Overworked Britons wasted 163 million annual leave days in 2016, because many employees require holiday money to simply make ends meet.
This type of behaviour leads to a worsening of work/life balance in the workplace. Employees feel tired and want to take time off, but also know the importance of making money for their family.
It’s up to you to ensure your employees are healthy and happy. One way to do this is to encourage them to take more time off to do fun activities and be with their families. There are many reasons why this helps your company thrive. See why it’s important for your employees to have a work/life balance.
Health
The most important side effect of being overworked is that your employee’s health suffers. This is both in a mental and physical sense. In fact, 5.8 million UK workers have gone into work when feeling mentally unwell. This causes them to start making more mistakes and letting important work issues slide. Many worry about taking time off for mental health reasons and how they’ll be perceived in the workplace. It’s your job to make it a welcoming environment that understands mental health issues. The more adaptable you are to your employee’s needs, the better off the entire company will be.
Productivity
A major repercussion of tired and overworked employees is that they’re less productive. This means your business will slow and not as much work will get done in the same amount of time as before. Considerable evidence shows that overworking is not okay. It hurts employees and the companies they work for. Staff who are tired can’t work as quickly or as efficiently when they’re worn out. When someone’s feeling sluggish, their output isn’t as impressive, and everyone suffers together. Your employees need to have balance, so they’re able to operate at maximum capacity. It’s ultimately the employer’s role to ensure a healthy and productive workforce.
Flexibility
Having a flexible schedule is like gold to any employee. It’s important for your employees to have work/life balance because they need time off to do activities that better themselves and help them relax. Time off work is a great opportunity to start a new hobby like cooking or playing or watching sports. For example, if you allow your employees to take a 15 minute break in the afternoon, they can participate in less rigid activities such checking their favourite sports betting odds. Online betting sites like Betway make it easy to engage in the activity, and after the break, your employees will feel refreshed and more productive. Watch their efficiencies soar!
Family Life
Family life is important for your employees. They care about spending time with those they love. This is one area you shouldn’t take away from them if you want happy and healthy employees. If you don’t adhere to their needs, it’s possible your employee’s personal problems will start to affect their work. Work/life balance helps keep issues in their appropriate places like at home versus at the office. Your staff members need that time with their families to unwind and bond together. They’ll show up to work in a much better place if you help foster an environment that encourages them to spend time with their children and spouses.
Manage Stress
Balancing home life and work also helps employees manage their stress better. There are more opportunities to practice stress management techniques like working out and meditating. Working too much leads to a bad amount of stress and worry. Help your employees avoid this problem by offering perks and benefits that inspire a healthy lifestyle. Stress plays a major role in poor performance at work and keeps employees from reaching their full potential.
Conclusion
Never underestimate the power of giving your employees enough time to attend to their personal needs. They work harder and are more productive when you give them the freedom to live their life fully. Be the catalyst that causes them to care about their work and attend to their private matters. This is why it’s important for your employees to have a work/life balance.
