Helping Employees Maintain Balance
We all have multiple roles in life. We might be workers, partners, family members, friends, community leaders, or have other roles. Having multiple roles is enriching and fulfilling, but conflicting responsibilities can lead to overload.
As a supervisor, you can foster a work environment with positive balance, where employees are supported to manage the demands of personal life, family, and work. Good balance in the workplace benefits both employer and employees.
Ways you can help:
- Encourage employees to take their breaks. This includes lunch, vacation, sick leave, paid time off, parental leave etc. Demonstrate this by taking your breaks as well.
- Overtime should be an exception rather than the norm. Monitor overtime and seek feedback from your employees. Ensure that work plans are realistic and sustainable. Model healthy balance in your own work hours.
- Support shift-based employees. Give people choice in shifts, aim to keep employees’ shifts consistent, and provide advance notice of changes.
- Provide flexible work arrangements when possible such as working from home or modified work hours.
- Provide opportunities for employees to learn ways to balance work-life demands. Encourage use of available resources such as Employee Assistance Programs, learning sessions on resiliency and coping skills, childcare and eldercare services.
Resources:
- Work/Life Balance | Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety
- Balance (video) | My Workplace Health
- Evidence-based actions for balance | Workplace Strategies for Mental Health
- Putting balance on the agenda | Workplace Strategies for Mental Health