Support employee work-life balance

Introducing employment policies, promoting a positive organisational culture, and offering practical support that encourages a healthier work-life balance for your employees can bring real benefits to your organisation and your staff.

Work-life balance advantages for employees

A good work-life balance can enable staff to feel more in control of their working life and lead to:

• increased productivity
• better time management
• improved personal physical and mental health and wellbeing
• reduction in sickness and absenteeism
• a happier and less stressed workforce
• staff feeling that their personal and/or family life is important to their employer
• more valued and engaged staff
• greater employee loyalty, commitment, and motivation
• staff less likely to leave your employment
• opportunities for career and personal growth

Work-life balance advantages for businesses

The benefits of a work-life balance initiative are not confined to just the workforce. Work-life policies and flexible working practices can also benefit your business as you can:

• lower levels of absence, sickness, and stress
• motivate and energise staff
• identify more efficient working processes and practices
• increase your business's productivity, outputs, and competitive advantage
• boost staff morale
• improve customer service
• maximise flexibility to help you react to changing market conditions and meet customer demands more effectively - for example, shift work, part-time work, and flexitime can help you open longer without making your employees work longer hours
• better meet seasonal peaks and troughs in your business
• lead to a more committed and positive attitude in your staff
• reduce staff turnover and therefore minimise recruitment costs - see control staff turnover
• become recognised as a business that people want to work for and therefore help you attract top talent

See how Adventures Day Nursery introduced flexible and family-focused workplace policies.