Five Ways to Promote Work-Life Balance
Photo by Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash
The impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had lingering impacts on everyone’s lives. For one, remote working has blurred the distinction between work and personal life, with individuals taking fewer breaks and working longer hours.
With 62% of employees in Singapore admitting that they suffer from burnout, employers must step up and deploy work practices to create a happy and productive workplace. We have identified five simple, actionable ways to help companies promote work-life balance.
Encourage employees to take their annual leave. Remind employees to block their calendars (a study shows that employees who take their annual leaves are 40% more productive) and clear unused leave days for a deserving treat!
Teach your employees time management. Stress can gain on individuals as it builds continuously with a growing list of work. Educate and implement prioritising strategies to help employees make the most of their workday, plan according to future deadlines and log off when needed. Check out some helpful tips on time management from our team here.
Set a strict “No Work Outside Work Hours” policy. The capacity for problem-solving and innovative thinking takes a rapid dive if it is all work and no play. Set clear boundaries as part of your company’s culture for employees to adopt, e.g. discourage employees from sending emails and chat messages after office hours.
Help employees plan quick breaks during the day. Breaks are essential for staying healthy, creative and productive at work. Lead by example and discuss the benefits of breaks to employees and encourage them to disconnect from their work to support themselves. Providing healthy snacks in the pantry or a properly furnished breakroom can be a good start to promote more microbreaks.
Practice self-compassion. Self-compassion emphasises continuous improvement and personal growth, and it starts with taming our inner critic when we face a bump in the road. Making mistakes at work can cause anxiety, and the pressure of not making mistakes leads to burnout and emotional exhaustion. Turn mistakes into opportunities for learning and greater shared success as a team!
