggling to make job and personal life fulfilment mainly due to tiring work time table.This has been the quintessential among workers as they are not able to give their time to their families,thus making them vulnerable to not only physical health problems as well as mental health problems.These days employees after coming from work have also been given tasks to complete them at their home just to meet their deadlines thus making it difficult for them to concentrate on their personal life.For example,if an employe is putting extra hours and not getting enough credit,however not only is he not being awarded but he is getting extra work to complete in his personal life and making him emotionally as well as mentally drained. There are various strategies to tackle this growing situation.First and foremost is to reduce the number of working hours so that worker can not be put under scanner for finishing the work before the deadline.When we reduce the time it gives them the sense of ease and moreover they can work more hardly as compared to before.Secondly,there should be few breaks during the day so that they can go and have some chat with their colleagues or call their family members,in that way they can feel relaxed,furthermore that will help them to concentrate on their job really well.For instance,if an individual will receive a sense of encouragement from his boss even though the task his employee achieved was really small but eventually that will help him to grow and in near future employee will work more efficiently. To conclude this workers struggling to maintain work-life balance is mainly due to hectic work schedule and pressure from the bosses.However,the strategies would be to reduce the number of working hours and not to give additional tasks while they are at home.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 26 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 26 days ago
Nowadays the global issues like unemployment, competitive environment, poor wages have caused several problems to the masses. In recent times, people find it challenging to maintain the balance in work and life ofter lead to issues like stress, avoid social interaction and being isolated. There can be many reasons but a few are discussed below. The definite reason for losing work-life balance is for the survival of the fittest as there is disproportionate between the jobs and population. The rise in population causes job scarcity which pressurise individual to work for long hours in the workplace. They often ignore the life after office. For example, threating the employees for overtime is a bad practice as they are being pressurise to work. Another cause can be achieving a luxurious life by working for more time even on week-offs. It deterioate their physical as well as mental health because they avoid social gatherings and they end up with stress and anxiety. However, there can be few solutions to these problems. Fistly, organisations shound encourage the employee to participating in physical activities to enhance their well- being and productivity. For instance, equiping the office with sports activity or by providing subsidized gym membership can improve their on work life. Secondly, allow them to take week-offs and spend time with family and interact with people outside the office. Prevent them from overtime so that the time can be spend at home or enjoy leisure activities like watching movies or shopping. To conclude, imbalance in work and life can cause disruption in individual's life and overall health in terms of stress, chronic diseases. To mitigate these challenges, organisations and employees have to work together and formulate the comprehensive plan of action to deal with it like providing rewards to finish work within the office hoursor arranging an outing with the peers. It will benefit the individual and society as a whole.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 25 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 25 days ago
Keeping a harmonious balance between office and home is the need of the hour. Especially after the pandemic, working from home became the new normal which definitely brought people closer to their families but also overburdened them with the dual responsibility. In this essay I will expand my view on these new ways of working and discuss some strategies on how to manage them. While working from home is a win-win for regular office goers as it saves their travel time and gives them the ease of working at the comfort of their homes but it also makes it difficult for them to define their working hours. Sometimes, people are so engrossed in their work that they even forget to keep a track of day and night. In this new set up, the office management also expects them to work some extra hours to compensate for the time they save in travelling. On top of that, managing the house while working from home is also not a easy task. The expectations of the family also paramounts to see their parents or partners around. They demand more time and sometimes forget that working from home doesn't mean that they can get more time together and the line between these aspects starts to blur. Therefore, it is imperative for professionals to strategize and strike the right balance between these two areas of their life. The most significant point is for employess to be disciplined even when working from homes and spend the stipulated office hours dedicatedly. They should not become lenient with the luxury and ease of home. It is pivotal for them to have a defined space in the house for work purpose only, so that they do not merge the two situations at home. Another important point is to have a quality time with the family. One should not be over indulged in ones work that they forget about the family and their needs. After all that's the silver lining in this entire scenario. I believe if one can just work on these two primitive yet very crucial aspects of this new work life, they will be able to find the solution to this problem. At the end, none of the aspects are complete in themselves. They are work best when in tandem and with harmony.
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 21 days ago
Band 6-7
IELTS Learner
1 month 21 days ago
In this fast-paced world that we presently reside, we can see advancements in every field, may it be technology, travel or food, the only aspect that has not improved is managing our professional career along with our personal lives. Work-Life balance is still a hot topic. In a recent study done to understand the root cause, researchers found out that during Covid 2020, most companies were forced to ask their employees to work from home, during this phase many of the employees found themselves distracted by the numerious activities happening all around them in their homes, due to which they were not able to focus on their jobs, the result of this was that they needed to extend their working hours to ensure their daily tasks were completed. A strategy that can be implemented in this situation is that the employee must create a schedule where they completely isolate themselves from all distractions at home and only focus on their work to ensure they are not compromising on their personal time. Another reason highlighted was that alot of employees would put in additional hours to meet the unrealistic timelines of their companies, which again caused them to lose out on their personal time. . Here the employees needs to again allign their goals at the very begining of their project lifecycles and create a timeline of every task along with a additional time, this will ensure their are not overworked and can maintain work-life balance. To conclude, work-life balance can be maintained provided a person is diciplined and implement a few strategies, where they remove all distractions and creating a timeline to ensure all tasks are completed on time.


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