Creating a Culture That Promotes a Healthy Work-Life Balance
bcbsm
| 3 min read
Having employees who are committed to the health of your business is one of the greatest assets a company can have. But there is a flip side to watch out for: That strong work ethic and dedication may translate into early mornings, late nights and weekends spent in front of their laptops. This kind of always-on mentality can lead to a number of health issues, including fatigue, stroke and heart disease (not to mention chronic stress and burnout!). Unfortunately, this happens more often than you might think. According to a 2016 Office Team study, only 34 percent of full-time employees believe that their company is supportive of achieving work-life balance. As an employer, you have the power to create an environment that promotes a positive work-life balance for your employees. Start by following these tips:
- Promote healthy living through daily movement. Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and obesity are but a few of the benefits of normal physical activity. Inform your employees about the access they have to Blue365, a member discounts program offering access to discounted gym memberships. Additionally, make healthy activity a group effort by participating in our Win by Losing weight loss challenge during the year.
- Honor your employees’ paid time off. Encourage your employees to take every personal and vacation day they’ve been allotted. And make it a company-wide rule that paid time off should be experienced “off the grid,” with no emailing or calls expected. Use a shared calendar tool that shows everyone’s planned time off. This helps team members coordinate out-of-office days and ensures responsibilities will always be covered.
- Use after-hours communication sparingly. It may seem as if your best ideas come once the business day is over, but unless it’s a true emergency, wait until the next business day to communicate those ideas to the team. If it just can’t wait, use email (if it’s low urgency) or text message (for things with high importance) with discretion.
- Allow for workplace flexibility. The option to work remotely can be a huge convenience for employees who are dealing with health issues or caring for parents or other family members. In addition to letting employees work from home some days, you can also be less rigid with the times they work. These options include flextime (employees can choose their start and end time within certain parameters) and a compressed workweek (where employees work the required number of hours per week but can do so in more or less than the traditional five days).
- Observe employees’ well-being. Low morale and decreased productivity are just a few of the symptoms of employee burnout. If you’re observing these symptoms in your employees, this blog provides strategies to help reduce your employees stress and workloads.
For more tips on how to create a health and wellness-centered workplace, visit these blogs:
- How the Right Health Benefits Can Improve Your Business
- Providing Your Employees with Optimal Health Care Coverage
- Leaders Need Self-Care Too
Photo Credit: irinakeinanen
