What Is Work-Life Balance?
Work-life balance describes a balanced relationship between professional requirements and private needs. A healthy and balanced interaction between the different areas of life is to be aimed at here. To a large extent the expression Work Life balance contains the same range of topics as the compatibility of family and occupation.
The balance between the vocational and the private life is a challenge in our society. Constant accessibility brings work into the home and makes it difficult to separate work and private life. The goal is to bring private interests and needs into healthy harmony with the demands at work.
Work-Life Balance in the Company
Managers should make sure that employees find a balance between their private lives and their commitment at work. Management acts as a role model in this regard and is also legally obligated to ensure a healthy work atmosphere. However, a leadership role doesn’t exempt managers and supervisors from feeling the stress or time pressure from the weight of their responsibilities. Care must be taken to create a positive balance between work and private life.
There are no standardized methods for determining individual work-life balance. The level of satisfaction with one’s own work-life balance depends on factors of mental stress at the workplace and the balance in private life. The respective areas and their weighting depend on individual wishes and needs.
Company Health Promotion
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, the company has a duty of care towards its employees. Occupational health and safety regarding health promotion focus on versatile measures that can be taken.
What Is a Good Work-Life Balance?
If employees are seen and respected in their individual abilities and wishes, loyalty, trust and motivation on the part of the employees can arise on this basis. This starting point strengthens among other things the working relationship and provides for work satisfaction and performance improvement of the employees. Satisfied staff also tends to bind long-term to a company, which in turn strengthens the team spirit through low turnover.
Measures to promote work-life balance in the company:
- Flexible working hours and working models (eg. Home Office)
- Health management in the company
- Recreation programs
- Offers for healthy eating
- Internal childcare
- Company-sponsored sports
- Free time design options in the office
- Prevention of mental stress at the workplace
What Benefits Does an Improvement in Work-Life Balance Bring to a Company?
Visible conditions and benefits regarding work-life balance contribute to the attractiveness of a company. Accordingly, the well-being of employees can represent a competitive advantage in the labor market. Often the advantages are reflected as follows:
- Balanced employees
- Higher motivation at work
- Fewer absences due to illness
- Low turnover due to high employee satisfaction
- A pleasant working atmosphere & genuine team spirit
- Increased performance, increased productivity and more creativity