{"id":8346,"date":"2022-08-03T08:00:17","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T08:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/?p=8346"},"modified":"2022-11-14T15:15:50","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T15:15:50","slug":"how-to-improve-work-life-balance-for-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-work-life-balance-for-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"The Boss&#8217; Guide to Improving Employees&#8217; Work-Life Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Work life balance&#8221; has become a buzzword in professional circles. But it is not an artificial carrot to flaunt in your job descriptions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work life balance is vital to the wellbeing of your employees and the quality of your workplace.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>See Related:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-public-speaking-skills\/\">9 Ways to Sharpen Your Public Speaking Skills<\/a><\/p>\n<p><b>This is a practical guide for leadership looking to improve work life balance for their employees.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>#1: Offer flexible working hours<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When was the last time you needed to take a few hours to go to the<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/rankings\/americas-best-dentists-2022\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dentist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? Your annual physical? Your daughter&#8217;s school play?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless you are your own boss and make your own hours, <\/span><b>you probably had to get approval<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be frustrating and futile to use paid time off for the everyday necessities of life. Especially if you know you will still meet all of your work deadlines.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>These days, employees deeply value a flexible work schedule. It allows them to tend to matters of personal life without being treated as burdensome.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><b>There are two important items to remember here:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Trust your employees to get the work done. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They know how to balance home life and work responsibilities. If they need to tack a few working hours on to get things done, they will.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And guess what? Encouraging them to attend their child&#8217;s baseball game will make them happier to work for you.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Your recognition of their obligations outside of work will go a long way.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allowing an employee to incorporate flexibility into their regular schedule will increase their job satisfaction.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do they want to <\/span><b>tend to their physical well being<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and take a boxing class at noon? Great! Need to wrap up the day early to <\/span><b>pick up their child from day care<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? No problem!<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work with your employees to <\/span><b>create schedules that work for them<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Their jobs will immediately become more sustainable and you will increase retention.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8354\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class.jpg\" alt=\"Smiling person in white blouse practices good work life balance by leaving the office to go to a yoga class\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/smiling-person-in-white-blouse-practices-good-work-life-balance-by-leaving-the-office-to-go-to-a-yoga-class-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#2: Set hard stops for work-related communication<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We&#8217;ve all been there. It&#8217;s the weekend. You are getting ready to see the latest<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2022\/07\/27\/movies\/brandon-perea-nope-angel.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jordan Peele film<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> with your friends.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And then&#8230; <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ping!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your heart drops. It&#8217;s a work email. Or Slack. Or text. And you are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">on the clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>But&#8230; you feel obligated to check it.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What if it&#8217;s an emergency?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What if your boss gets mad at you for not answering?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Blurring the lines between professional and personal life is detrimental to employees&#8217; mental health and well being.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees need to be able to turn off from work &#8211; literally and figuratively.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Set healthy boundaries by refusing to contact employees when they are not on the clock.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>And that &#8220;emergency&#8221;?<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can probably wait until Monday. If it can&#8217;t, then it&#8217;s time for you to step up and spend time fixing the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That&#8217;s why you&#8217;re the boss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Respecting employees&#8217; personal time helps keep their stress levels low. This allows them to do better work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Set boundaries &#8211; they will pay off.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8351\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child.jpg\" alt=\"Person in plaid shirt practices healthy work life balance by working at home next to their child\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-plaid-shirt-practices-healthy-work-life-balance-by-working-at-home-next-to-their-child-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#3: Let employees decide where they work best<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s 2022. If your employees can work remotely and still hit their KPIs, let them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Remote work boasts so many benefits for your employees!<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Family time, the chance to travel, the stress relief that comes with being in their own home. If employees express that <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-engage-remote-employees\/\">working remotely<\/a> would be beneficial to them, allow them to do so.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Some prefer a defined professional life at the office<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alternatively, some employees will prefer to silo their work life to a designated environment. It supports their well being to have no associations with work when they arrive at home.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Encourage employees to choose for themselves<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support balance for your employees by giving them the choice. Remote employees, in-office employees, what does it matter?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These days, we have the tools to connect everyone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A boss&#8217; stubbornness will only lead to employees&#8217; resentment and attrition.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8350\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time.jpg\" alt=\"Person in glasses and blue blazer demonstrates better work life balance by leaving a meeting on time\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-in-glasses-and-blue-blazer-demonstrates-better-work-life-balance-by-leaving-a-meeting-on-time-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#4: Respect employees&#8217; work hours<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you define the structure of your employees&#8217; flexible work schedules, respect those boundaries.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>I&#8217;m talking about the follow-through. Achieving work life balance is not about talk &#8211; it&#8217;s about action.<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do not call employees while they are with<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.verywellfamily.com\/summer-fun-ideas-kids-and-parents-3542627\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">family members<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, enjoying moments of personal life<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If employees are doing remote work, that doesn&#8217;t mean they are on call around the clock. Hours must be respected, even if they are just moving from the living room to the den.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Your employees&#8217; mental health and well being are dependent on these boundaries being respected.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><b>#5: Leadership sets an example<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is huge. In order for employees to get on board, the boss needs to promote work life balance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You want employees to shut their emails down,<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/yoga-desk-job_n_3707818\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">take that yoga class<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and actually use their PTO? Then you need to do it too!<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Employees should see you:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take a lunch break<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offset long hours by taking a Monday or Friday off, prolonging your weekend<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Create a healthy balance of remote work and in-office work<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Encourage managers to do the same.<\/span><b> Promoting a healthy work life balance is a top-down effort.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees may be nervous to dive in &#8211; they need to see that you&#8217;re already enjoying the water.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8352\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done.jpg\" alt=\"Person smiles and says goodbye to employees working at office as they prepare to bike home after their work hours are done\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-smiles-and-says-goodbye-to-employees-working-at-office-as-they-prepare-to-bike-home-after-their-work-hours-are-done-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#6: Consider a 4-day work week<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I believe that the 4-day work week will become much more common in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This structure is a vacuum that sucks the dry air out of the work week.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>By downsizing to a 4-day work week, you increase productivity.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Employees have fewer hours on the clock, so they make better use of those hours. Some will work longer hours during those four days in order to take the fifth day off. Others will not need to.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Longer weekends mean better mental health and well being.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We all know that weekends aren&#8217;t long enough. (Something <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/what-is-the-role-of-the-master-of-ceremonies\/\">I say as a master of ceremonies<\/a>\u00a0and hear the audience audibly groan.)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are so many household tasks you didn&#8217;t have time for during the work week. By the time those are done, you barely have time to socialize.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Or, you&#8217;re too exhausted from the work week to have any fun!<\/b><\/p>\n<h4><b>A permanent 3-day weekend allows for better work life balance because it gives employees time to:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><i>Rest<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from their hectic work weeks<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><i>Explore their interests and hobbies<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and see their loved ones<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><i>Take care of personal responsibilities<\/i><\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that may be causing them stress<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Activate employee engagement by asking your staff what they think about the 4-day work week.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get their feedback and see if it is something they think could be beneficial.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Bonus:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/what-does-an-event-planner-do\/\">So, What Does An Event Planner Do?<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><b>#7: Offer holidays generously<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the same vein as the 4-day work week, <\/span><b>employees will rise to the occasio<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n. Even with generous vacation time!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In fact, offering them more quality time for family life and relaxation can improve their work performance.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>In addition to personal vacation time and federal holidays, offer company-wide days off.<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do it sporadically but regularly. <\/span><b>Don&#8217;t wait until employees&#8217; well being is suffering to offer time off.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you build consistent holidays into the schedule, you will prevent burnout. It won&#8217;t have the chance to build.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8353\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care.jpg\" alt=\"Person with blonde hair and glasses is happy with a better work life balance now that they can pick their child up from day care\" width=\"1350\" height=\"901\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-with-blonde-hair-and-glasses-is-happy-with-a-better-work-life-balance-now-that-they-can-pick-their-child-up-from-day-care-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#8: Receive feedback<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even with these tips, you are not expected to be a<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.psychologytoday.com\/us\/basics\/mind-reading#:~:text=Humans%20cannot%20literally%20read%20the,body%20language%20of%20another%20person.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mind reader<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">! You will achieve work life balance more efficiently if you encourage employee engagement.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Here are a few ideas for collecting employees&#8217; opinions on healthier work life balance:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Distribute an anonymous survey<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not everyone will feel comfortable expressing their opinions face to face. An anonymous survey gives employees the chance to <\/span><b>express their needs with the safety of privacy.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps their opinions are informed by very personal circumstances going on at home.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They may be feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of opening up about this. Respect those boundaries and keep things fully anonymous.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Organize<\/b> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.baristainstitute.com\/blog\/emmi-kinnunen\/january-2022\/affogato-ristretto-list-most-common-coffee-drinks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><b>coffee<\/b><\/a><b> chats<\/b>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another option is to <\/span><b>organize casual get-togethe<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rs. These can serve as comfortable environments for employees to communicate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This setting <\/span><b>allows employees to support one anothe<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">r. They can lift each other&#8217;s stories of poor work life balance and respond to each other&#8217;s suggestions.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, you are not expected to have all the answers about healthy work life balance. Chances are your employees will respect you for wanting their feedback.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>#9: Consider employees&#8217; mental health needs<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mental health is a very serious concern, and just as important as physical health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be scary for employees to come forward about their needs. Many people are gaslit when they express that they are struggling with mental health.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Just because these struggles aren&#8217;t always visible, some bosses don&#8217;t want to believe they are real.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>The most important thing you can do is <\/b><b><i>believe your employees.<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Work towards supporting your employees&#8217; mental well being in every facet of work. This is a comprehensive field that I cannot cover in one item.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>That being said, here are a few questions to consider:<\/b><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are remote teams&#8217; and telecommuting employees required to be on camera 100% of the time? Does this increase their stress levels?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>I guarantee you that a portion of your employees have disabilities.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Yes, even if you can&#8217;t see them.)<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you foster an inclusive and accessible work environment? Or do they need to carry the emotional burden of feeling othered because there aren&#8217;t properly accommodated<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you offer remote work for those who want it? Many employees, including those who cope with social anxiety, would probably appreciate that option.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Does your workplace healthcare plan cover mental health counseling?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even something like <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-an-mc-for-corporate-events\/\">bringing in an event emcee<\/a> for an <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-celebrate-employee-appreciation-day-virtually\/\">employee appreciation day<\/a> can do wonders for their mental health. Expressing your gratitude is just one way of preventing them from feeling burnt out.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-8349\" src=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting.jpg\" alt=\"Person improves work life balance by meditating after a meeting\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting.jpg 1350w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/person-improves-work-life-balance-by-meditating-after-a-meeting-900x600.jpg 900w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\" \/><\/span><b>#10: Make time for breaks and physical activity<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Build play time into the work culture! Maybe your office has space for a small gym, or a basketball hoop outside. Or maybe you organize an afternoon of fun <a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-an-mc-for-corporate-events\/\">with a corporate emcee<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>No matter how large or small your offerings, encourage taking breaks.<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get folks outside and increase employee engagement by organizing a field day for team sports!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Collaborate with other small businesses and create a day-long tournament. Employees will laugh, move their bodies, and make friends.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer benefits to employees who are keeping track of minutes of physical movement. Lots of workplaces reward employees for tracking time exercising.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>It improves your employees&#8217; mental and physical health!<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>#11: Offer assistance with child support<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is challenging, I know. But if you can strategize and build a child support structure, you will reap so many benefits.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I don&#8217;t need to tell you how many working parents there are. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paying for child care out of pocket can be devastatingly expensive. And parents can drain their paid time off very quickly.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Taking care of working parents is an essential part of the modern business. Can you:<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add child care to your benefits package?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Partner with local child care services to offer discounted rates for employees?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Offer generous time off when employees must tend to a sick child or family member?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It all comes down to empathy and treating your employees with respect.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Your work life balance guide, summarized<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let&#8217;s recap the 11 practical steps you can take to improve work life balance for your employees:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#1: Offer flexible working hours<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#2: Set hard stops for work-related communication<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#3: Let employees decide where they work best<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#4: Respect employees&#8217; work hours<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#5: Leadership sets an example<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#6: Consider a 4-day work week<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#7: Offer holidays generously<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#8: Receive feedback<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#9: Consider employees&#8217; mental health needs<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#10: Make time for breaks and physical activity<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><b><i>#11: Offer assistance with child support<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you follow these steps, you will see great improvement in your employees&#8217; work life balance!<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Keep Reading:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-measure-productivity-in-the-workplace\/\">8 Helpful Ways to Measure Workplace Productivity<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014<\/p>\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/\">Adam Christing<\/a>\u00a0has been called \u201cThe Tom Brady of emcees.\u201d He has hosted more than 1,000\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-an-mc-for-corporate-events\/\">company meetings<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/hire-funny-keynote-motivational-speakers\/\">special events<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/corporate-comedian-entertainer\/\">gala celebrations<\/a>, and more. He is the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/author\/\">author of several books<\/a>\u00a0and founder of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cleancomedians.com\/hire-a-master-of-ceremonies\/\">CleanComedians.com<\/a>.<\/em>\u00a0<em>For more event tips, follow Adam Christing on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/adamchristing\/?hl=en\">Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/AdamChristing\/\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/adamchristing\/\">Pinterest<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/adam-christing\">LinkedIn<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Ide5OJTq4VE\">YouTube<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Work life balance&#8221; has become a buzzword in professional circles. But it is not an artificial carrot to flaunt in your job descriptions. Work life balance is vital to the wellbeing of your employees and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8348,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,44],"tags":[137,52,63,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-8346","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-inspiration","8":"category-post","9":"tag-fun-workplace","10":"tag-funny-mc","11":"tag-how-to","12":"tag-work-life-balance"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Boss&#039; Guide to Improving Employees&#039; Work-Life Balance | Adam Christing<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/adamchristing.com\/blog\/how-to-improve-work-life-balance-for-employees\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Boss&#039; Guide to Improving Employees&#039; Work-Life Balance | Adam Christing\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"&#8220;Work life balance&#8221; has become a buzzword in professional circles. 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