It can be difficult to achieve a work life balance in today’s busy world, and yet it is increasingly more important to find ways to effectively manage personal and work-related demands. A poor work-life balance can lead to stress, a poor immune system, and illness. Additionally, it can cause higher instances of sickness related absenteeism, and reduce productivity in both the workplace and personal life. Here are just a few of the ways in which employees can maintain a healthy balance, along with ways in which managers can help their staff to achieve it.
Prioritize
Many employees report stress associated with high workloads. Attempting to accomplish everything in one day can exacerbate stress and cause employees to work outside of office hours which can impact their personal lives. To prevent his, HR managers can encourage employees to leave the office at aa set time, or even allow employees schedules to be flexible. Employees should also learn the importance of time management and how to prioritize. They can do this by identifying their top priorities and defining which tasks need to be achieved that day, while scheduling the completion of non-urgent tasks for the rest of the work week. This helps prevents employees from feeling overwhelmed, while also ensuring all tasks are completed.
Taking Breaks
We have become an increasingly multitasking society. However, research has shown that we can increase productivity in both our work and personal lives by focusing on only one task at once. By giving one work task their undivided attention, employees are more likely to increase productivity, complete tasks quicker and with fewer mistakes. Similarly, employees who are able to focus on quality time with their family, rather than checking workplace emails or answering calls, are more likely to feel refreshed and able to return to the office more focused and ready to work. HR managers can support staff in this area by implementing policies which prevent staff from sending or responding to work related emails and calls during non-working hours or vacation. Managers can also ensure there is cover for staff during their vacation time, and an employees’ work is delegated to other staff members during extended periods of absence.
Personal Habits and Lifestyle
It is important to engage in self-care to prevent burnout. Employees should ensure that they take frequent breaks during the work day, use their protected vacation time during the year, as well as eat healthily and exercise regularly. HR managers can arrange for training and educational workshops around the areas of employee wellness, helping their workers to develop self-care and stress reduction techniques which can greatly reduce burnout, illness, and absenteeism.
There are many processes that HR managers can implement to support workers in achieving a balance between the office and home. HR managers who are able to recognize the importance of work life balance and implement processes in the workplace to help their staff to achieve this, can greatly improve team morale, reduce employee turnover and increase productivity.
