Strategies To Help Employees Improve Their Work-Life Balance
Finding harmony between the professional world and our personal lives isn’t easy for all of us. After all, most of us spend several hours of our days in the office. Working remotely makes that mental shift even harder because we literally take work home with us. Below, we’ve noted some of the best strategies for employers to help workers improve their work-life balance.
Be the Example
Set an example when encouraging your staff to balance their professional and personal lives. If you respond to emails and messages during your time off, some employees may feel you expect the same from them. Model the behaviors you want to see in your staff. No manager wants their employees to feel overwhelmed since this increases burnout rates.
Additionally, by showing the behavior you wish to see in your team, you can provide them with real examples during meetings. If one employee struggles to turn off their work brain at the end of the day, tell them what you do to achieve this.
Evaluate Your Business Model
Having a bit of flexibility in your business model allows employees to adjust their schedules as needed. One of the top reasons to adopt a flexible staffing strategy is to give workers more freedom when they start the day. For example, some companies allow workers to clock in for the day between set times, such as 6:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.
While most employees will generally start around the same time daily, they may need to alter when they clock in based on personal commitments. If a staff member has a 4:00 appointment, they can start at 6:30 in the morning to get work done.
Encourage Time Off
Offering flexible start times allows workers to save more of their PTO; however, that doesn’t mean they should avoid taking a vacation. Rather, this provides more opportunities for them to plan a trip or spend time relaxing at home. If you have a few hardworking employees on the team who never take PTO, remind them that everyone deserves time off.
Taking time off gives you time to clear your mind and recharge. Employees don’t need to take a vacation for this either. Simply taking a day off mid-week or planning a three-day weekend to kick back and relax can be as mentally beneficial as going on a trip.
Reach Out to Staff
Our final way you can help employees improve their work-life balance is by reaching out to staff. During monthly one-on-one meetings, ask how they are and whether they feel stressed. If you notice it’s halfway through the year, and they haven’t taken or scheduled time off, ask if they have any trips planned. If your employee admits that using PTO creates stress because they fear work will pile up, remind them you’re there to help.
Work should not feel all-encompassing. Instead, our jobs should fit into our lives like hobbies and other daily tasks do. Your guidance will help your employees realize this.
