Employers often state that work-life balance is part of their company culture, but it can be challenging to consistently reinforce. Making it clear to every team member that their whole health matters can help them feel supported and appreciated, empowering them to thrive in the workplace and beyond. Positive work-life balance contributes to job satisfaction, talent retention, and employee productivity, making it a win-win for both people and businesses.
By focusing on three key drivers of work-life balance and incorporating them into your employee benefits, you can help increase their job satisfaction, as well as impact your organization’s short- and long-term successes.
1. Gather Employee Feedback To Drive Meaningful Actions
Whether through company-wide events or as part of individual one-on-one sessions, actively listening and hearing what employees need to achieve work-life balance is the first step to offering support. Improving employee engagement is a priority for the most successful organizations, as it can lead to significantly less absenteeism and turnover, and higher productivity and sales. Reduced mental health is also correlated to lower workplace engagement, suggesting there may be a connection.
Help make sure employees feel heard by following these practices to promote engagement:
- Regularly ask employees for input through group discussions, meetings, and town halls, while having leaders promote open discussions.
- Deploy company-wide surveys and encourage responses through participation incentives or entry into a prize raffle.
- Set clear expectations for employee productivity and performance, making sure to ask how the business can improve its support systems.
- Find meaningful ways to celebrate employees and teams for their work accomplishments.
- Create opportunities for employees to connect and cultivate mutual trust and respect.
- Support diverse and inclusive employee benefits to fuel health equity and career development.
2. Highlight Ways To Prevent Burnout
A recent survey found that more than 50% of managers feel burned out. The American Psychological Association says workplace burnout can increase absenteeism by over 50%, raise the risk of chronic physical and mental illness, and impair the cognitive processes needed for daily work activities.
In the short term, burnout can lead to less innovation and more errors; in the long term, this can hurt the business’ bottom line through lower productivity and higher turnover.
Employers can use workplace culture and benefits to help get ahead of burnout:
- Encourage employees to use your Employee Assistance Program (EAP) benefits — including counseling and other behavioral health solutions.
- Provide well-being programs to help employees prioritize self-care and preventive care.
- Protect employees’ work-life balance by encouraging them to step away from their work during off-hours, especially if your company works remotely. Check in to make sure employees are actively planning their vacation and paid time off — and make sure they feel comfortable doing so.
- Empower leadership to award time off to high performers to ensure they balance their hard work with time to recharge. Consider instituting half-days or four-day work weeks to demonstrate dedication to employee work-life balance.
- Be mindful of how your leadership handles mistakes. Everyone is human and therefore imperfect; a healthy work culture has tolerance for some errors. If employees feel supported even when they misstep, they’re less likely to burn out due to hypervigilance and perfectionism.
3. Discuss The Value Of Whole-Person Care
More than 80% of workers surveyed noted that mental health support will be a core concern as they select future employers. Behavioral health is only one facet of whole-person care, alongside physical, financial, and social support. Today’s workforce is more savvy than ever in taking care of their own health, favoring employers who positively reinforce individual efforts to prioritize health and well-being.
- Encourage employees to find similarities and build meaningful relationships with their colleagues. For example, business-led resource groups or mentorship networks can help empower teams through social connections.
- Give employees what they need to feel comfortable seeking regular medical care and attending their appointments. Reinforce the need to take time for appointments separately from vacation time and normalize seeing care providers during the workday. Emphasize virtual care as a way of maximizing convenience and comfort.
- Highlight your health and wellness offerings to keep them top-of-mind for employees. Keep an eye out for opportunities to note programs that might be less visible, such as aspects of your EAP that can help them deal with day-to-day stressors, like resources to help find childcare or senior care.
Positive culture includes supporting work-life balance to enhance employee productivity, while also keeping top performers engaged. Employers can use benefits like an EAP along with compelling messaging and open dialogue to help their teams feel comfortable embracing whole-health care.
In today’s job market, it’s not just about salaries and 401(k) plans: employers compete to attract talent based on the benefits they offer and the workplace culture they foster. A strong commitment to employee health and well-being is key to creating a positive work environment and offering the best support for any challenges they may face. By doing so, your teams can access simpler, more effective, and more affordable ways to improve their quality of life and work performance — and ultimately support your business’ long-term goals.