Promoting healthy worklife balance (cont.)
Introducing work-life balance solutions
Introducing work-life balance solutions can have a dramatic impact on individuals’ working style and support needs, and also change the dynamics of teams. Selecting the approaches that meet the needs of people in your organisation, and introducing them appropriately are key. The following guidelines aim to ensure that solutions are appropriate, justified, and help ensure they are accepted across the organisation.
1) Understand existing attitudes to work-life balance
Attitudes and support – particularly amongst line managers - will strongly influence eventual success. Identify views on flexible working and possible objections and test to see if they are sound or based on myths.
2) Consult with employees
Any work-life balance intervention will only work if it is genuinely matched to employees’ needs – identified from team feedback, surveys, focus groups or interviews. Once assessed and potential solutions have been developed, communication is key: for example, employees must understand flexible working legislation, know how to apply for flexible working and understand why some applications might be refused. Early consultation on any change is essential so that employees remain engaged and continue to trust the motives behind any changes.
3) Establish work-life balance as part of the business objectives
Communicate the range of benefits by showing how work-life balance offers a means of better balancing work, life and family while complementing health and wellbeing and enhancing the range of skills available. Managers are more likely to be negative or nervous about flexible working if they have not considered how it will actually impact on their team’s work, so encourage them to analyse roles to explore the scope for flexibility.
4) Explore flexible working issues at individual level
Ensure managers are trained to approach each case with a focus on individual needs and the specific role concerned. They need to apply the organisation’s strategy fairly and consistently, but also consider – in discussion with the employee - the impact of a job change on the department, the role, the financial situation as well as the impact on the individual’s home life.
5) Ensure managers apply work-life balance skills
Managing staff on flexible work schedules requires skills of counselling, decision-making, evaluating, mentoring and communication. It requires managers to focus on outputs and to think of jobs in terms of roles, performance and tasks, rather than time spent in the workplace, and requires trust.
6) Manage concerns of other staff and build ongoing support
Further resistance may occur from those not applying for flexible working. Managers plan and review the impact of team members’ flexible working to ensure colleagues are not disadvantaged. They also need to communicate clearly and positively about work-life balance options, to enshrine them as part of the normal culture, and ensure they are not seen as the prerogative of only certain groups.
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