Helping Your Employees Achieve a Work-Life Balance

And Why Promoting It is Necessary for a Successful Company

Promoting a healthy work-life balance amongst your multi-generational workforce may not be on the top of your to-do list, but it should be. So, why should it matter to your company and how can you support your employees in achieving the right balance? We’ll dive into this, plus the benefits your company will experience when making work-life balance for your team a priority.

Why Work-Life Balance is Important for Business

No one wants to be just another nameless face in a sea of employees. The members of your team want to know that you care about them as people, and that their well-being is top of mind. Promoting a healthy work-life balance is a key part of showing that your company cares about its people.  

Think back to the pandemic and how it changed our relationship with work. Many of us began to re-examine our own lives, including our work-life balance. This experience brought many to realize they were burned out and that caring for ourselves should be higher on our personal to-do list. 

Life is no longer just about the grind of work or how much you can do for the company. It’s about taking time to recharge and refresh! As the saying goes, no person on their deathbed wishes they had spent more time at work, right? It’s most often the opposite. So why have we pushed the idea for so long that a person’s worth lies in how many hours they work? 

The Benefits of Promoting a Healthy Work-Life Balance

First and foremost, the health and well-being of your employees should be a priority. They are the lifeblood of your company – your most valuable asset. It’s important to promote support of employees balancing their professional and personal responsibilities so they can remain healthy, both physically and mentally. 

According to research in Harvard Business Review, companies that recognize the importance of a good work-life balance not only show they care about the well-being of their employees but also see an increase in productivity.  

When we are rested and recharged, we are better able to focus at work. A healthy balance also helps to drive engagement and retention. 

The bottom line: this means your company will see happier and more productive employees, increased engagement, and a positive effect on recruiting top talent. 

How to Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance

It’s important to remember that each employee and their needs will be different. There are some things to keep in mind when it comes to each generation to help you tailor your offerings to promote this balance. 

• Baby Boomers: As they near retirement, this generation may like support in helping with that transition. Traditionally, Baby Boomers have a strong work ethic and can often work long hours without batting an eye, so helping them ease into retirement can help them build that balance. Mentorship programs that assist with this transition have become more prevalent.

• Gen X: This is the current sandwich generation, taking care of elderly parents and kids at the same time. Offering flexibility in scheduling as well as remote work can help Gen Xers achieve balance without added stress.

• Millennials: This generation prioritizes a healthy work-life balance to an unprecedented degree and typically seeks jobs that allow them to have a flexible schedule and paid time off so they can pursue personal interests. 

Gen Z: This generation approaches the work-life balance a bit differently and is drawn to jobs that align with their values and mental well-being. For Gen Z, this often looks like a collaborative community in the workplace and mental health benefits. Gen Z also places great value on philanthropy, so providing time off for volunteer work that is important to them can be a benefit. 

Now that we’ve looked at things by generation let’s zoom out to a broader view. Here’s an insight into some of the ways your company can promote a healthy work-life balance for all employees:

• Make time off (for fun/vacations) a priority by encouraging employees to use their available time and sending them a reminder email if their use-it-or-lose-it time off is about to expire.

• Offer flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid or remote work opportunities. 

• Establish core communication hours and encourage employees to sign off when out of the office; those emails can wait until they are back at the office.

• Understand that a meeting isn’t always necessary. While effective meetings are important, they do take time from employees’ other tasks, which often leads to stress. So, eliminate non-essential meetings or consider replacing them with other forms of communication/technology, such as messaging apps. 

• Create a safe environment to share feedback; your staff won’t speak up about concerns if they don’t feel psychologically safe doing so. Encouraging honesty helps keep lines of communication open and can help you respond quickly to issues that arise. 

• Provide time management training to develop employees skills that allow them to most effectively manage their time/workload.. 

Final Thoughts

Helping employees achieve a healthy work-life balance isn’t just good for your team’s well-being, it’s good for your company, too! Employees who are less stressed out and feel recharged at the start of each workday are better able to effectively perform their jobs. They also tend to be significantly more engaged. this means they are more focused and productive, helping better solve the challenges your company may face.  It's a win-win for all!