A healthy work-life balance reduces a person’s risk of burning out and quitting their jobs. It also helps improve their physical and emotional wellbeing.
According to research, Australia ranked 27th out of 35 countries in terms of work-life balance. Although many individual factors affect a person’s capability to develop work-life balance, organisations could lend a hand to support their workforce.
Here are ways to encourage your employees to achieve an ideal work-life balance.
1. Encourage time off
Did you know that over two million workers in the country have gone over a year without taking leave? On average, employees have 16 days of unused leave annually. As a result, 86 per cent of them have reported burning out.
No matter how busy your business gets, make sure to encourage your team to take time off during the year. Consider having an obligatory office shutdown at the end of the year to give everyone the chance to take a break.
2. Encourage employees to leave work on time
Occasionally working long hours is understandable, especially when you have deadlines to meet. Nevertheless, please don’t make this the norm in your office. Your employees won’t be able to sustain and meet the company’s demands if they’re always expected to work overtime.
3. Implement family-friendly policies
Not all businesses could afford to offer work-from-home opportunities or flexible hours. But you could develop family-friendly policies for parents.
UNICEF suggested four sets of policies:
– Child benefits
– Affordable childcare
– Paid parental leave
– Support for breastfeeding
4. Plan community involvement and team-building activities
Your workforce spends time with each other at least eight hours a day, five days a week. Help them build meaningful relationships beyond the confines of your office.
Offer incentives for supporting a cause or project in the community. Develop a sense of teamwork among your employees through fun and engaging team-building activities. Plan vacation days with or for the team.
Make them proud that they are part of a group of people who aren’t just workmates but friends, too.
5. Create a place in the office where employees can relax
Have a place in your office where your employees can take short breaks to recharge their mind and body. Some offices have sleeping pods or a designated area where employees could nap. Others have a small reading room where they could take their mind off work, have tea, and relax.
Sutherland Reid & Farrar can help you develop workplace policies and procedures that encourage work-life balance. We could assist in aligning your HR strategies with your business goals to create synergy in the workplace. Call 02 6752 9700 or send a message for more information about our HR services.
