Work – life balance has been a tricky thing to achieve for many of us. In our technologically driven world, where we find ourselves increasingly tethered to our smart phones, tablets and laptops, more business owners and their employees find it hard to escape their jobs when it so often follows them everywhere they go on their devices. As employee wellness becomes a greater priority for business owners, it is no surprise that companies are seeking better ways to support their staff in that quest for healthy work – life balance.
The pursuit of work – life balance reduces the stress employees (and business owners) experience. When they spend the majority of their days on work – related activities and feel as if they are neglecting the other important components of their lives, stress and unhappiness result. An employee who doesn’t make time for self-care eventually damages their output and productivity and ultimately hurting your business.
Here are a few simple ways that a business owner can help their company improve work – life balance:
1. Re-evaluate workloads
Expecting employees to work overtime should be a practice left behind. Aside from the fact that labor laws are changing, companies are becoming aware of the negative toll that working extra
hours can have on their employees. Eliminating the need for overtime requires more realistic work loads. In some cases this may require employers to work with their HR department to see how work can be fairly delegated or possibly explore hiring extra staff to compensate for the hours not worked in overtime.
2. Flexible work arrangements
Consider allowing staff to work remotely. When employees don’t have to fret over a long commute, or arrangements to pick their children up from school they are markedly more relaxed and happy. This contributes to a healthier work – home life balance. With video conferencing technology, the remote staffer can keep in touch with the base office as needed. There are other conferencing and messaging platforms such as Slack that teams who work outside the office can utilize and maintain constant contact, as well as keeping digital logs of communications. If an employee working from home doesn’t suit your business, there is the option to set flexible hours if the demands of home or family are interfering with work obligations or creating stress.
3. Create the right culture
Create a culture at work where employees are strongly discouraged from answering calls and emails after hours or during paid leave. This involves having company leadership practice what they preach and consistently communicate their dedication to a healthy work environment.
4. Eliminate categories of days off
Consider doing away with categorizing days off such as Sick day, Vacation, etc. Instead institute a blanket time off day that an employee can use as they see fit. This shows employees that they are trusted to manage their own time and work load.
A healthy and happy employee not only creates a positive work environment but it benefits the company in terms of productivity. These suggested tips can help an employer support their team to lead healthy lifestyles and manage their time effectively.
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