OA Quiz: Do You Have Work/Life Balance?

Do you find yourself constantly declining social invitations in order to work? Are you so consumed with possibly losing your job that you refuse to engage in anything that's not work-related? Let's face it: With the economy currently in disarray, many employees are forgoing work/life balance and running themselves ragged. So, could you be a victim of this unfortunate trend? Take this quiz to find out.

Instructions:

Read each statement and select an answer that best describes what you would do in the situation. Although you may not find one that describes you perfectly, choose the one that works best.

1. Your son's championship soccer game is at 5 p.m., but your boss has scheduled an hour-long meeting with you for 4:30 p.m. You:

A. Tell your boss that you need to reschedule. Your first priority is your family, not work.

B. Ask your boss if it's possible to meet with her at 4 p.m. instead. That way, you'll at least be able to catch the second half of your son's game.

C. Do nothing and go to the scheduled meeting. Once you explain the situation to your son, you're sure he'll understand.

2. It's Friday afternoon and you're only halfway finished with a big project that's due on Monday morning. You:

A. Ask your boss if you can have an extension. There's no way you're working on it over the weekend!

B. Work on it for a few more hours and vow to complete it by Sunday afternoon.

C. Refuse to leave work until the project's completed. You won't be able to relax with it hanging over your head.

3. Your company announces that as a result of the bad economy, layoffs are imminent. You:

A. Continue performing your job as usual. After all, if your company's planning on laying you off, there's nothing you can do about it.

B. Schedule a meeting with your boss to gauge your performance and vow to work smarter, not harder.

C. Refuse to take lunch breaks and commit to working longer hours than all of your colleagues.

4. You've been planning a family vacation to Greece for almost a year. One month before you leave, your boss tells you that he really wants you to attend an important work conference. The problem? Both engagements are scheduled for the same week. You:

A. Tell your boss that you already have a vacation planned for that week and suggest that he send your coworker instead.

B. Ask your boss if there are any other conferences that you can attend. Explain that you've had this trip planned for a long time and can't get your money refunded but would be interested in going to a similar conference.

C. Cancel your vacation ASAP. There's no way you're letting one of your coworkers take your place and get a leg up on you.

5. Your boss comments that you've been arriving to work late. You:

A. Apologize, but refuse to change your morning routine. There's no way you're waking up an entire hour earlier just to appease your boss.

B. Acknowledge your mistake and determine how you're going to resolve the problem. Your first course of action: Setting your clocks 15 minutes fast and waking up 30 minutes earlier.

C. Mentally beat yourself up and vow to arrive at work before all of your coworkers, including your boss. If you have to wake up at 5 a.m., so be it.

Count the number of A's, B's and C's on your list.

If mostly A's appeared on your list: Well, the good news is that you have a life outside of the office. But, the bad news is that your boss and coworkers might perceive you as someone who consistently puts your personal life over your professional responsibilities. To strike the perfect balance between family and work, check out this article on the subject.

If mostly B's appeared on your list: Way to go! You maintain adequate work/life balance! Keep up the good work, and be sure to share your tips for juggling your work and personal responsibilities with your colleagues.

If mostly C's appeared on your list: Look, it's great that you're committed to your job and seek to exceed expectations. However, don't be so consumed with work that you forgo all of the other pleasures that life has to offer. Need help striking the perfect balance between your professional and personal life? Be sure to read this informative article.