Work-life balance isn't a perk

In an interview with Steven Bartlett on the "Diary of a CEO" podcast, SKIMS co-founder Emma Grede recently made waves for her views on work-life balance. She claims that work-life balance is an employee's problem and employers have no responsibility for how employees manage their life obligations outside of work. She also cautioned that asking about work-life balance in an interview is a red flag. 

Grede’s views on work-life balance do not reflect the reality for most employees and what they expect from their organizations. According to Ranstad’s most recent workmonitor report, work-life balance surpassed pay as a top motivator for employees in 2025. Employees don’t want to spend every waking hour at work — they want to have hobbies, spend time with friends and family and finally enjoy that vacation they’ve dreamed about, all without feeling guilty that they’re not working enough or fear of a bad performance review.  

To make that magic balance happen, it is both the employee’s and employer’s responsibility, and employees have a right to ask about it before they commit to a job. Let’s break that down.