Since the pandemic began, a large number of workers have been reconsidering the type of work they want once the pandemic ends and how the changes that have been taking place over these two years will affect their personal lives. They need a better work-life balance now more than ever.
But why is a good work-life balance so important to businesses and employees? And what can business leaders and HR departments do to encourage it?
The balance between work and life is essential since this balance prevents workers from missing out on other aspects of life beyond their work, neglecting family responsibilities and demanding themselves to the point of exhausting, and reaching the dreaded burnout syndrome.
A poor work-life balance harms:
- family relationships
- relationships with friends
- Self-care habits
- Mental, physical and emotional health
Well, there are a series of recommendations that employees request in all the surveys that are carried out:
1.- Allow workers to have their appropriate breaks to eat
Apart from eating, that time gives us the opportunity to get up from the desk, chat with colleagues, take a walk, and get distracted from work for an hour.
Surveys reveal that an average of nearly 90% of workers surveyed feel refreshed and ready to resume their duties after a lunch break. You have to encourage the members of your team to take a break and to disconnect that time and not take something quickly at work.
2.- Provide more flexible work
More flexible work options should be implemented for team members to encourage a better work/life balance.
According to various surveys, the tendency of Spaniards to want to continue teleworking and hybrid work models is shown.
The flexibility to work remotely gives employees the opportunity to:
- Spend more time with the family.
- Reduce childcare costs.
- Reduce travel or gasoline expenses.
3.- Know how to disconnect
At the end of the workday, you should disconnect and stop thinking about work.
That means establishing clear contact rules with customers, managers, and co-workers. Employees need to go offline after their shift ends and relax without being bombarded by requests for updates or to resolve issues because this leads to stress and imbalance with personal life.
4.- Help employees create more supportive teams
Employees can help each other and enjoy a better work-life balance when they have a close working relationship. So they would be willing to:
- Share workloads and reduce the need for overtime
- Help each other to solve stressful situations
- Collaborate on more complicated tasks
- Provide support outside of the office (eg with family issues)
- The more connected employees feel, the more likely they are to support each other and make the work experience more enjoyable.
5.- Offer support to working parents or staff with dependent family members.
Childcare services, flexible hours, apply equality policies and implement work-life balance measures should be proposed.
6.- Collect feedback from employees to see what improvements they request
Is your company doing everything possible to encourage a good work/life balance? Has your management team missed opportunities to implement more flexible work options or offer fun team building exercises in the office? Are employees asking for more freedom to work from home and set their hours?
Human resources departments have the obligation to survey their employees to find out what they are requiring.
7.- Evaluate workloads to avoid overload
The workday can leave employees stressed, exhausted, and with no time to focus on other areas of their lives.
Companies should take the time to review workloads regularly and check in with staff to ensure they are not overwhelmed with the jobs they do. This can be easier in a workplace with strong communication and strong relationships between employees and managers.
Workers may be more willing to admit when they are having difficulty managing their workload without fear of being seen as incapable or incompetent when they trust their managers.
Fostering a good work-life balance is imperative to improving employee satisfaction, reducing the threat of burnout, providing more flexible work patterns to boost talent retention, and increasing engagement.
