Work life balance of quantity surveying professionals in the construction industry

Abstract

There are different categories of professionals working in the construction industry which has made it a complex and a high-risk industry. The key professionals working in the construction industry are the architects, engineers, project managers and quantity surveyors. Because of the many risks and uncertainties involved, the construction industry causes a high level of stress in the professionals working therein. Their heavy workloads make them suffer from exhaustion, stress and burnouts creating a work life imbalance. This study investigated the work life balance of quantity surveyors working in the construction industry. The data for the study were collected from several publications in order to first identify the factors that affect work life balance of quantity surveyors. Ten interviews were conducted thereafter among quantity surveyors working in the industry to validate the literature findings. Heavy workloads, poor working environments, insufficient opportunities available to acquire new skills and lack of senior management support are some of the key factors that were identified as contributing to poor work life balance in quantity surveyors which causes exhaustion, dissatisfaction with one’s own life, poor sleep and fatigue. Supportive training programs, proper organization of work, recreation activities and stress management programs were identified from the literature as steps that can be taken to overcome these health issues arising from poor work life balance.