Many of us are leading such fast-paced lives that it can be hard to find the sweet spot when it comes to our work-life balance. Work can very easily eat into employees’ evenings and weekends just as much as life can get in the way of working hours, but it’s not until we take a step back to realise how this is affecting not only employees’ time but their overall productivity and welfare.
As an employer, there are steps you can take to promote a positive work-life balance, ensuring your staff are happy, productive and healthy in the workplace. Investing in this positive balance will make for a more comfortable and efficient environment, increasing the likelihood of loyal staff who fully respect their job role and colleagues.
Offer flexible working
Trusting your employees to work when, where and how they want will give them more flexibility to balance their work with their life. For example, if they need to visit a sick family member, wait in for a plumber or are struggling with childcare, flexible working will allow them to meet these responsibilities and still complete their work. Employees will feel valued if you allow them to manage their own time, and it is likely they will give much more back in terms of productivity to your business.
Encourage breaks
Encouraging your employees to take a break or go for a walk can be hugely beneficial as we all know work can get overwhelming. Whether you set up a comfortable area of the office or have somewhere for your team to go, encouraging breaks for some headspace will reduce feelings of pressure and stress.
Positive time management
Both employers and employees need the skills to manage time efficiently to allow for a less stressed workforce. An excessive workload is not good for anyone and by appropriately managing time, staff are less likely to burnout from working late to catch up.
Enforce digital breaks
Technology has advanced massively in recent years and with 24/7 communication, employees are more often than not constantly switched on. If your team is answering emails out of hours, working through lunch breaks or responding to requests during holidays, it can be having more of an effect on their work/life balance than you think. By enforcing digital breaks, it will allow people to rest their minds and reduce the pressure to be constantly available.
Review your employee’s workload
Regularly review the workload of each member of staff to ensure it is achievable for them as an individual. Each member of staff will be different, so it’s important to address that what may work for one person might not for another. By offering regular reviews, this will give you a chance to sit down and chat to your employees about how they are finding their role.
Lead by example
Leadership and managers need to enjoy a positive work-life balance too and lead by example. Taking breaks, not emailing out of hours and leaving the office on time will encourage your team to do the same.
If you want to introduce work-life balance initiatives into your business to have a more successful, productive and happy team, get in touch today!
