Work-life balance has been in the headlines a lot lately, and rightfully so! What does this entail for those in HR and leadership positions? It is critical to recognise the importance of balance in fostering employee engagement and happiness. A strong work-life balance enables everyone to perform successfully at work while also caring for their personal well-being outside of work. Let us find out how.
Work-Life Balance in the News:
Aviva’s study has recently caused quite a stir. It indicated that since the outbreak, people have prioritised work-life balance over money. According to Aviva, “more workers said they were attracted to their current role for the work-life balance (41%) than for the salary (36%).” This is a change in rankings from 2019, before to the pandemic.”
Work is an important element of everyone’s lives. Our profits ensure that the lights are on, food is on the table, and the rainy-day fund is full. With the growing cost of living problem and energy bills on everyone’s concerns, no one is underestimating the necessity of earning enough to make a living… it just makes
We are becoming increasingly connected thanks to technology and social media. Many people now consider working from home to be the new normal. It is getting increasingly difficult to separate work from our personal lives. It is typical to check emails at all hours, take business calls at the dinner table and work on our laptops on weekends. How did this become acceptable?
Employers expect more from their employees, which puts them under more pressure to generate better results. These demands appear to have reached a breaking point, as people recognise the need for better balance in their lives. As a business leader, you are responsible for assisting your entire staff in balancing the demands of their professional and personal life. Even the most engaged employees may still struggle to achieve balance.
How Important is Work-Life Balance
Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is beneficial not just to your employee’s health and relationships, but it may also boost productivity and, ultimately, performance. Simply put, if your employees don’t see work as a duty, they’ll work harder, make fewer mistakes, and be more willing to promote your business.
Businesses that establish a reputation for promoting work-life balance have become quite appealing, especially given how tough it is to attract and keep younger workers these days. According to Oxford Economics, “Replacing an employee costs on average around £30,000 and takes up to 28 weeks to bring them up to speed.” With this in mind, it may be a good idea to keep your current personnel satisfied. Focussing
1: Fewer health problems.
When we are under pressure and overmented, we risk compromising not only our social life, but also our physical and mental health.
Being overloaded, tired or stressed is bad for our health. A poor work-life balance can cause a number of symptoms that have an impact on our overall well-being. This includes anything from the flu to serious medical diseases such as strokes and respiratory issues. A UCL study of more than 10,000 participants found that white-collar workers who worked three or more hours longer than required had a 60% higher risk of heart-related disorders than those who did not work extra.
You can reduce health issues and absence by greatly enabling your workers to care for themselves and find balance. This will ensure that your company works more efficiently during working hours and that people want to be part of the company’s culture.
2: Increased Involvement
You can boost employee engagement by assisting them in striking the ideal balance between work and home. This offers a lot of advantages: “Companies with highly-engaged employees had a near 52% gap in performance improvement in operating income,” according Tower Perrin’s global survey. Additionally, “operating income increased 19.2% for companies with high employee engagement levels and decreased 32.7% for those with low employee engagement levels.
3: A decrease in “Burnouts
Everybody experiences stress occasionally. It cannot be avoided. Burnouts at work may be prevented, though, therefore you should try to prevent this from happening to your employees. When we feel overburdened and unable to fulfil obligations all the time, burnouts happen. Burnout can have detrimental consequences on all facets of our existence.
Encourage your staff to take time off and really unwind because the inability to keep work and home life separate will greatly increase the likelihood of burnout.
4: Increased Awareness
Mindfulness is the ability to focus and concentrate on the task at hand, and it is developed when we achieve and maintain a healthy work-life balance. Instead of worrying about work or home, wouldn’t you rather have a team that is totally focused on whatever they are doing?
By encouraging your people to have a healthy work-life balance, you will create an environment where everyone is dedicated to the task at hand. Retention rates, output, and eventually profit will all increase as a result.
Tips to Improve Work-Life Balance:
1: Promote vacation time:
Annual leave is a need; holidays are not a luxury. You will have the opportunity to relax and have fun during a break from work. It is also a perfect time to rest and rejuvenate. When your employees return to the office, this is crucial to assist them become more focused and productive.
Holidays boost business productivity and lower stress levels, according to numerous studies. According to a survey published by the American Sociological Association, those who take more holidays experience less psychological suffering.
2: Throughout the day, take brief breaks:
Small breaks should be encouraged throughout the day if your personnel are unable to take time off. The human body was not made to spend hours staring at a bright screen. It is detrimental to our mental and physical wellness.
Installing a gaming room where people may interact and divert their attention from work could help counteract this. Think about implementing walking meetings outside and promoting moderate activity throughout the day. Even going out for coffee as a group is an option. Investing in subscriptions to mindfulness or meditation applications might also help people relax and reduce stress.
3: Seek Advice From Workers:
Why don’t you ask your employees ideas if you are facing a problem in reaching creative methods to enhance the balance between work and life?
If you notice that your employees are facing a problem in maintaining balance, ask them about the amendments that they think will help their conditions. You will have a greater understanding of your team’s thinking process and you will be able to cooperate in future strategies with more success if you are working together.
Consider considering consistent meetings or place in real-time cultural reaction programs to give you data-operated insights to help you facilitate these conversations. In this way, you can properly determine how your employees are feeling at any time and make necessary changes to ensure that they have.
4: Put Your Teachings into Practice
Lastly, setting a good example is crucial. It sends a highly conflicting message if you instruct your employees to turn off their laptops at six o’clock and not work on the weekends, yet you continue to send them emails during these times. Additionally, it increases the pressure on your employees to follow your working hours. Set a good example and see how your work habits spread throughout the company.
