The Importance and Implementation of Work-Life Balance

On the tail-end of months stuck in our homes, it does not escape employees or employers that having a life outside of work has become a priority for many people. This has resulted in employment policies that encourage a healthier work-life balance, such as vacation days, four-day weeks, etc. The good news is, a happy, balanced life for your employees is not only beneficial for them, but also for your business. So, let’s get into the benefits of work-life balance and some ways of implementing it.

Benefits of Work-Life Balance

Having time to relax and escape the stress of work can enable staff to feel more in control of their working life and help to create and refreshed and revitalized head space. Implementing policies to encourage work-life balance can result in: 

• Increased productivity
• Lower levels of absence and sickness
• A happier, less stressed workforce
• Improvements in employee mental health and well-being
• Increased engagement
• Greater employee loyalty, commitment, and motivation
• Improved customer service
• Recognition as a business that people want to work for and therefore help you attract top talent
• Staff feeling valued and that their personal and/or family life is important
• Personal and professional growth

While dedication has been rewarded in the past and is still important, employee burnout has been recognized as a genuine issue that needs to be combatted. Work-life balance can often result in even more success than long hours at a desk day in and day out.

Implementation of Work-Life Balance

Accepting the benefits of work-life balance comes with the need for practical ways to implement this in your business. Every business is run differently and can benefit from different methods, but here are some workplace practices employers can adopt to ensure they’re supporting their employees:

• Offer flexible and remote working
• Encourage managers to focus on productivity rather than hours
• Encourage breaks
• Implement a four-day workweek
• Regularly review workloads
• Give employees time to volunteer or follow their interests/passions
• Reconsider provided time off and vacations
• Encourage exercise and relaxation time (consider a staff sports team?)
• Increase support and flexibility for parents
• Ask employees for feedback and suggestions
• Lead by example

Neither businesses nor employees are one size fits all – there is no one solution or best practice to improve work-life balance. Fortunately, TCOBI is always available to give advice, having provided leadership expertise in a number of different industries for 40+ years. We’re here to ensure your business succeeds – maybe improving work-life balance is your next step.