These days triggered by the pandemic, achieving work-life balance seems to be an impossible feat. These are uncertain times with downsizing and layoffs happening in almost every industry. The added stress has led to many employees putting in extra hours at work with the intent to prove that they are an indispensable part of the team. Such unhealthy practices, unfortunately, are not only detrimental to one’s health but also harm productivity in the long run.
According to a study, 51% of respondents say they have missed important life events due to inadequate work-life balance.
Compounding stress from a never-ending workday is harmful to one’s health, personal relationships, productivity, and overall happiness. HR managers should strive to provide adequate work-life balance to employees of their organization for maximum output. Adding to the pressure, today’s portable devices make it impossible for people to log off from work and spend quality time with loved ones or indulge in their passion. Today employees are available for work round the clock thereby obliterating the line between work and home. The rapid increase of remote working has further accelerated this trend disrupting the entire balance.
While the ratio and idea of a healthy work-life balance differ for everyone, there are a few strategies that can help you in maintaining the right work-life balance for your employees:
- Encourage managers to focus on productivity
Every individual’s productivity levels are different. While some may achieve the task in a few hours, others may have to spend a significant amount of time achieving the same. Managers should therefore focus on the output and productivity rather than the hours an employee spends on completing the task.
- Let go of the idea of perfectionism
While laxity at work or errors should not be encouraged, similarly displaying perfectionism at every task can be a buzzkill. Trying to perfect every activity can disrupt work hours and finally be destructive to one’s health. Be dedicated and attentive to your work, finish tasks within the deadline, but remember that too much perfectionism can finally ruin the entire course.
- Encourage breaks
Encourage your employees to take regular breaks for maintaining a healthy balance. It boosts productivity and helps in maintaining a healthy balance. Fix some time-off for employees, designate vacation days, to help them break away from the routine. Regular and consistent work can be overwhelming, and a few breaks in between can provide a healthy balance.
- Schedule your day
Successful people plan their day to derive maximum results from their routine. Set aside some time at the beginning of the day to schedule your daily activities and follow them accordingly. Follow the day planner and complete each task on time. This will make the tasks finish on time, thereby making the day less stressful.
- Review workload
68% of employees say poor work-life balance negatively impacts their morale and motivation at work.
Poor work-life balance is often a result of never-ending work at the organization. Delegating duties poorly, and overburdening employees with tasks reduces their attention span, leads to shoddy work that may ultimately result in attrition. Review the tasks allotted to each employee regularly and assess their workload. Poor management of workload can be harmful to the overall productivity levels of the organization.
- Establish boundaries
A hectic workday especially with the entire remote working setup can lead to blurred boundaries. People often find it difficult to switch off and continue work way beyond the specified work hours. The management should establish certain ground rules or policies such as no office calls, emails after 6 PM, etc. for workers to experience uninterrupted family time.
- Offer health benefits
The health of employees should be a top priority. If they are not in a good shape physically, mentally, or emotionally, it can take a toll on their personal and professional lives. Provide health cash plans and benefits for staff and their family members, in case they become unwell. This also encourages members to get tested frequently and take care of their general health by cashing on to the available incentives.
In today’s fast-paced world, we are all struggling to find the right work-life balance and manage our responsibilities well. It can be stressful to manage all activities diligently and spend quality time with ourselves or our loved ones simultaneously. Organizations must take proactive steps to ensure that employees are not getting overburdened with work and have ample time to indulge in other activities. The benefits of a healthy work-life balance are phenomenal. Each employee is different and functions differently than others, therefore tailor-make each experience to help them become a valuable asset of the company.