Field engineers lose a lot of time with family and friends which impacts their work life balance. To start the year of 2025, The Field Engineer community would like to help with this. Here some of our members give their advice for improving your work life balance in 2025.

Top tips for the best work life balance in 2025

Frank Pemberton, Field Service Engineer, Co-chair of the Field Advisory Board, Becton Dickinson Biosciences, USA

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
A field service engineer can improve their work/life balance by placing family first. Sometimes we forget this, but it is very important to maintain a good work/life balance to always place family first.
We work hard, we dedicate much of our time to our jobs to provide for our family, but we need equal family time to complete this balance, to keep us focused on what matters and to make lasting memories for our family.
Work is also important, but without a good balance, we can face job burnout, job stress and job dissatisfaction.

Sakher Fadaleh, Technical Support Manager and Validation Specialist for Analytical research and Medical Instruments and Machines, Jordan

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?

Field engineers need to increase their knowledge and expertise through training and reading a lot because technology is becoming more complex and involves numerous elements. The industry will be greatly impacted by IT and all of its subfields, including AI, networking, and data security. So engineers need to become more proficient in that area and keep up with any developments and that will improve their work life balance.

Clement Nosakhare, Field Service Engineer, j4 Automation Limited, Nigeria

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
Improving work-life balance as a Field Service Engineer (FSE) in 2025 can be challenging but is achievable with a combination of strategies. The role often involves irregular hours, travel, and client demands, so creating a sustainable balance requires a thoughtful approach.
Here are some strategies for FSEs to enhance their work-life balance:

1. Leverage technology for efficiency.
2. Prioritise tasks.
3. Focus on physical and mental well-being.
4. Incorporate flexibility.
5. Invest in professional development.
6. Work smart with support systems.
7. Build a supportive network.
8. Plan personal time strategically.

Al Bates, Field Service Engineer, SIPA, USA

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
I believe that I have found the sweet spot for work life balance when it comes to traveling field service engineers, it is 65% to 75% travel.
Of course, it is not as simple as limiting your travel time though. You need to utilise your time wisely, think about trying do all your clerical responsibilities at the airport or on the plane is a good idea. Watching movies on the plane means that you will be doing paperwork when you could be spending time with you family or friends.

I ‘FaceTime’ with my family every day, and it is a very important part of my day. You must stay connected with your family. I talk to my wife on the phone every morning before she gets to work and after I leave work for the day. I message my son on his Apple Watch several times a week. You and your family need to laugh together every day.

The routines that you have at home can for the most part be continued on the road. I exercise almost every morning for about 30 minutes. For my fellow spiritual individuals, stay on top of your devotional/reading time. Visit a local church on Sunday if you have the day off, get your worship time in.
On my most recent job, I have a lengthy drive to and from the job site allowing me to get my devotional time in. I am not perfect at this by any means but just like your job/career, you must try. It is when you stop trying that you fail.

Jerome Varvaro, Head of BPS Service – Americas, Sartorius, USA

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
Achieving a healthy work-life balance for Field Service Engineers (FSEs) in 2025 requires a collaborative effort among the engineers, dispatch teams, and management. Here are some strategies to enhance this balance.
Self-Advocacy and Communication

FSEs should actively communicate their needs and constraints. Scheduling by dispatch teams often relies on a matrix of factors such as product types, documentation, tasks, and engineer proximity to customers. However, the practical insights and experiences of FSEs are invaluable in refining these scheduling parameters. Engineers are encouraged to provide feedback when schedules become overly tight, allowing for necessary adjustments.

Leveraging Support Teams

FSEs often respond directly to customer requests due to strong relationships and a desire to resolve issues personally. While this is commendable, it is crucial to redirect customers to dispatchers or technical support when appropriate. This ensures that the full resources of the service team are utilised, allowing FSEs to focus on their current assignments. Building trust in support teams and shifting mindsets can help in offloading tasks and improving efficiency.

Resource Investment

Investing in support systems around FSEs enhances their efficiency and acts as a force multiplier, benefiting both the company and the engineers. This investment leads to cost savings and a better work-life balance for FSEs.

Feedback and Continuous Improvement

Managers strive to provide adequate resources, tools, and training for FSEs, but gaps may still exist. Direct feedback from engineers is crucial for identifying and addressing these gaps. This feedback forms the foundation for strategic planning and continuous improvement, ultimately enhancing work-life balance.

Open Communication and Corrective Actions

The success of the service team hinges on open communication and meaningful corrective actions. FSEs are encouraged to continue self-advocating and providing feedback to ensure transparency and improvement. This approach benefits both the service organization and the engineers, creating a win-win situation.

By fostering a culture of collaboration, communication, and continuous improvement, FSEs can achieve a more balanced and fulfilling work life in 2025.

Leroy Fearon, Field Service Leader, Engineer Trainer, Unox UK Ltd., UK

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
To improve work-life balance, focus on making your Monday-to-Friday work hours as efficient as possible.
Simple habits like planning your routes the night before, calling customers ahead to ensure access is available, and confirming that the equipment you’ll be working on is not in use can save you time and reduce stress.
If extra hours are needed, I recommend spreading the overtime by working a little extra each weekday rather than giving up your weekends.

Fausto Cruz, Field Service Specialist, GE Healthcare, Brazil

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
As an FSE, working in a big company and living in a challenging country in its most varied aspects, it is not easy to live a balanced professional and personal life.

First of all, I would like to say that a lot of people cannot see that I am not just a FSE but also:
A son, a brother, an uncle to some young girls, a husband, a dad of a 4-year-old boy, a student, a person who has always liked to live a healthy life and, a professional recognised for being extremely helpful.

Thinking about this, I’m sure that there are many other FSEs like me, “going all out” in their daily work, thinking about the end-users (patients or not), trying to find the best way to help their customers, co-workers and internal company team. And here, we cannot forget that we are usually moving all the time. Some travelling on public transport and, some others, driving long distances or spending so much time in traffic. The last one is my reality.

A FSE usually lives a divided life between contributing to their important job roles and relaxing with their own family, because both are very important for an FSE.

Well, I was living a stressful life and, in my last vacation in October 2024, I decided to change my life and create a new way to live a better life. On my last day of work – before my vacation – I organised all my work, finished all my possible pending tasks, leaving open only those that could wait for my return. After that, I turned off my corporate mobile phone and laptop and I went to live my life with my family, without thinking about anything related to work. And look, I’m a workaholic, but it was time to rest and change my mindset.

So, thinking about the question: How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025? Well, this can be challenging but definitely achievable with some strategic approaches.

Set Clear Boundaries

Establish specific work hours and stick to them. Communicate these boundaries to your team and clients to ensure they respect your personal time. If it is possible, turn off your corporate devices.

Work for a Supportive Company

Choose an employer that values work-life balance and offers policies that support it, such as flexible hours, remote work options, and mental health resources.

Leverage Technology

Use remote diagnostics and other advanced tools to reduce the need for extensive travel and on-site work. This can help you manage your tasks more efficiently and save time.

Continuous Learning

Stay updated with industry trends and new technologies that can streamline your work and make your job easier.

Flexible Work Arrangements

Advocate for flexible work schedules, such as remote work or hybrid models, which can help you balance work and personal life better.

Prioritise Tasks

Focus on high-priority tasks and delegate or postpone less critical ones. This can help you manage your workload more effectively and reduce stress. As an example, here, we usually try to direct service to the FSEs that reside closest to the customer. This way, whenever possible, we spend less time in traffic.

Self-Care

Make time for activities that promote physical and mental well-being, such as exercise, hobbies, and spending time with loved ones. This can help you recharge and stay motivated. Physical exercise saves lives, reduces stress and anxiety.

Mindfulness and Stress Management

Practice mindfulness techniques, such as meditation or deep breathing exercises, to manage stress and maintain a calm mindset.

Maurizio De Poli, Service Manager, Technical Support Manager, Nanion Technologies, Germany

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
I think one suggestion I could give is, if you have the possibility, try to have Monday instead of Friday as a home-office day, as this is a secure choice. Otherwise, you never know if another request is coming up on Thursday for the Friday. If it does you will lose your home-office day.
As well, count your hours of work, as this will tell you after some time how many extra hours you need to recuperate.

Azin Ghafoori, Biomedical Engineer, PDP Co., Iran

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
Maintaining a work-life balance can be challenging for engineers, but it is achievable with effort and intention. As critical thinkers, skilled analysers, and effective planners, engineers are well-equipped to navigate various situations. For biomedical engineers, staying updated with the latest knowledge is essential, which may sometimes require dedicating weekends to learning.
However, it is equally important to take breaks to recharge. Set clear boundaries between your work and personal life and aim to spend quality time with family and friends at least every two weeks.

Engaging in hobbies that interest you can also help boost your mood by releasing dopamine and serotonin. Prioritise your health, interests, and relationships with family members. Remember, as an engineer, you possess the tools to find rational solutions to these challenges and manage your time effectively.

Jay Gavilanes, Territory Development Manager, MarathonLS, USA

How can a Field Service Engineer improve their work life balance in 2025?
Having been a Field Service Engineer (FSE) and Field Service Manager, I have experienced this topic from both ends. I believe it’s imperative to have 1 or 2 non-negotiable boundaries that are clearly outlined between the FSE and Manager. These “boundaries” can’t be completely out of line with what’s expected from the role. The FSE should also make clear their willingness to be more flexible over other things.

Examples for both:
FSE non-negotiable: maybe Tuesday/Wednesday is a hard stop at 5pm. While also willing to being available for more on calls when others are on PTO (Personal Time Off).

Manager allows for flexibility with working from home. For example, potential admin duties/online training while working from home. A potential way to give back to a worker that excels and is always doing “the right thing” is to give them an unexpected work from home day or a lighter schedule on Friday.

What needs to be understood on both sides is the customers’ satisfaction cannot be negatively impacted by either scenario.
Lastly, both sides have to come to the potential understanding that the role may not be a good fit. Family dynamics and/or the business role needs changing, may fall outside of the non-negotiable for the FSE. These situations can happen at any point in a FSE’s career. From my own experience family always comes first.

Further reading

Field Engineer Mental Health Challenges
Leading the way with a focus on mental health