Happy employees tend to be more productive employees. One way that you as an employer can help staff members to feel happier is by promoting a better work-life balance within the office. With the advent of smartphones and tablets, staff can feel as though they are expected to be connected to the office 24/7. Not being able to switch off can lead to burn out which in turn leads to additional recruitment costs and an expensive loss of knowledge and expertise to your company. Help to keep these costs down and at the same time increase the motivation and productivity of employees with the following four tips for creating a positive work-life company culture.
- Encourage employees to take a lunchbreak.
Eating a sandwich at your desk with one hand, whilst using your other hand to type on the keyboard is still a regular sight in Kiwi offices. But does it mean that staff are more productive? It’s questionable whether you are really getting the best out of your staff members if they are glued to their desks for eight hours a day. On the contrary, taking a break, getting some fresh air or taking a brisk walk outside helps staff to recharge their batteries. They will then be able to face the afternoon with renewed energy and focus unlike their colleagues that worked through lunch. These colleagues may well suffer from an unproductive afternoon slump and struggle to stay focused.
As a responsible employer, it makes sense to encourage staff to take lunchbreaks. It’s a great stress reliever, helps to clear the mind and can assist with that creative energy that you want your staff members to have.
- Consider introducing a four-day week.
Do staff really need to work five days a week? Does it really matter if rather than working the standard five eight-hour days, they work four ten-hour days? Giving employees the freedom and flexibility of a three-day weekend can do wonders for their productivity levels. Furthermore, in the digital modern workplace, it’s possible for most staff to work from home at least some of the time so why not let them? So long as tasks are completed on time and the overall required hours are worked, the benefits to be gained will far outweigh any negatives.
- Promote flexible working.
A natural progression from the four-day week is a policy of more general flexible working. With flexible working staff can choose to work the hours that suit them – be it early starts or late evenings. Giving staff members some control of their schedules will improve their levels of job satisfaction immeasurably.
- Invest in technology.
There are many business tools and technologies out there that will help to make the working lives of staff members more manageable. From intranets and collaboration platforms through to workflow management software, the right investment in the right tools will mean that the working lives of your staff will be easier and more productive. As a company it’s worth identifying the issues and problems that your staff face on a daily basis and investing in the business tools that offer solutions.
Improving the work-life balance of employees will have a big impact on your bottom dollar. Happier employees, as well as being more productive, are also less likely to be absent from work and are more likely to be loyal workers that stick around. Help to keep your workers happy by implementing these simple four tips.