Emma Grede, a co-founder of the shapewear and apparel company Skims, stated that achieving a balance between professional and personal life falls solely on the employee, not the employer. Grede characterized questions about work-life balance from job candidates as a significant concern.
Speaking on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast,
Grede explained that it is an individual's duty to manage personal life demands, such as picking up children from school or attending appointments, within their work schedule. She emphasized that employers are not responsible for solving these personal logistics for staff members.According to Grede, who also serves as CEO of Good American, aspiring to significant professional success often requires considerable effort, including working on weekends. She suggested that portraying success as achievable without dedicating substantial time and focus to work is not realistic.
However, Grede noted that flexible arrangements can exist within the workday to allow employees to handle personal matters like parent-teacher conferences. Despite this, she maintained her view that the fundamental responsibility for integrating work and life rests with the individual.
This perspective faces disagreement from some experts. Workplace psychologist Katina Sawyer commented that framing work-life balance as a skill reinforces flawed thinking. Sawyer suggested this viewpoint allows employers to disregard their influence on employee burnout and shift responsibility for performance issues onto individuals.
The conversation about work-life balance has gained prominence, particularly since the 2020 pandemic, with many employees placing a higher priority on it. A 2023 survey by The Muse found that flexibility and autonomy to address personal needs during the workday is a key definition of balance for workers.
Grede's business partner in Skims, Kim Kardashian, faced criticism in 2022 for comments perceived as downplaying the effort required for success, later clarifying her remarks.
Grede is also venturing into podcasting with the upcoming launch of "Aspire With Emma Grede," designed to share unfiltered conversations with industry figures. People magazine reported Grede sees the podcast as a method for scaling mentorship.