In today’s world of technology, it is vital that employees find a healthy balance between their work and personal lives. As an employer, it is your responsibility to make sure that your employees are happy and productive.
There are various work life balance initiatives companies are taking to make sure that your employees are working in a healthy environment, such as offering flexible work schedules, offering a non-traditional work schedule, providing telecommuting options, and offering benefits such as paid time off. By offering these types of work life balance initiatives, you will see greater productivity, less turnover, and happier employees.
Read ahead to explore examples of work life balance initiatives taken by top global companies
Travel stipends are critical in a competitive job market where salaries are stagnant, and they have become an expectation for employees. A lot of people dream of living a lifestyle full of travel and exploration, but they don't know how they can afford it. That's why companies like Evernote and Moz have come up with their own travel stipends. Top companies like these, have created a new model for rewarding their employees by offering travel stipends.
Evernote offers 1000 dollars as travel stipend along with unlimited PTO whereas Moz is going further and offering 2000 dollars with 21 plus vacation days and other great benefits.
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It's difficult to find a corporation that doesn't have some type of work from home policy.
Atlassian and Zapier are both companies that have an unlimited work from home policy. Both of these companies have been rated as one of the best places to work for years in a row, and both focus on being innovative and creative.
The benefits of this initiative is huge, research shows that 64% of Atlassians would not quit for better pay while 88% feel happy to show up for work every day.
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Webflow offers an educational support fund of $1000 as a learning stipend along with career coaching for employees. This plan will help employees stay up-to-date with the latest trends and learn the skills they need to progress in their career. The goal of this type of plan is to help your employees learn from more knowledgeable individuals and become better at their job.
This initiative not only helps employees with the bigger picture of achieving work-life balance but also makes them more loyal and engaged.
The growth of technology has given us the opportunity to change the way we work. Organizations like Salesforce and IBM are giving their employees opportunities to volunteer at different organizations in order to give back to society. This is a great way for employees to feel appreciated at their jobs.
It also provides an opportunity for employees who may be interested in volunteering but not have time on their own, as well as for organizations that need help with various projects. Employees who volunteer are more likely to be engaged in their work, which can lead to increased productivity and better customer service.
Volunteering has been shown to improve physical health by reducing stress levels, and combat feelings of depression or isolation that some people experience in their jobs. This is more than just a work life balance initiative, it allows employees to develop skills outside their normal work environment.
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It is important to have policies in place that allow employees to take the time they need. A common approach is offering unlimited vacation time. Another way to go about it is offering a set number of days but with no specified expiration date. This gives employees the flexibility to go when they need to.
Top companies like Linkedin and Netflix are offering unlimited paid off to improve employee’s work life balance. This not only makes employees happy but also productive and more loyal to their companies.
Linkedin said that policy helps their employees bring their best self to work while allowing them to meet their personal needs. Apart from this Linkedin also offers parental leave and Week-long paid shutdown.
The first step would be to conduct a needs assessment to identify which areas might need improvement. This can be done through a survey that asks employees about the difficulty of their workload, how often they feel overloaded, and how much flexibility they need to do their jobs.
You can also look at turnover rates, sick days, and staff complaints to identify problem areas. Once you have identified areas that might need improvement, you can work on creating initiatives to address them.
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Conclusion
These examples of work-life balance initiatives help employees find a healthy balance between their professional and personal lives. However, as with most things in life, it’s important how both employees and employers approach and implement these work life balance initiative programs. While they will benefit employees in many ways, they are also meant to help companies in a variety of ways, such as improving employee retention, reducing turnover, increasing productivity, and reducing stress. They also help generate a positive public perception of your company as an employer of choice.
This guide is just to help HR leaders get inspired and find the right initiatives to implement in your company that can lead to a happier, more productive and loyal workforce.
