Ten Ways to Address Work Life Balance

1. A consistent promotion of work life balance policies. Positive communication to your employees that it is okay to live a little.
2. Understand needs of employees by sending surveys. What issues prevent employees from balance, therefore limiting production?
3. Set priorities and expectations. Often times an employee works hard (or overworks) on a project because there is no communication of a deadline. Have you ever worked really hard on something, only to go unnoticed or unused?
4. Recognition of hard work in the form of time off. Limit burnout by setting deadlines and rewarding hard work with a little R&R.
5. Management support of work life balance MUST come from the top. By exemplifying good work life balance of top executives, it shows the same is expected of rank-and-file employees.
6. Offer exercise outlets. Your attorney and insurance may cringe at this one due to liability, but health insurance carriers offer employees discounts for participating in health wellness programs. Why don’t you?
7. Encourage the use of vacation, sick, or PTO time. That’s why it’s there, isn’t it? That being said, remember number 5 and take some time yourself.
8. Have HR implement a policy for leave. That way, your employees know their job is not in jeopardy if they have to take an extended leave for a sick child.
9. Reward community service. Provide a couple community service days per year that do not count against your PTO policies.
10. Company sponsorship of family related activities such as sports teams, clubs, trips, etc.