Achieving work-life balance: Strategies for employee wellbeing & company success

It may feel like the concept of work-life balance has been trending the last decade or so. Still, we could argue that it started during the Industrial Revolution when labour movements started campaigning for "eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest", led by Welsh reformer Robert Owen.

Obviously, and thankfully, things have evolved a lot since then. From the late 1990s onwards, the rise of the internet, increased technological connectivity, and the COVID crisis have progressively blurred the lines between work and personal life, making work-life balance advocacy not only about working hours but also about flexibility, boundaries, resources, and support. Indeed, it is now recognized that thriving personally also helps individuals thrive professionally.

In this piece, we will explore the importance of work-life balance with a realistic approach, understand the unique challenges faced by today's workforce, and share tips and action steps for both employers and employees.

The Importance of Work-Life Balance

Work-life balance means finding a way to be fulfilled at work and in your private life without feeling like you are failing at one to succeed in the other. It is a delicate balance to strike, and it is not uncommon for all of us to falter at times.

Indeed, before we dive in, it is essential to acknowledge that work-life balance isn't static; it is not something you achieve once and never think about again. The notion of balance can also seem impossible in some high-pressure fields or industries glorifying the "hustle culture".

There is no universal formula for work-life balance. Each employee has to find what works for them with the support of their leadership.

Ultimately, a good work-life balance isn't always about working less, but about working smarter to ensure everyone can thrive in their careers without sacrificing their health or personal lives.

In fact, while a lack of work-life balance could technically mean dedicating more time to our personal life at the expense of our career, it is usually the other way around. The overwhelming reason we search for work-life balance is that work often seems to seep into every little crack. It can insidiously consume our free time, hobbies, and family time.

This directly impacts both mental and physical health, as well as the overall wellbeing of individuals, teams and companies. Indeed, employees with poor work-life balance will have lower mental health, which can lead to higher turnover, lower productivity, and increased health costs for businesses. Whether they are a full-time in-office employee or a remote freelance staff, blurring personal and professional time leads to:

• Stress: When work consistently intrudes on personal time, stress levels rise significantly. Constant connectivity, long hours, and the inability to "switch off" lead to chronic stress, which can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, exhaustion, and weaken the immune system.
• Anxiety: An imbalanced work and personal life often creates persistent worry and unease. Research shows that when demands spill over from work to home, anxiety levels climb. People may ruminate about unfinished tasks or impending deadlines even during leisure time, which further hinders psychological recovery and intensifies feelings of apprehension or dread.
• Guilt: Poor work-life boundaries can trigger powerful feelings of guilt—whether it's "work guilt" from feeling unproductive or guilt about neglecting family and personal needs. This kind of guilt becomes a self-defeating cycle, increasing self-criticism, undermining self-esteem, and driving unhealthy perfectionism. It often arises from unrealistic expectations, like trying to be the ideal employee, parent, or friend all at once. The constant inner conflict between work demands and personal values leads to emotional strain and lower satisfaction with both job and life.
• Burnout: Burnout is the ultimate consequence of prolonged work-life imbalance. It's characterized by emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, cynicism, and a sense of diminished accomplishment. High workloads, lack of downtime, and chronic stress quickly erode motivation and energy, resulting in detachment from work, memory lapses, irritability, and even depression. Burnout doesn't just affect job performance—it impacts every aspect of wellbeing. It can take a considerable amount of time to recover from.

How To Find Balance and How to Keep It

Tips for Employees: Setting Boundaries

Some of the most important, yet at times also challenging, steps toward achieving a healthy work-life balance for employees are learning to:

• Set clear working hours. Agree with your supervisor from the start on your working hours and discuss what is expected from you beyond that in terms of overtime for example.
• Communicate honestly with your team when you feel things are getting stressful.
• Take regular breaks throughout your day and year, without waiting for things to become overwhelming.
• Utilise the resources provided by your employer, such as workshops, training sessions, and online tools, to help you organize yourself, manage your time effectively, and seek assistance when needed.

However, these can only be established properly if the employees are in a safe environment with a healthy company culture. That is why work-life balance is not solely the responsibility of the employee.

How Companies Can Promote Work-Life Balance

Promoting work-life balance is a key aspect of building a thriving company culture. It means:

• Empowering your employees to recognize their own boundaries and share them with colleagues and managers. This can be achieved through team-building and workshop sessions.
• Pay attention to signals of overwork and stress. Train yourself and your managers to recognize those.
• Communicate on existing resources and ask what else is needed through regular check-ins and surveys.
• Help set routines and breaks. That can be done by instituting weekly "coffee breaks", team lunches or "no meeting Fridays".
• Encourage employees to utilize their vacation days fully. Have HR send out reminders to employees who haven't taken proper breaks yet this year.
• Promote flexible policies when possible for workdays and remote work options.
• Have strict policies about not reaching out to colleagues after office hours.
• Lead by example. As a manager, ensure you take breaks and refrain from emailing after hours to demonstrate to your team that setting healthy boundaries is essential.
• Create a safe culture that fosters dialogue, feedback, and open communication, where employees feel comfortable asking for help when things become overwhelming and where managers are trained to know how to respond in such situations.

Accepting That Balance is Ever Flowing

Once you've reached a balance that works for you, it can be frustrating when it shifts again: a new project is launched, your children's daycare closes unexpectedly... and you quickly feel back to the drawing board again. Like all life changes, it is about accepting. Recognize that your situation and circumstances will evolve due to many factors that are often beyond your control.

• Reassess your needs regularly - check in with yourself. What used to work may no longer be effective.
• Communicate - discuss with your family, friends, coworkers, and leadership the need to adjust some commitments or schedules.
• Let go of guilt: Embrace self-compassion, allow for a period of deep work, and be fully present with your loved ones afterwards.
• It's a process, and we are all going through it. Embrace flexibility and acknowledge that you are going through seasons of varying intensity.

Finding a work-life balance is all about striking a balance between the needs and responsibilities of companies and those of their employees. Both parties need to work hand in hand to achieve increased wellbeing, productivity, and retention.