Does technology help or hinder your work-life balance?

As a working mum, I'm constantly juggling different roles and responsibilities. Being at the office all day, while also doing the school run, parents' evenings and going to my children's sports matches is simply not feasible.

That's why flexible hours and working remotely has been so important for me – it allows me to fulfil both my professional and personal responsibilities. It's always a balancing act, and in many ways it requires a new set of skills to get the most out of flexible working. Not all aspects of my role can be done remotely, so it's important to make the right call about when I'm needed in the office. But, like many employees who work flexibly, technology helps things to tick over and I've learned to constantly assess and prioritise my responsibilities.

For me, achieving a healthy work-life balance would be impossible without technology. Video conferencing is the best tool that enables me to work from home when I need to. Being able to see my team makes our interactions more personal and collaborative, despite the actual distance. Some critics of flexible working argue that it detriments team work. I think video conferencing helps to address these concerns by enabling more meaningful interaction.

And flexibility has only become more important as my children have grown. School-age children often have concerts and sporting events in the middle of the working day, but technology can sometimes enable me to be in two places at once.

I've learned to embrace this blurring between my work and personal life. It's hard to resent having to switch back on if it means you're able to make time for personal commitments during the working day. And it's not just about people with families: flexible working is imperative to the next generation of employees, both men and women. For them, coming into an office every day represents a bygone era of the world of work.

Yet technology can be a double-edged sword when employees struggle to find the right balance between their work and personal lives. Simply having the technology to allow you to work flexibly doesn't necessarily reduce stress levels. In fact, 70% of respondents to a recent Accenture survey said technology caused work to creep into their personal lives.

It's important that technology is managed effectively to ensure that its benefits aren't outweighed by increased stress levels, with the idea that you need to be "always on". Both employers and employees have a responsibility to set some parameters and actively dissuade the development of this culture within teams.

I've learned that it's usually down to individuals to set boundaries that make their availability clear. For example, I won't answer emails on the weekend or when I'm on holiday. Yet plenty of people respond to emails at any time. That's a choice people can make but, for me, it only perpetuates the culture and guarantees that your time off will not be your own.

When you are out, find a colleague who can handle the request in your absence so things move along and you are not tied to email on holiday. Delegating responsibility is vital, especially for senior executives. We all need to accept that we're not indispensable, and there is often someone who can step in when you're away.

Although technology has to be managed carefully, there are so many ways in which it can enhance our working lives if we set appropriate boundaries. And companies that can provide the tools and the culture to help us find that right work-life balance will reap the rewards when it comes to attracting and retaining the best employees.

Fiona O'Hara is managing director of human capital and diversity at Accenture.

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