The last year saw a rapid digital transformation that has changed how companies function remotely. With many employees working from home, the conversation around work-life balance has grown and been discussed more in-depth. Work-life balance is more than just a phrase or company value – it needs to be planned out and implemented with more detail.
WORKPLACE SUPPORT
In any workplace, you need to make your employees feel supported. When an employee comes to you with a problem, an issue, or asking for help, it is crucial to listen and see if there is anything that you, as a company, can do to make them feel supported.
When we are working from home, options like flexible and remote working help the employee feel supported and contribute to a healthy work-life balance. It will also help them feel more entrusted with how they work. When offering the option to work from home, it is vital to support them entirely with remote working technology such as cloud storage and access, computers, and other relevant technological equipment.
There are many other ways to support your workplace employees. Some workplaces offer educational support to encourage their employees to continue learning. This could be in the form of financial support, sponsored workshops, or one-on-one training sessions. You could also consider offering tuition support to employees studying, or you could offer to pay for any certificate courses that employees may be interested in.
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY
Working from home has helped people achieve a sense of balance which they cannot easily forgo once things are fully open. Therefore, as a company, offering flexible solutions such as a hybrid working environment can help create a work-life balance. You can work out a plan where employees come in for several days and work from home for a set number of dates. In addition to this, focusing on productivity over the number of hours is also essential. This makes the employee feel more valued and work independently.
Workplace flexibility also includes the leadership's managing styles. For example, one employee may require more attention to their job tasks and duties, whereas another may work well independently. As an employer, leader, or manager, it is crucial to identify these different employees and adjust your managing style with these respective employees.
Another way to make your workplace more flexible and supportive is by offering flexible leave policies and flexible work-timings. Some employees may request to come in earlier and leave earlier due to personal commitments. This type of flexibility is welcome as it helps the employee feel more encouraged and supported.
VALUES ALIGNMENT
As a company, it is crucial for people working in the company to resonate with your brand's core values. This starts at the top of the company – the leaders and management. Leaders should ask themselves how they align with their values and what they are doing to exhibit them. They need to authentically resonate with these values as they set an example for the rest of the company.
Communicating these values is essential and done mainly by the Leaders through actions. To help your employees embody the company values, it is ideal for the company leaders to explain these values and help employees understand their role in the company's mission.
Finally, as the company continues to grow, take the time to evaluate and adapt your values regularly. This means making sure that the values are relevant to your company's vision. This helps employees feel more included and valued, creates good morale, and builds employee engagement. In turn, this encourages work-life balance and a positive work/company culture.
In summary, support and flexibility are crucial factors in any workplace. These can be offered through supportive actions such as remote working, flexible initiatives such as work-timings, and discussing company values to boost morale. Balance is a moving target. Your company needs to find ways to support both the professional and personal growth of your team members so they can feel empowered to meet their own needs.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.