Many people are experiencing high levels of stress as they struggle to strike an integration between their professional and personal lives. Giving your employees more quality time and a more manageable to-do list improves everyone's health and performance. This article's suggestions can help you build healthy work-life integration.
A huge amount of people are debating whether there is such a thing as the ideal work-life integration. If so, how can one obtain it? The extent of those distinct domains evolves throughout time, which makes finding the proper integration between personal and professional life so difficult. Young, single employees fresh out of college are frequently focused on improving their professional goals while still maintaining a busy social life outside of work.
Marriage and children greatly alter that outlook, as does everyday life, which continues to change as children grow older. And this knowledge raises greater concerns regarding work-life integration objectives. Women, in particular, find these quality of life questions difficult to answer because they shoulder the majority of parenting, housework, and employment commitments. So, how can employers support their employees' mental health and work-life integration?
Try these 12 ways to promote a healthy work-life integration and help your employees achieve a healthy lifestyle.
1. Inquire about employees' work-life integration requirements
To understand more about what your employees really need, start with a work-life integration survey. You may have a broad idea of what constitutes a healthy work-life integration. However, you must understand how your staff is performing and what they require to achieve work-life integration. Work hours, what they require as working parents, and flexible scheduling can all be included in the survey. The answers can assist in identifying particular areas where your business can improve.
2. Keep an eye on employee stress and mental health
Burnout is a genuine problem that can affect employee health as well as company efficiency. If you own a business, you have direct experience withof this. Skipping lunch, working long hours, and spending free time on work all contribute to increased stress levels.
3. Inform employees about the need for work-life integration
Host a session with a work-life integration coach to teach employees that their personal needs are important to the firm. Give them the tools and permission to recognize when they're on the verge of burnout. Encourage them to go home at a normal hour, take a lunch break, and set work hours limits if they work remotely.
4. Leverage flexibility to achieve your work-life integration goals
Flexible work schedules are one way to assist employees in achieving the necessary integration between their personal and professional lives. Flexible scheduling encourages employees to collaborate with you in selecting the best way for them to work most successfully. Flextime schedules come in a variety of forms. Provide a weekly hour requirement, but allow employees to pick when they use those hours (10 hours on Monday, but 6 on Thursday, etc.)
5. Authorize employees to work remotely
Even before the pandemic, studies showed that remote employees were just as productive as those who worked in the office, if not more so (by 13% on average). Telecommuting is an excellent alternative because it allows for a flexible schedule. It can aid working parents who need to take time off to care for a sick child by lowering office overhead. Telecommuting allows them to work from home while still completing their responsibilities.
6. Focus on working smarter rather than harder
Working smarter, not harder, is what efficiency is all about: getting more done in less time. Consider that, according to research, British workers work more hours than their continental European counterparts yet produce less. Exhaustion, melancholy, anxiety, and irritation can all result from working longer hours. According to the Guardian, fewer, more productive hours lead to better mental health and a happy workforce.
7. Set an example in achieving a healthy work-life integration
Set a reasonable schedule for yourself as a manager or business owner. Show your staff that personal time and leisure time are important and can really help them be more creative and productive.
8. Let people take breaks and vacations
Show and encourage employees to get up and stretch, stroll around outside, take a reasonable lunch break, and not forget about their vacation time as part of your example and education process. Sitting at a desk for 8 hours without taking regular breaks is unhealthy. Also, allow employees to take time off for big life events without feeling bad.
9. Allow employees to bring their belongings to work
Allow employees to bring their children, parents, nieces, and nephews (or a friend) to work for fun activities on a specific day. Consider providing childcare on-site if you have the opportunity. This saves your staff time and stress while also providing peace of mind. It helps business culture to show that you value your employees for who they are outside of work.
10. Host employee wellness programs
Consider supporting fitness programs and groups for your employees (like office yoga or power walking at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays). Some businesses have found remarkable success with sports teams that bring together family, entertainment, and exercise. You might also get discounted gym or fitness facility memberships close to your office. Try setting company health goals, such as doing a certain number of steps each day. Any group activity or challenge must, of course, be structured to include all employees. This entails providing participation alternatives for people with disabilities.
11. Promote fun and creativity
Allowing employees to express their creativity is another method to improve their mental health and make work more enjoyable. It's also a terrific method to promote teamwork, improve communication, and solve real-world problems. Regular team-building activities that have your employees laughing, having fun, and thinking outside the box should be considered.
12. Build communication to achieve a better work-life integration
Work can be demanding, and many people struggle to manage their commitments. Encourage employees to be open and honest with you about whether they think they can handle another assignment, and make it clear that their honesty will not compromise their employment or career prospects. Work and home life will suffer if they are overworked. Reward them for being honest and transparent, as well as for communicating healthy boundaries.
The truth is that many of our traditional work and perfectionism demands are unhealthy and ineffective. Nobody can truly have everything. Overworking causes burnout and decreases productivity. Companies and employees can only do their best to achieve a healthy work-life integration.
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