9 Ways Managers and Leaders Can Encourage Work-Life Balance
Finding the balance between work and play can start individually, but needs the support of good management to be maintained.
Recently, we began a discussion about work-life balance with a blog post outlining strategies to achieve balance in daily life. The truth is, achieving this balance is possible, and it starts at the individual level, but management plays a crucial role in the well-being of their employees.
According to the Harvard Business Review, offering employees flexible hours or the ability to work from anywhere in the world, or even working fewer days a week, as with the 4-Day Week concept, does not guarantee work-life balance.
The pandemic has shown that some of these ideas may not be as positive as they seem. A survey conducted by business support company NordVPN Teams found that employees working from home in the UK, Austria, Canada, and the US have increased their screen time at work by over two hours a day since the pandemic began in 2020.
Additionally, as we previously discussed, logging longer hours does not necessarily lead to increased productivity, but can instead lead to burnout, anxiety, and depression. Furthermore, due to the "hustle culture," many workers with benefits such as paid leave and personal days are hesitant to use them, as it may be perceived as a lack of commitment and harm their careers.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE DOESN'T MEAN COOL OFFICES
It is important to note that good work-life balance policies do not necessarily involve fancy offices with gyms, comfy sofas, ping-pong tables, and endless food options.
Take Slack, for example, the giant tech company known for its collaboration platform. Their headquarters are plain and simple, with a motto of "work hard and go home." The idea is clear: people should go to the office to work, and when they are finished, they should go home and rest. They believe it is important for employees to have a place where they can focus on work, and leave on time to enjoy their free time as they wish.
Another example is Getaway, a start-up focused on renting well-thought small houses and cabins to help its customers disconnect their daily lives and recharge. The company was founded in 2015 and currently has over 150 employees - it also takes its core business seriously and has made vacations mandatory. Every year, employees must take 20 days off to rest and recharge, and the company reminds them before the end of the year if they haven't taken their vacations yet.
Another example is Vynamic, a healthcare consulting firm, which has implemented what they call a "zzzMail" policy, which discourages emails and text messages between 10 pm and 6 am on weekdays and all day on weekends. This policy has increased employee satisfaction to a 90% score, almost double the market average of 48%.
9 IDEAS FOR MANAGERS AND LEADERS ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE
With that in mind, what can leaders, and management in general, do to improve work-life balance? Let's take a look:
1. Lead by example
As a leader, if you want your employees to have a healthier, more balanced work-life, you must first set the example. This means taking the initiative and leading by example.
As a supervisor, you represent the organization to your team and have the power to encourage or discourage your employees from using their benefits and prioritizing their families and rest when necessary. The impact of a supervisor, according to the Harvard Business Review, is especially important among younger generations and workers who are just starting their careers.
2. Schedule shorter meetings
Instead of having hour-long meetings that pile up on each other, give your employees time for bathroom breaks, to restock on water, answer any urgent messages, and breathe before the next meeting. Studies show that our brains have to work even harder to focus on online meetings, and the best way to avoid fatigue is to have time to rest.
Also, it's notable that after the 45-minute mark, meetings tend to lose their effectiveness and become unproductive. So, have a clear goal for your meetings and remember to give your employees time to breathe and reset before the next one.
3. Avoid after-hours communication
Another negative legacy of the pandemic is the constant communication with teams outside work hours. Messaging, emailing, and, worst of all, waiting for a response have caused an increase in stress that leads to more work hours on the employee's side.
Setting the example is the best approach: if you need to confirm something with your team or ask for feedback on tasks you delegated, avoid texting them after 5 pm and schedule emails to be sent the next morning. Even if your employees have the flexibility to work, these constant reminders make them feel pressured to overachieve and respond immediately - even if you tell them not to.
4. Pay attention
The best strategy for work-life balance, whether individually or as a team leader, is paying attention to your employees. Arrange regular check-ins to understand what's on their plate, how they are managing their tasks, if they are feeling overwhelmed, or if there's anything you can do to make their workday better.
As a leader, it's your job to protect your employee's time and make sure they use it wisely while at work. Follow up on your arrangements and encourage conversations - being open will raise confidence and break barriers that would make someone avoid talking about how they actually feel and their difficulties at work.
5. Respect and implement break times
If you want yourself and your employees to have a better work-life balance, a great starting point is to avoid scheduling meetings or presentations during lunch hours, too early in the mornings, or too late in the afternoons. Remember: taking breaks is vital to better productivity, so allowing workers time and space to start working, having a proper lunch break, and signing off with ease are key.
It's also important to encourage breaks during the day, especially if your team works remotely most of the time - tell your employees to go on small walks after a long meeting, have a coffee break, or spend some time off their computers to relax.
6. Review your employee's calendars
Be mindful of the workload your employees have and the week ahead. If you notice a big project coming up or if you identify any issues upfront, try to come up with solutions to not overload your team and remember to try delegating tasks equally.
7. Encourage vacation time
Studies have shown that workers who take vacations return to work feeling more productive and focused. Research conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) in the US showed that 77% of supervisors saw a notable increase in productivity in team members who took their vacation time compared to those who did not.
8. Invest in employee health
One of the biggest problems workers face, especially when working from home, is the damage sitting for long periods can have on their bodies. An increase in back and neck pains (commonly referred to as "tech neck," the pain related to staring down at computer screens and smartphones) has been a common complaint in recent years.
Management can't force an employee to exercise and lead a healthy lifestyle, but they can support workers by making sure they have the best equipment to avoid health problems - ergonomic chairs, monitor supports, keyboards… Anything that makes their time working more comfortable.
9. Make follow-up surveys
Implementing the ideas we shared in this post won't mean much if you can't tell if they are working or not. For that, we also have a solution: surveys. Hold them anonymously and in secure platforms (such as Typeform), so people can answer bluntly and give an honest opinion about how your policies are working out.
Another great idea is having you, a manager, leader or CEO, publicly address common topics that appear on those surveys. For instance, once a month you can hold some sort of event or meeting to address those surveys and offer solutions - that also allows you to establish an open communication channel with higher levels of the company.
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