According to Work Life Today, flexibility and overwork are two of the major workforce issues of 2006. With over 33 percent of employees feeling overworked, employees need to find ways to ease the burden on their workers without allowing the costs to skyrocket.

Adding work to already overloaded employees is expected to worsen, since it is expected that the workforce is likely to decrease. The added burden of work on employees can cause problems in the balance of life and work for staff members, as they feel more overloaded with work. Also, with the new trends of employees paying for health insurance and having to dress more formally becoming more prominent, employers will have to find other ways to address the issue of balancing work and life for staff members that shoulder the burden of extra work.

Knowing why employees feel overworked is the first step in finding inexpensive ways to address the issue. Many managers misunderstand what overwork means to their staff. Even though Expedia.com reports that 63 percent of workers work more than 40 hours per week, being overworked is not just about the number of hours the person spends at the office. Most often, employees feel overworked due to having too much work to do in a given day or having too many menial versus challenging tasks. The employee that feels overworked can be costly to an employer, because people who are overworked tend to make more mistakes and harbor anger and resentment toward management and co-workers. People who feel overworked can sometimes lose track of important tasks, which then mean missed deadlines and lost clients.

Many of the issues associated with overwork come from finding a way to balance the burden of work with the things people need for everyday living. Today managers are being viewed as the gatekeepers to work/life balance, since many people continue to feel overwhelmed by the load of work in both their professional and personal lives. With over 26 percent of employees refraining from taking vacation or sick days because they worry about the amount of work that will be piled in their inboxes when they return, it is no longer just about the benefits like insurance or vacation time that appeal to the employee. Potential new hires and current employees want to know that the company cares about them as people, not as a worker-bee. This means that employers need to be more creative in how they approach the feeling of overwork so that employees are more productive and satisfied in both their professional and personal lives.

So what are some ways that employers can fulfill this new role of Gatekeeper? While some companies are offering incentives for people to take vacations, many companies are turning to trainings and personal concierge services to assist their employees to feel less overworked. For instance, one company decided that they wanted staff members to begin dressing more professionally. So they offered people trainings on how to put together professional outfits. Another company offered a company that would assist people in shopping for professional clothing. Trainings can also help people learn how to manage their time better, how to use a wardrobe for success, and even how to succeed in upward mobility.

However, the most recent, and low-cost, trend has companies using a corporate concierge service that will take care of the little things so that the employees focus will be on the big things. For some people, taking care of the grocery shopping, clothing purchases, birthday presents, and more can allow their focus to be directed at work. People have found that they can focus more on their work when someone else is taking care of picking up the dry cleaning or getting their oil changed.

According to BusinessKnowHow.com, overwork is one of the top reasons why many people get frustrated and leave their jobs. Whether you are looking to retain the employees you have or you are looking to attract quality new hires, one of the issues you will need to address is overwork. When employees see that you are trying to meet their needs and make their overall lives better, you will find that production will increase and an overall sense of well being will fill your office. Using trainings, incentives, and personal concierge services can bring about the best in your staff without costing you a fortune.

Tracey Crockett is the Chief Lifestyle Manager of Chores, Errands ‘N More, a full-service concierge and lifestyle management company located in Upstate South Carolina. The company's sole objective is to enhance the quality of life for its customers. More information can be found at http://www.choreserrandsnmore.com, or by calling 888-509-5533

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