Work life balance was an important consideration before the pandemic, but the last two years have only served to make it a much higher priority. Whether it’s been through enforced remote working, temporary lay-offs like furlough, or even losing their jobs and having to find a new one, the pandemic has allowed millions of people to take stock and work out what’s most important to them in life.
And many have come to the conclusion that their existing jobs just haven’t been cutting it. That’s led to trends like the Great Resignation in the United States , where millions of employees have walked away from their jobs in search of something better. And what is it they’re looking for? According to the Pew Research Center, pay and opportunities for advancement are still the main reasons that employees quit, but employer respect, childcare and flexibility are also cited almost as often.
So, what can companies do to ensure that employees are getting the experience they want, feel valued, and want to stay with the business in the long-term? Here are eight great strategies to improving employee work life balance:
Give employees autonomy
Employees don’t necessarily want remote working or even hybrid working. And that’s because remote working isn’t for everyone: those who live in small accommodation, have to share with remote-working partners or housemates, or who live in areas with poor internet connectivity often find it far too impractical – and stressful. So, the key is to let employees define what works best for them individually, rather than impose compromising blanket working models on everyone.
The best way to do this is by using a workspace scheduling and management platform , that brings together employee schedules and the ability to book workspaces in the office when they need them. Not only does that allow employees to independently decide where and when they work, but the ability of other employees to view each other’s schedules supports the transparency needed to ease collaboration.
Focus on productivity, rather than hours
If people are working remotely or more flexibly, it should mean more than simply the place where they work.
- Focus on completion of tasks rather than hours put in
- Allow people to choose their hours, particularly if they work from home or have other commitments, such as childcare
For example having set hours where people need to be contactable by the wider team, but that they can fit their work around other aspects of their lives.
Increase their choice of workspaces
On the occasions that employees come into the office (whenever that may be), they need to be sure that they can get everything done that they need to. After all, if they can’t be as productive in the office as they can be at home, then what’s the point of the effort, time, and expense they’re putting into commuting?
One important thing employers can do to ensure this productivity is to give employees the widest possible range of office workspaces and meeting rooms to choose from. This can include standard desks, conferencing rooms, breakout zones, private work pods and other spaces, all of which can then be evaluated and booked through the workspace management platform.
Allow them the chance to disconnect
One particularly hot topic in work life balance terms is ensuring that the lines between personal lives and professional lives aren’t blurred. This has been a pressing issue long before the pandemic emerged; so much so that at the start of 2017, the French government introduced its ‘right to disconnect’ law, in which companies have to define time periods when staff are banned from sending or reading emails.
Now that more people are working remotely, ensuring staff can switch off from work – both physically and mentally – is critical. A scheduling platform where working times are clearly defined, and from which people can see when they are likely to be able to get in touch, can be vital to making this work in a practical way.
Create a space where they can get support
In the more flexible world of work that’s emerging, the office shouldn’t just act as a place for employees to collaborate or to be productive. Ensuring employees get and maintain the skills they need is important, as is ensuring that their mental well-being is looked after. Both factors can be very difficult to manage when employees work from home in physically isolated settings all or most of the time.
The office, however, can fill the role of being a support hub for the workforce. If employees need formal training, want to strengthen bonds in team-building exercises, or need to speak to someone about a professional or personal issue in confidence, then spaces can be provided in the office to fulfill those vital functions.
Regular check-ins
Managers should be checking in with their teams on a regular basis, not only to see if they’re feeling ok, but also to review their workloads. This will help to encourage an open-door policy where employees aren’t afraid to speak up if they are becoming burnt out or overworked. Many people won’t speak up as they fear it makes them look not capable of handling their job, which simply isn’t true.
Ask
Not sure what you can do to make the lives of your employees easier? Why not ask! Your employees are your best source of information when it comes to improve their working lives. And don’t just ask once and forget about it; make sure you’re conducting regular reviews into your policies. If there’s one thing the pandemic has taught us, it’s that things can change overnight and without warning.
Lead by example
Management and senior leadership should practice what they preach and ensure that they promote a health work life balance from the top down. This can include:
- Not contacting staff out of work hours – where they can feel obligated to reply
- Don’t expect people to deliver work within unworkable time scales, particularly if it isn’t urgent
- Take regular breaks, especially when it comes to in-office lunches
- Leave the office on-time and encourage people to do the same
