From offering flexi-hours to giving employees the right tools for the job, there are many things Australian businesses can do to improve work-life balance.
For many Australians, work-life balance remains as illusive as ever. In fact, four in ten people in this country believe their work-life balance is deteriorating, despite the fact that many businesses are placing more attention on employee wellness programs. What can Australian businesses do to improve work-life balance and morale levels in their organisations?
1) Offer flexibility
This is the number one action businesses can take when it comes to improving work-life balance. From offering flexi-hours to work from home arrangements, flexibility can come in many forms, but all will have an effect on your employees' work-life balance.
For example, allowing a team member to change their hours to 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. instead of the classic 9 to 5 may mean they can start attending that yoga or gym class they didn't have time for before. Or you may want to let an employee who's a parent work from 7 a.m. - 3 p.m. so they can pick up their kids from school and spend more time with them.
Likewise allowing employees to work from home, even if it's just once a week, can make a difference even with simple things like getting their household chores done. Whatever it is, offering flexibility can work wonders in giving your employees more time to do what they love and get everything they need to do in their personal lives done, while still getting the right number of work hours from them.
2) Give employees the tools to do their job
We all know what it's like to see the buffering symbol when we want to watch our favourite TV show. Imagine what it's like when you're simply trying to get your job done. If an employee doesn't have the right tools for their job, it's likely going to take them much longer to complete their daily tasks. Making sure all technology and devices are up to date and operate at top speed will mean employees can perform all the tasks they need to and still leave when they're supposed to.
3) Set time boundaries
All too often, employees sit at their desks for the full eight-hour day without any breaks.
You can also consider setting clear time boundaries. Unless someone has chosen to use flexi-hours, you can impose a rule that no emails are sent or no-one goes online after a certain time to try and encourage people to stay within the work hours they've set for themselves.
4) Encourage people to take breaks
All too often, employees sit at their desks for the full eight-hour day without any breaks. They have lunch at their desks, and only get up when it's time to go home. Far from getting more work done, this can actually have a negative impact on productivity, as employees don't ever get a chance to refresh their minds. Make sure you're encouraging your team members to take regular breaks to avoid tiredness - you can even make it compulsory for employees to leave their desks for lunch.
Likewise, it's important to make sure your employees are taking their annual leave. It can get to the stage where team members are hesitant to take holidays because they're fearful of the workload waiting for them when they return. However, time off is essential to prevent burnout and should therefore be encouraged.
Travel Incentive and Rewards Programs with Power2Motivate
You can encourage your employees to take a holiday and give them more motivation to work hard by offering a Travel Incentive and Reward Program with Power2Motivate. Show your employees you care about work-life balance and have them come back from their break feeling refreshed and ready for work. For more information, contact the team today or request a demo.