National Work Life Week
The brainchild of the work-life balance charity Working Families, National Work Life Week is an excellent opportunity for employers to discuss well-being in the workplace and the significance of a healthy work-life balance for employees. On 11th–15th October 2021, employers have the chance to demonstrate to their employees and future applicants that their business holds important values and strives for a flexible work environment.
What is a Work Life Balance?
Very simply, a work-life balance is essentially the amount of time employees dedicate to work in comparison to other areas of their lives, whether it’s taking time for hobbies or most significantly, spending time with family. A healthy work-life balance is an important value for organisations to uphold. However, since the onset of the pandemic this value has become a significant challenge. Many employees have been working from home with childcare and other responsibilities waying heavily on their shoulders. According to research by Working Families, 65% of working parents worked flexibly before COVID-19, this has since risen to 84%. Out of the 1,000 working parents and carers that Working Families surveyed, 97% of them said they want their workplace to make long-term changes to their working patterns to allow them to work more flexibly going forward1. With the demand for flexible working on the rise, National Work Life Week is an annual campaign that aims to inspire employers to provide activities or events for employees and to showcase to prospective candidates their flexible working initiatives and procedures.
Ideas for Getting Involved with National Work Life Week
• Plan special events and activities – begin discussing the importance of a work-life balance in meetings and schedule in training for managers on how to work with flexible staff.
• Give employees guidance and support – show them how they can utilise the equipment and technology provided to encourage flexibility for their busy lifestyles, rather than using this as a method to undertake unscheduled, out-of-hours work.
• Provide excellent examples of employees working flexibly– whether they wish to pursue hobbies outside of work, are focusing on retirement or taking on care responsibilities, this is a brilliant opportunity to demonstrate how an organisation manages flexible working.
The Importance of a Work Life Balance for Employees
Employees need to maintain a healthy work-life balance for the safety of their health and well-being. As the amount of work begins to increase, employees become more at risk of feeling unhappy. A survey from the Mental Health Foundation found that 27% of employees felt depressed when working long hours, 34% felt anxious, 58% were irritable and 40% felt they were neglecting other aspects of their life for work2. It is important that employees take time away from work to enjoy being by themselves and with family. According to research, working longer than the standard nine-to-five can lead to a higher risk of heart disease. The extent of the risk increases by 67% for people who work long hours, according to Annals of Internal Medicine3.
Benefits of a Flexible Working Environment
Employers can maintain employee loyalty by encouraging employees to enjoy a healthy working routine. Plan social activities and events, training sessions and invite staff to touch base and communicate with their teams about their challenges. At Red Letter Days, we provide a range of gift experiences for hard-working employees. Recognise and reward them for their hard work and treat them to days out and activities they can enjoy away from the workplace, spending important time with friends and family. This will encourage a healthy working environment, allowing employees to feel motivated and inspired at work whilst also utilising flexible working to help them function around their own routine.