A workshop on developing work-life balance competence: The importance of context

There is no doubt that modern working life is getting more flexible, but also more complex and demanding, and this has implications for how we manage our work-life balance. In this brief article, we summarise some of the key ideas underpinning our workshop delivered at the DOP conference in 2015 on behalf of the Work-life Balance Working Group. When we set up the working group in 2009, we agreed to disband when we no longer have to highlight the need for work-life balance, and the topic is embedded not only into OP training and practice, but also into organisational activities from grass roots to strategic levels. Evidently, we have some way to go to meet these important goals, so our work continues!