Support employee work-life balance

By applying the following tips, employers can foster happier, more energised employees who are better able to focus, contribute, and stay loyal, benefiting both staff wellbeing and business success.

Tips to encourage a healthy work-life balance for your staff

Here are seven practical steps employers can take to develop a workplace that encourages a healthy work-life balance for all their employees.

1. Develop an inclusive workplace culture

Create a culture that respects diversity and values employees as whole individuals. When employees feel safe and supported in discussing their life outside work, including family commitments and personal interests, employers can better tailor support to their needs. Inclusive workplaces foster stronger engagement and wellbeing. See diversity, equality, and inclusion in the workplace.

2. Set realistic, clear goals using SMART criteria

Ensure staff know their targets and support them to achieve these. Set goals using the SMART system that makes targets specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based. Review employee performance regularly, including discussions to address potential problems, if they exist, so they can be dealt with early. See agreeing performance objectives with staff.

3. Maintain open and regular communication

Encourage ongoing conversations between your employees and managers to discuss progress, workloads, and challenges. This open dialogue helps identify stress or work-like conflicts early and allows timely adjustments and support. Provide time management training to staff to help improve efficiency and reduce overload. See engaging with staff.

4. Offer flexible working options

Flexible working arrangements such as remote working, hybrid schedules, flexi-time, job sharing, and part-time roles, empower staff to balance personal and professional demands. Flexibility improves autonomy, trust, and productivity and is a top factor for employee satisfaction and retention.

5. Promote and protect holidays

Encourage staff to take their full annual leave allocation. Instruct staff to disconnect from work when on leave by ensuring they don’t bring work phones or laptops on holiday. Employers can set a good example to their staff by taking their total allocation of holidays each year and assigning someone to manage things when they are on leave. See know how much holiday to give your staff.

6. Encourage regular breaks and physical activity

Support staff in taking short, frequent breaks, especially if jobs involve long periods of sitting. Integrating light exercise or movement improves mental clarity and reduces fatigue, enhancing daily productivity. Regular breaks and physical activity during the working day help sustain energy and focus. See hours, rest breaks and the working week

7. Make work enjoyable

Work is a major part of daily life, so making the workplace enjoyable boosts morale and lowers stress. Encourage employee feedback on improvements, facilitate team connections through projects, and organise social or wellbeing events such as health talks or charity fundraisers. See staff feedback, ideas, and forums.

For further details, see create a healthy work-life balance.