Striking the right work-life balance is a win-win situation for both the employer and the employees. That’s because when employees are perfectly satisfied with their work-life balance, productivity increases immediately.
Aiming for that balance, then, it’s a highly desirable goal. But how can you foster it in your team? First, you should also remember to lead by example if you wish to show that proper work-life balance is possible. And then, you should follow the tips below.
Embrace remote work
If the pandemic has taught us one thing, it would be that it’s perfectly possible for a number of employees to conduct their tasks from their home offices. Therefore, if an employee’s presence isn’t absolutely necessary in the office, you could allow for remote work on certain days or perhaps even permanently.
According to a recent study, increase in productivity rose by 13%, which clearly makes remote work very appealing from a business perspective.
Just as important, remote workers avoid all the unnecessary stress that comes with the daily commute and start work feeling more energetic and fresh. Also, the moment an employee logs out, they are able to enjoy their free time immediately and not waste it sitting in a traffic jam.
Focus on the results and allow flexible hours
You should consider allowing your team to work flexible hours whenever possible if they prefer it that way. For instance, they could finish the final details from their home office instead of toiling for two more hours in the office.
Monitoring every step of daily operations and checking team members for every single break are obsolete, inefficient, and unpopular strategies for tracking progress. On the contrary, by not supervising each minute of their work, you are providing more autonomy and creativity for your staff. Moreover, this helps build trust between you and the employee.
In addition, encouraging breaks definitely helps people unwind and refresh for the work ahead.
Set clear boundaries and respect them
To bring fruit, you must make clear rules about all of the suggested techniques. This is mandatory when using these tips, if you wish to see progress.
Inform all team members about your expectations and all the rules and freedoms that apply to your company. Make sure there are no misunderstandings, and leave little room for multiple interpretations of the new rules.
For instance, you could promote (once again) how vital it is to respect the rule: no one is obliged to read office messages on the official channel outside working hours. While it may seem like a person could prepare better for the day ahead by reading business messages before bed, it’s somewhat counterproductive as it leads to unnecessary stress.
Help team members eliminate parental guilt
Try to demonstrate more understanding for working parents. You can do that in more ways than one. If building a child daycare facility for your employees’ children is out of reach at the moment, don’t worry. You could do a lot more to promote a better work-life balance for working parents.
According to research, 61% of mothers working away from home feel guilty about not spending enough time with their children due to work. If you already allow some workers to have flexible hours and work remotely, employees with children could have priority.
Promote physical activity
The health issues that come with a sedentary lifestyle are extensive: obesity, stroke, cardiovascular diseases, high cholesterol, and many more. You should do everything possible to encourage movement in and outside the office.
Remember that over 80% of US jobs are mainly sedentary, which is pretty shocking. This should make you think about the number of your employees who choose to spend their free time doing physical activities rather than relaxing on a sofa. If the percentage isn’t high enough, you should aim to change it as soon as possible.
For example, you could install standing desks to relieve the tension of sitting for too long in one position. Inspire your workers to participate in physical activities outside the office by sponsoring their participation in business races or having a space dedicated to free yoga classes inside the office.
Finally, you could invest in health cash plans that inspire employees to take regular check-ups.
Be supportive of vacations and days off
Burnouts may occur as a direct consequence of an employee being too reluctant to take that very much desired and deserved time off. In some companies, it is frowned upon for an employee to ask for days off without a particular reason or if most employees are going on vacation at that same time (i.e., the days off in the summer or holiday season).
Therefore, ensure the team leads clearly define the rules for taking days off and avoid rude comments such as asking why a person decided to require days off.
Lead by example
Last but not least, remember that you’re the crucial factor in reaching your employees’ work-life balance.
Unless you practice what you preach, hardly any of your team members will feel inspired to act in the ways you have suggested. What’s more, showing that a leader can balance the demanding work responsibilities with their private life will provide much-needed encouragement and support.
Time to update your priorities
Your and your team members’ well-being should be among your top priorities. That’s why you should embrace these tips — to foster a better work-life balance among your staff. If you don’t, your team will feel burned out. They’ll start being unhappy, and they’ll suffer. Naturally, your business will suffer as well.
The time to act is now. So, I highly suggest reviewing your strategy and updating it accordingly. Your business and your team members will thank you for it.
