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There is a lot of competition in the workforce today. Sure, there is competition among individuals for a job, but there is also competition between companies to get the best workers. Of course, offering more money is a good way to attract great employees, but it isn’t the only way. Many employees appreciate a company that keeps their work-life balance in mind. They long to build professional social relationships with one another. At the same time, they want to expand on their relationships outside of the workplace. Having balance in life can help keep people sane and stop them from becoming burnt out or overworked.
Not having a suitable balance of work and life in place can hurt employees in a number of different ways as well. As a result, it is often in a company’s best interest to consider the work-life balance of their employees and look to promote that balance. With that in mind, this article will take a look at a few different ways your company can promote a healthy work-life balance.
Follow Government Requirements
Depending on where you’re located, there is a good chance the government has some sort of rules about how your company can operate. This can often cover everything from wages, breaks, holidays, leave and more. Most can be found online with a simple search. Your company should know these rules and ensure you abide by them.
This goes for everything from ensuring employees are given ample amounts of vacation time, to making sure you provide the appropriate time off for maternity leave. For example, the Employment Standards Act in Ontario outlines that pregnant employees are eligible for up to 17 weeks of unpaid leave. If you don’t abide by these laws and rules, your company could find itself in some trouble.
Offer Employees Flexibility
While some employees are fine with the 9–5 shift each and every weekday, some employees yearn for some flexibility. Many business owners start courier companies with flexible hours to meet the needs of their employees. Companies in every industry should do the same. If you give your employees flexibility, it can be a great boost to their work-life balance. Now, this doesn’t mean that employees can come and go as they please. This is a common worry companies have but is simply not the case. Flexibility in terms of scheduling can mean a couple of different things.
It can mean they can pick the start or end times for shifts, pick which days they want to work certain hours, and things like that. You will still get the same hours out of your employees, only they will be flexible. Another popular method to offer flexibility is to allow for telecommuting. Of course, choose a type of flexibility that works best for both your company and the employees that work there. This will allow some employees to work from home a certain percentage of time which can really help balance their lives.
Encourage Health Initiatives
One of the most important parts of any good work-life balance plan is prioritizing health. Working 40+ hours a week and commuting can often lead to employees putting their health on the back burner. However, this doesn’t need to be the case at all. In an effort to improve work-life balance, there are a few things you can do.
You can offer periodic health workshops, weekly yoga at lunch, offer gym discounts, and so much more. Employees that are happy and healthy are often more productive. They create better life experiences at work and, in turn, produce higher quality work. Also, if you offer some of these solutions to your employees, they are likely to remain more loyal and appreciative towards your company.
In conclusion, we hope that this blog post has been able to help you learn some ways to promote and encourage a healthy work-life balance at your company. Work-life balance is important to all employees, so having good practices in place can help attract better employees.
