The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.
When workers have work/life balance, they are more productive, take fewer sick days and are more likely to stay in their jobs. No work/life balance? Higher stress levels, more chance of burnout, and more likely to get sick, according to the Mayo Clinic.
On average, employed U.S. adults spend more than half their waking lives working or engaging in work related activities. Research shows 28% of workers say work/life balance is the most important of all benefits and 48% of people would leave a job if it prevented them from enjoying their life.
Not every workplace will be able to provide the options listed in this article. Some jobs will always be on site and some positions will always be on call. But there are ways you can help your employees, co-workers, and team members even out the teeter totter of work/life balance.
Acknowledge life’s challenges. Create a workplace culture that normalizes real life experiences for employees. Whether they are dealing with a chronic health condition, anxiety, or a death in the family, employees should feel comfortable letting their manager (and teammates) know about an outside stressor.
Realize each employee has different needs. Of course, an employee with a sick child needs to stay home, but what if a beloved pet falls ill or an elderly parent is in a crisis situation? Caregiving takes many forms, and it is important to recognize the value of other roles when considering work/life balance.
Evaluate the workplace. Is staffing adequate? Is administrative work evenly distributed? Do front-line workers need recovery time after a stressful situation? Work within budgetary restraints to find options.
Train the team. Everyone, not just managers, should be able to recognize the signs of stress, burnout, or trauma. Another training idea: injury prevention education to help employees avoid back and repetitive motion injuries that might occur on the job.
Take care of yourself, too. Many workplaces have an employee assistance program that offers support to both employees and managers. Review and use the options for counseling, crisis support, and manager trainings.
Did You Know?
Many of the most stressful jobs are, you guessed it, in the public sector.
- Firefighters and police officers have direct life or death responsibility. The combination of high physical danger and split-second decision making creates a high-pressure job. (Forbes)
- Teachers take a lot of work home — planning classes, grading papers, and worries about students. It’s also a lower paying occupation, adding to stress levels. (ABCNews)
- Town workers have physically demanding work environments with a higher possibility of workplace injury and illness rates. (National Safety Council)