Many employers have been feeling the pinch of the great resignation. If you haven’t lost people yet, you’re obviously doing something right. To keep the best folks with the skills you need on your payroll, it may be time to add options for them to use to live a healthier life.
Promote a Logical Schedule
Very few offices are just 8 to 5 these days. You may have employees who are struggling to pay for latchkey for their children. Can you change things up for them? For example, could they start their workday earlier and wrap up their day in time to get their children picked up at the end of the school day?
This type of flexibility can do a lot to increase employee loyalty. It demonstrates that you respect the challenges that they face in life and that you are willing to make changes to make their lives easier.
Work from Home Options
The ability to work from home can make life easier for many employees. However, it’s critical that you not allow the work from home option to turn into the “work all the time” option. The ability to answer emails away from the office should be available, but it should also be easy for the employee to turn off.
Be ready to shut down the work from home option if employees find it excessive. Consider setting up “quiet times” when employees can be free of email and other interruptions. Not everything is an emergency and many things can be wrapped up the next day.
Take Mental Health Days
A mental health day is just that. It’s a time to shed the stress of your work life, take care of personal necessities, and simply relax. If you can’t allow yourself to take a mental health day, your employees will not feel comfortable doing so.
Bump up your offerings for coding time off. For example, you might want to create a floating holiday or two that employees can use when necessary. It can be for a birthday, a child’s field trip, or just a stress-buster.
Allow Time for Movement
Many gyms were shut down due to recent world events. If your employees are struggling to rebuild a healthy workout routine, you may be able to offer them a customized program with the help of an online corporate wellness program.
Time away from the office can be a terrific way to reduce stress. A healthy workout, tailored to the schedules of your employees, can also put them in a better frame of mind at the start of the day. Keeping your employees healthy and happy at home is an ideal way to avoid losing people during the great resignation and for years to come.
Encourage a Sun Break
Busy workers may not appreciate the disruption of a stress break in the sun, but make it available to anyone who needs and be sure you mirror this behavior. Get outside for 5 minutes. Stretch in the sunshine or walk around the block your building sits on. Get a cooler and load it with water bottles to encourage hydration as well.
Not everyone can do this every day, but promoting these types of breaks can greatly lessen the tendency to suffer from stress headaches in the afternoon or an over-abundance of caffeine late in the day. Caffeinated employees may be more alert, but they can also be edgy and may become irritable, which can bleed into unhappy home life.
Food Considerations
It can be tempting to bring in donuts when folks need a lift. However, donuts are not always the healthiest choice and may leave some folks out. Instead, set up a breakfast buffet with
- yogurt
- granola
- fresh fruit
- muffins or bagels
This way, employees can grab a small bite of something healthy instead of a compensatory sliver of something that will leave them feeling tired.
The concept of “work-life balance” must change. Work minus life is in no way balanced. There will be times when you will need to ask your employees for more of their time than feels fair. Being able to give back, both in terms of time and by promoting healthy choices, will enable you to be a better leader and keep great people on your team.
