5 Ways to Encourage Work Life Balance

With work life balance being the ideal employees strive for nowadays and burnout becoming a common problem at the office, employers will need to come up with ways to create a more flexible atmosphere for workers to thrive.

1. Flexible hours

Many companies who implement flexible hours at the workplace are reaping the benefits of productivity that come along with it.

Employees who feel their employers trust them are far more likely to perform and be motivated to excel at their work. Meanwhile, those forced to clock in and clock out regardless of extenuating circumstances are bound to be demotivated at some point by the lack of flexibility their jobs offer them.

Instead, give employees the freedom to live their lives outside of work, whether it’s family, their hobbies or a passion project. They’ll be more likely to stick around for the long term.

2. Childcare services

One of the main deterrents of women returning to work after having children is the fact that work  can keep them away from their children for extended hours. This isn’t always an option for new mothers who can’t afford helpers to look after their children.

Having childcare or day care services at the office gives new mothers at the office a huge incentive to stay with a company. It is a gesture by the company that women are valued and are given the opportunity to ease back into work more seamlessly.

3. Access to Exercise

Malaysians are some of the unhealthiest people in Southeast Asia. It’s a disturbing reality that our diabetes rates are the highest in the region, owing to our often sedentary lifestyles and poor diets.

As employers, not only should the health of employees be a major concern long term, but even productivity-wise, studies show that workers are more productive when they are intermittently mobile and active throughout the day.

Getting your employees active can be accomplished a few ways. One, would be organising a monthly, weekly or even daily fitness class. Yoga or a marathon run might be a leap for some of your employees, and while organising a class is a fun way to get colleagues to bond, it’s not always a sustainable option.

On the other hand, maybe your company can afford to offer them the flexibility to exercise as they choose, for example, through a gym membership where they can do exercises which they’re comfortable with or join classes they enjoy. That way, you’ll stand a much better chance of keeping them active and allow them to start enjoying it too.

4. Training and education at work

Work life balance is also about continuously learning in different areas of life. Nothing gets employees engaged and productive as much as the opportunity to learn and the motivation to keep improving themselves and honing their skills.

Training and education are a great way of offering your employee the opportunity for more professional growth and to develop an area or skill which may or may not be connected closely to their work.

It’s probably the best way to invest in your employees and is sure to make them feel appreciated. Training or education could be in anything, from technical skills such as SEO or graphic design, to more miscellaneous subjects such as personal finances and financial literacy.

5. Practice balance yourself

As an employer, you need to practice what you preach. Leading by example may not always be easy with a busy schedule and a company to run, but as an employer setting a good example for staff, it’s absolutely crucial.

If your colleagues are running a fitness class, you’ll need to be there. If there’s a gym membership you’re offering employees, you’ll need to be one of the first to give it a try. On the flip side, if you’re encouraging employees to leave the office earlier to see their families, you’ll need to start leaving at 6 P.M. more often as well.

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