Despite the buzzy nature of this phrase, the concept of a healthy work-life balance really does matter. It helps everyone in your company, including you, feel more focused at work and more present while off the clock, without worrying that you (or your employees) should be working. 

Work-life balance is a simple concept that can be hard to internalize after generations of believing we need to be “on” all the time to be committed to the job. From management down to a new hire, having boundaries around your time is a healthy thing that allows everyone to be where they are, in the moment, doing exactly what they need to be doing. 

Here’s how to establish a work-life balance that will benefit your whole company. 

• Working hours are held, no exceptions. Whatever your business hours of operation are, they start at the beginning and go to the end. There might be the occasional need for an earlier meeting, or a later conference call, but keep your posted business hours. Don’t expect your team to work beyond them on a regular basis or they’ll get resentful, especially if additional compensation is not offered. 

• Outside of emergencies, no one is on call. Our mobile phones are at once our best friend and a huge liability. We can be reached anytime, anywhere — which means the expectation that we can be reached and asked questions about work eroded away at time away from work. We’ve been conditioned to see something pop into our inbox and feel we have to reply right away. Unless your company is one that has on-call shifts, or requires someone to be able to rush in and fix something at a moment’s notice in a true emergency, make it clear to your employees that once the work day ends, nothing is needed and no one needs to reply until the next morning. 

• Lead by example. The best way to show your employees that you mean business is to hold yourself to the same standard you want them to accept. Don’t respond to emails, texts or calls after your work day is completed. Set up automatic replies stating you’ll get back to someone the next morning if they reach you after business hours. Your team might need to learn to trust that you mean it when you say you’re working to promote work-life balance — they might think it will reflect poorly on them to not jump on that email or text. But if they see you can put things on hold in order to be present in your non-work life, they’ll begin to take it to heart. 

• Talk about the health benefits of disconnecting. We spend so much time staring at screens, a practice that can negatively affect our health from our posture to our eyesight. Worrying about work after the day ends can increase stress at home, loss of sleep, poor diet, lack of exercise, the list goes on. Some people feel so tied to their desks they don’t drink enough water, leading to dehydration and other health problems! As you implement more programs and steps to promote a better work-life balance, provide your employees with information showing the benefits of separating the portions of your life. Decreased stress improves health overall! Being present and in the moment with your loved ones without worrying about some work project makes everyone feel better, happier and it’s the best way to catch those precious memories in fleeting moments. 

• Use PTO and encourage your employees to use theirs too. Paid time off is a perk of the job. It’s something you and your employees have earned; it’s part of their compensation package and is there to be utilized. Managers and those in higher positions within a company often feel they cannot disconnect from work while on vacation or away from the office; this is a passive notification to your team that they, too, must be reachable when they’re not working. This is a bad pattern and leads to stress, burnout and health problems! When you’re off and away, leave your phone behind (unless it’s your personal phone and you’re taking photos). Make it clear to employees you will not be reachable during vacation and you expect the same for and from them when they’re on vacation — and encourage them to take their time. Recharging is important! 

There will always be exceptions to this. Life is such that things pop up from time to time and put a damper on the fun we want to have. But make that the exception more than the rule. Make sure your team leads and managers are upholding your focus on improving work-life balance and that your employees know they can take this to heart. 

If you’re looking to add employees to your team to help defray some of the stress of having too much work to do and not enough people to do it, call Davis Staffing. We have great candidates looking to help and they can get to work right away! Our recruiters would be happy to introduce you. Call Davis Staffing today and let’s get started.