Whether you work for a charity organization or not, giving staff ideas for work-life balance is a hot issue these days. There’s a noticeable change in corporate culture away from the rigid 9–5 schedule and towards offering workers greater benefits and flexibility in order to support work-life balance.
In exchange, more businesses are expecting their employees to be accessible at odd hours and maybe work beyond hours when necessary (this is the reason why a lot of modern offices provide washing facilities, sleep areas, and spaces for kids or pets).
It’s a tightrope to tread as an employer: how can you promote flexibility without sacrificing the quality of work? More importantly, how can you support your staff members to be involved in the workplace but also have happy lives outside of it?
Ensuring that workers are allocating an equal amount of time to their jobs and personal interests is the essence of work-life balance, with the goal of promoting a happier and healthier lifestyle.
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Allocate flexible hours, including seasonal hours In Work-Life Balance
Saj Munir, a UK-based business owner, shares: “As we previously discussed, a lot of organizations are moving away from the 9 to 5 schedule and allowing workers to choose their own hours.
The workday is no longer one-size-fits-all; it’s very advantageous for an organization to take into account the possibility that talented workers are more productive early in the morning or later in the day. Work-Life Balance.
For your staff, this flexibility may be a priceless work-life balancing tactic since it allows them to work when they’re most productive and yet make time for life to “happen.”
Tell your employees that although you don’t have a daily punch clock, you still expect them to come in and do their job (and that it’s their obligation to do so in the time allocated to them).
Another option to consider is introducing “summer hours,” which require workers to just put in half a day’s work on certain Fridays (this works well on long weekends!).
When workers are given the freedom to choose their own schedules, you may be amazed at how driven they become to work harder and better.”
Permit workers to work from home
Harrison Tang, owner of Spokeo, believes working from home destresses workers. He says: “Offering the option to work from home also aligns with this. This is crucial for workers who have kids or other obligations that could be difficult to balance with a heavy job.
Allowing employees to work from home a few days a week might significantly reduce stress, leading to happier and healthier employees as well as a better work-life balance.
This action also shows a certain amount of trust between the employer and employee; your team will feel more trusted that you think they can finish their task independently since you aren’t hovering over their shoulder and micromanaging every step they take.
It’s time to let go of any early worries about whether or not they’ll be working on their task for eight hours every day. It’s a good idea to let workers work “on their honor” if you want them to feel more accountable and responsible.”
Encourage workers to take a mental break
Percy Grunwald, owner of Compare Banks, tells us: “A significant work-life balance project that several organizations are doing is motivating staff members to detach from their work completely. Work-life balance is disrupted by the epidemic, with business hours extending into personal time.
It is important to acknowledge that workers need time away from work in order to clear their minds and regain focus.
Employees should be discouraged from communicating after business hours in order to foster more innovation and productivity.
More businesses ought to take this into account. Ideas for assisting workers in disconnecting from their work serve as a preventative measure against employee burnout in addition to increasing job satisfaction. Employees need breaks to recover and rejuvenate.”
Establish Guidelines for the Number of Hours to Be Worked
Research shows productivity begins to decline at roughly 50 hours worked each week.
As a result, establishing guidelines with your staff on the number of hours they should work each week might save your collective time and money.
However, recent research—conducted in the midst of the pandemic—found that up to 70% of remote employees let their jobs continue into the weekend. And emails sent after hours are mostly to blame for this task.
People are welcoming work into their personal time rather than being ‘invaded’ if they check their business email on the weekends.
However, it’s difficult to say no when you know that your coworkers and supervisor are contacting you.
It takes time for knowledge workers to decompress, unwind, and refuel in order to foster original thought and creativity. Your brain needs a break from work in order to rejuvenate. Emails are work, let’s face it.
Motivate workers to take vacation time
Tommy Mello, owner of A1 Garage Door Service, recommends work-life balance, encouraging workers to take a healthy amount of vacations.
“Employees who fail to use their vacation time are not uncommon. Some worry that when they come back from vacation, they’ll have an overwhelming amount of work. Some believe that nobody else can carry out their duties while they’re abroad.
There’s no denying that US vacation policies are flawed.” Mello says.
“However, employees need downtime to refuel and disengage. They must be able to look at their job from a different angle and muster up their enthusiasm and inventiveness again. And a lot of businesses are aware of it.
As to a recent post by ladders.com, several organizations are providing incentives to their employees to get paid time off for work-life balance.
Workers who take time off and, more significantly, really unplug from work during their vacations come back rejuvenated and ready to unleash their creative energies to support their teams in achieving the most significant outcomes.”
