Many huge companies vie to attract and retain the best people to work for them. They offer a wide array of impressive work-life benefits and salary schemes. They recognize how these are important to nurture a sense of loyalty and work commitment. However, in spite of these realities, there are still many organizations that scrimp on rewarding their employees. Perhaps, through these quotes, business owners and managers will not only take time to reflect on how important it is to take good care of their human resources, but as well as to create a more humane work environment that aims to provide a good quality of life for everyone:

• “In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don’t try to control. In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.” — Lao Tzu, Taoist and Philosopher

• “When people go to work, they shouldn’t have to leave their hearts at home.” — Betty Bender, Nutritionist

• “Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’rekeeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit – are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. they will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.” — Brian G. Dyson, former President and CEO of Coca-Cola Enterprises and current President of Chatham International Corporation (CIC) 

• “Treat your employees as individuals. Show them that their contributions matter. Treat them with the respect they deserve and you will be rewarded with a profuctive workforce and a lower turnover rate.” — John Reh, Management Consultant

• “We have overstretched our personal boundaries and forgotten that true happiness comes from living an authentic life fueled with a sense of purpose and balance.” — Dr. Kathleen Hall, Stress Expert

• “Most of us are trying to balance work, home, and a family life. We tend not to accept the early symptoms of burnout and carry on our daily lives.” — Yasmeen Abdur-Rahman, Life Coach and Author

• “The man who does not work for the love of work but only for money is not likely to make money nor find much fun in life.” — Charles Schwab, Businessperson and Philanthropist

• “Worst of all, it is women who usually have to do, usually alone, all the dirty work of the kitchen and household, work that is unimportant, hard, tiresome, and soul-destroying.” — Vladimir Lenin, Russian Revolutionary