Why work-life balance matters
For many people, the working day has changed dramatically in recent years. With a greater emphasis on hybrid and remote working, the line between home and office life has blurred for some people. In order to maintain a healthy attitude towards the workplace and their personal time, employees need a good work-life balance. But what is the meaning of work-life balance and why is it so crucial to the success of your organisation?
What is work-life balance?
The true work-life balance meaning relates to minimising employees’ work-related stress and establishing a sustainable way for them to work while maintaining general well-being and health. While there’s no magic formula for the perfect work-life balance, the goal is for employees to be equally fulfilled by both their personal and professional life. No two people have the exact same lives, so finding the right balance is unique for every individual - the most important thing for them to remember is not to allow either side of their life to dominate the other.
Regardless of the company, position, or salary, there are times when work can weigh heavy on any employee. Whether it’s an increased workload, issues with timelines, or general fatigue, these stresses and their impact can slowly creep into their personal lives. And the reverse is also true. It can be difficult for people to leave their personal problems at the door when entering the office, especially when their home has become the office. Helping staff maintain a healthy work-life balance can be challenging, but it’s vitally important for many reasons.
The importance of maintaining a work-life balance
The past three years have altered how many people work, and with these changes come challenges for companies and staff alike. These include loneliness due to remote working, difficulty integrating with people when returning to the office, and creating a separation between work and home life. That’s why it’s vital that employees understand the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Employee burnout negatively impacts business
Like in any aspect of life, if an employee isn’t feeling their best, they can’t focus on their work and performance levels may drop. It’s critical to take care of your people and help them establish a healthy work-life balance so they can, in turn, be productive for your business. If you don’t invest in employee well-being, you risk employees burning out, not being as productive as they can, and increased safety risks. These risks include accidents at work, which can have detrimental emotional, physical, and financial implications.
Maintaining employees’ mental health and well-being
While a poor work-life balance can have negative business implications, it’s also the duty of modern companies to look out for the welfare of their employees. Over-working, high-stress environments, and poor company culture can have detrimental effects on employees’ mental health and well-being. Support should be provided to your workforce through adequate vacation time, on-site initiatives designed to reduce stress, and regular evaluations of your company culture and policies.
How to maintain a healthy work-life balance for employees
Promoting a healthy work-life balance involves looking at the big picture - workload, health, well-being, socialising, restoration, and more. Take a holistic approach to integrating all of those facets into a careful balance that sustains, empowers, and motivates your employees to be their best selves in and outside of the workplace.
With over 850 courses relating to work-life balance, you can leverage LinkedIn Learning to help your team achieve balance through informative, digestible, and actionable content.
If you’re not sure where to get started, check out these four ways to help employees establish a better work-life balance:
1. Help employees manage their workload
Workload has to be managed very carefully to find a balance that doesn’t hinder output or morale. Employees who are at capacity in terms of workload feel the best about their safety, resilience, and well-being. However, this is a fine line to strike as, conversely, those employees with workloads far below or above their capacity express negative views of the same factors.
When working from home, phones should be kept out of the workspace to prevent the blurring of home life into work hours. Likewise, boundaries should be created with personal phones and work. Encourage employees to try removing work-related apps, such as email and Teams, from their personal phone. Or, try moving the apps to a folder so they’re less visible when using their phone outside of work. Work-related notifications should be turned off after hours, weekends, and when taking time off.
And remember, healthy boundaries are impossible without employer commitment. It’s important for management to be seen practising what they preach by taking time off, not overworking themselves, and being an example for others.
2. Provide mental health resources
To help employees cope with stress and find a better work-life balance, organisations can offer mental health resources, such as counselling or other stress management outlets. These could include stress management classes, courses in meditation or yoga, or chair massages. Employees can also visit LinkedIn Learning for a wide selection of courses designed to help improve mental wellbeing in the workplace.
3. Help employees make social connections
Employees who build supportive connections in the workplace are more likely to feel engaged with their work. For those who lack social connection, organisations can help by facilitating interactions with co-workers in a healthy setting - this can be through off-site events, virtual coffee calls, or even simply rearranging office seating plans. Employees also feel more engaged when they can connect with their colleagues outside of work, so whether it’s through book clubs, running clubs, fitness classes, or virtual fitness challenges, it’s always beneficial to encourage social connections between employees.
4. Encourage restorative time
One of the more common misconceptions about work burnout is that work alone is the problem. In reality, what people do outside of work is just as important in preventing burnout. Talk to your employees about engaging in restorative activities that are meaningful to them outside of work. The key here is to choose activities that aren’t work-related, and better yet, don’t involve looking at a screen.
For many people, taking meaningful time off has been difficult over the past three years because they couldn’t travel for a vacation. And while a staycation can be restorative, the temptation to check work tech might still be there. Always encourage employees to fully step away from work while they’re on vacation. Doing so helps them recharge and return to work with renewed energy.
Final thoughts
Achieving a healthy work-life balance isn’t always easy - but it should be every organisation’s aim. Whether it’s high-stress environments or burnout due to overworking, there are many ways in which work can negatively impact employees.
By encouraging restorative time, helping employees make social connections, and providing mental health resources, the burden of work can be greatly eased. This results in happier employees with increased productivity, living more fulfilled lives.