Getting a healthy work-life balance has been proven to benefit productivity. As working from home became commonplace during the pandemic, it’s become more important than ever to provide a good work-life balance at your workplace. Finding and hiring people in the current jobs market is difficult, so it's imperative that you have set working hours that provide better balance. This blog looks at how employers can get the work-life balance right.
Managing work-life balance
As an employer, you want to make sure your team are motivated to do their jobs well.
With the rise in hybrid and remote working, people’s work-life balance has dramatically changed. For some being at home more has made it easier to do more of what you love, but for others it has made it more difficult to switch off at the end of the day.
It’s safe to say that remote and hybrid working has created its own set of challenges for employers to tackle when it comes to employer responsibilities.
As an employer, you need to make sure that work-life balance forms a core part of company values to ensure employees are both happy and productive.
By showing employees that you value their time off as much as their time in the office, you can boost motivation and productivity. When employees then return to work, they’re refreshed and ready to go.
How can a poor work-life balance impact your employee’s mental health and personal life?
Employers who have a poor work-life balance structure can affect not just the mental and physical health of employees, but also their personal life too.
The always-on nature of the digital age means that it can be hard to put work aside after the working day has finished, leaving employees vulnerable to burnout. Remote and hybrid working have blurred the lines further between work and home life, creating opportunities but also challenges for employers around the world.
Not only can a poor work-life balance impact people’s health, but it can also be detrimental to their productivity and performance. Sometimes, it leads to increased absenteeism or presenteeism, both of which can harm your business.
Work-life balance benefits for employers
There are many benefits for employers who put work-life balance front and centre of their employment policies.
- Employees who are more engaged, committed and loyal to their employer.
- Improved mental health, which allows employees to make more informed decisions, and come up with innovative and creative ideas.
- Increased productivity as employees feel they have more ownership and control over their work, making them more motivated.
- Prospective employees will see you as an employer that cares about people in the business, helping to attract top talent.
- Your business could become more profitable if you prioritise having a work-life balance thanks to a motivated workforce.
Work-life balance tips for employers
If you are an employer that could benefit from providing a better balance, making even small changes can have a hugely positive impact on your employees.
Of course, the key to success is striking a balance, any changes must take business needs into account. Here are some of our top tips for providing a better work-life balance:
- Speak to employees about how the current balance affects them - this will help identify any obvious opportunities to improve.
- Encouraging employees to take breaks away from the screen - that could involve introducing or improving break areas.
- Make sure you give your employees adequate time off so that they don’t burnout, and encourage them to take time off rather than carrying over holiday.
- Regularly review employee workloads to check they are manageable and enable employees to do their job to the best of their ability.
- Think about the introduction of volunteer days where employees can take a day’s extra leave if they spend it volunteering.
- Introduce wellness breaks or time off and encourage employees to spend it doing something they enjoy.
- Periodically allow employees to finish early.
- Be flexible on working hours (times when staff can start and finish).
Keeping your business at the forefront of these trends helps you not only attract top talent but helps you retain a happy, healthy and productive workforce.
Develop future-ready talent
Last updated: June 2026