FINDING THE BALANCE BETWEEN YOUR WORK AND PRIVATE LIFE

Moestafa Slassi works at Signify, formerly known as Philips. He started working there as a salesperson at 23 and worked his way up to key account manager for the Belgian do-it-yourself market over the past 11 years. He thinks it’s a fun job. The workload and expectations are high, but the atmosphere and colleagues are great. “I do get offers from other employers from time to time,” he laughs. “But I’m doing well here and I’m not finished yet. There are still plenty of challenges.”

One of those challenges is his engagement as staff representative, which he took on a few years ago. “When one of my colleagues retired, I applied. Not because I thought everything was bad and needed to change. And definitely not to cause trouble. That is not who I am. And I personally have nothing to complain about. But there are always things that could be done better or differently. And I’m willing to commit to that.”

Work-life balance

One of the topics that are important to him is work-life balance. “Between 30 and 40, you’re playing the Champions League in your life,” according to Moestafa, illustrating the hectic life phase of working young parents. “You have to perform, both as an employee and as a parent. You have to make your partner, your family and your friends happy. That is not as easy as it sounds. Everyone is aware of the problem. Even our employers. But finding a solution is difficult. Everyone tries. Me included. We must look for solutions together.”

He thinks those solutions cannot be found in general measures. “I know of a company where they cut all e-mail communication after 6 pm. Is that the solution? I don’t think so. It wouldn’t work for me, because I often work a bit longer after my children have gone to bed. But that isn’t the right solution for everyone either. It’s extremely difficult to find the right balance. But we do need to keep looking, because mental health is very important.  I have seen enough colleagues be absent because of burnout. Fortunately, our employer also thinks that mental health is important. We talk about it very openly.

Improvements

“We don’t really have any major issues,” says Moestafa. “We are very lucky in that regard. I am not going to comment on Signify in Turnhout. I don’t know enough about that branch, but things are going pretty well in Zellik. However, there are always new issues to be addressed or improvements to be made. Think, for example, of the labour deal that was recently approved. Some agreements will have to be made in order to implement the four-day working week in our branch.”

Agreements on working from home are also on the agenda. “Our global CEO recently said that he wants everyone to work at the office full-time again. Fortunately, our Belgian management takes a more nuanced view,” he laughs. “We have a covenant with regard to flexible working in our employment conditions. This way, we can increase the efficiency and quality of our service for our clients, but at the same time, we promote the work-life balance of our colleagues.”

Another topic that is close to Moestafa’s heart is diversity and inclusion. “Signify staff should be a reflection of our society. Everyone needs to feel welcome here. There is a strong focus on opportunities for women right now within our company. My own manager is a woman and that is fine. But she is an exception. The glass ceiling is very much still a reality.

Visibility

Although he has only been a staff representative for a couple of years, Moestafa feels strongly that his colleagues know they can rely on him. “There aren’t that many Moestafas in the company,” he laughs. “Moreover, I have been working here for eleven years, so I already know a lot of people. I also always introduce myself to new colleagues. Not to burden them with heavy issues right away. But to let them know they can always come to me should they face any issues.”

This way, he tries to change the image of the trade union a little. “The trade union is not always about ‘wanting more’. The trade union is about working together for improvements. That is what I’m trying to show.” And he has already convinced one colleague. “He used to be very negative about trade unions. But during the Covid-19 pandemic, he was happy about the temporary unemployment scheme. When I told him that scheme existed thanks to the trade unions, he slowly changed his mind. And he has since become a member,” he smiles somewhat proudly.

Never Work Alone 2022 | Author: Jan Deceunynck |Image: Daniël Rys