Support employee work-life balance
Create a healthy work-life balance
There are no hard-and-fast rules on what constitutes the ideal healthy work-life balance. The measure of what is acceptable in your organisation will depend on the operational requirements of your business and the needs of your employees.
How to support staff with a healthy work-life balance
Set clear working hours
You should ensure that all employees understand what the working hours are. If you employ flexibility in working hours outline how this should be managed and ensure that staff don't exceed the appropriate hours per week.
Clearly define job roles
When you clearly outline what goals or tasks your staff must complete and when these must be delivered, you'll have staff that know exactly what they must do and when in their job. Use the SMART system to set goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. This gives staff a clear understanding of what they must deliver to achieve their targets. SMART targets can also contribute to employees maximising their working time and cutting out wasted hours on trivial or low-value tasks.
Make working processes more efficient
Examine the process staff go through to complete a task. Is the process over-complicated? Is there a more efficient way to complete the task to the same level of quality but with less time commitment? This will help you find where there may be time wastage within processes and help you streamline tasks.
Set an example for staff
Employers should set an example to their staff by taking their annual leave allowance, setting aside appropriate time for rest breaks, and switching off completely from emails and calls when outside of working hours. You could also introduce your kids or pets to staff during video calls. Staff will then take their lead from you to better manage their work-life balance.
Recognise and reward a job well done
By simply recognising and rewarding employees for a job well done your staff will feel appreciated. Outline to staff how their individual and team efforts contribute to the success of the business.
Communicate effectively
The only true way to find out if staff are struggling to manage their time is if you develop and nurture a culture that encourages open two-way communication from managers to staff and staff to managers. In a positive workplace culture that has open communication staff are more likely to flag issues at an early stage before they escalate.
Provide support and training
Employers and managers should provide staff with the equipment, training, and managerial support to help them carry out their jobs to the best of their ability. Consider providing staff with time management training to develop the skills to manage their time effectively. Ensure your managers receive the training they need to spot symptoms of poor work-life balance amongst staff and have the skills to address and manage this appropriately.
Consider flexible working options
Working arrangements that are more flexible can benefit your staff and your business. With flexible working, employees are able to manage the time and/or location of their work to fit in with other aspects of their lives. This can lead to an increased sense of trust and autonomy that can boost productivity. There are many types of flexible working that you could consider introducing such as flexi-time, hybrid working, part-time working, or job sharing.
All eligible employees have the right to request flexible working. Flexible working can also support neurodiversity amongst your workforce as people with different styles of working may find that flexibility to work at times and locations that suit them will help them be more productive.
Promote staff health and wellbeing
Employers should promote the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of their staff. Offer employees the opportunity to develop and shine their life skills by hosting staff wellbeing events or talks on topics such as healthy eating, time management, stress management, or financial planning. Encourage staff to escape their workspace completely when taking their breaks and suggest incorporating some form of exercise as part of that break.
Develop a culture that respects work-life balance
Develop and maintain an organisational culture that promotes a healthy work-life balance. Make it clear that emails sent on off-hours don't require immediate attention or a response. We all spend many hours each week working so take steps to make the work environment an enjoyable one. Allow staff to focus on tasks they enjoy doing and provide opportunities for staff to take on different roles. Providing a wide variety of tasks and roles can maximise staff interest and focus.
You could also have monthly informal catch-ups with staff where employees grab a cup of tea or coffee and chat with each other about non-work-related topics. In addition, you could host annual summer barbeques or Christmas fairs where staff can bring their families along.