Work-Life-Balance was yesterday - today we embrace Work-Life-Choice

Translated from Ralf Junge's blog entry: Work-Life-Balance war gestern – wir leben heute die Work-Life-Choice

Last week the Online Start-Up Twago announced the resignation of its founder and Managing Director, Gunnar Berning. (Twago is an online project tool bringing Companies and Freelancer together by offering posted projects and profiles of Freelancer.)  At this juncture the differing views of the Managing Board as well as the Investors regarding expansions have been the crucial reason for this decision. More interesting, and shocking also, I found the news about the lay-off of another twenty to thirty employées along Bernings leaving. Considering of Twago only having sixty employées in total this is a very drastic decision.

However, this is what a job at a Start-Up often entails. At least, here in Berlin, the founder city Germany´s, it is not something of rarity. Primarily a young firm represents itself as IN, dynamic and innovative. Self-realization, flat hierarchies, responsibilty and promotion prospects are embraced vocabularies in terms of Start-Up's. It is true, naturally. The authority given is inviting much. Certainly, one can take a lot of responsibility within a short time already. That is surely a great feature on the résumé, also.

Start-Ups, nevertheless, are forefeiting their good image. More often you can hear about harsh working conditions. But why is that? In contrast to bigger companies and combines working hours in Start-Ups are significantly higher which leads back to the shortage of resources, such as work force, as well as missing structures. It feels like working without a break when being employed at a Start-Up company. Yes, it brings great responsibility to be taken, yet, a private life is often something not to even think of having. There is no Work-Life-Balance. It is more likely a Work-Life-Choice. Salaries come substantially smaller than in big and established companies. 

You might ask, why would one work at a Start-Up then anyways?! Well, everybody applying and being hired at a Start-Up usually know exactly what they are engaging in, which is why it is called Work-Life-Choice in the first place. Thus a conscious decision pro such working conditions.

It is everything BUT a boring office job with structured daily schedules and detailed processes and structures to encounter. The real charme lays in being constantly confronted with challenges anew and having the chance to create and frame the firm actively. And this most often within a young team and a great corporate culture which is based on team spirit and a great potion of motivation.

RJ