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Creating a Work-Life Balance in an “Always On” Workplace

Employee Wellness, Flexible Work | Nov 16
work life balance - illustration of person skiing

Working from home can give many benefits to employees, including flexibility and time for their personal life. However, it also brings some drawbacks that you should seek to avoid. You need to think of remote work as a skill. One thing to avoid is the “always on” culture. In this culture, the staff can’t separate work from their personal lives, which can cause stress and, eventually, burnout. That’s why we devised the best ways to improve your work-life balance for an “always-on” workplace. Read on to discover the challenges of working remotely and how to combat them. What Challenges Can Working Remotely Present? 💻 In this blog, we will mainly focus on how remote working makes it hard to “switch off”. However, you should be aware of the multiple challenges you may face working from home. In a survey by Gartner, only 30% of companies said that maintaining their culture was their biggest concern regarding remote workers. Instead, they have other concerns. For example, when working from home, it’s easy to fall into the trap of reduced productivity. This can result from a number of factors. Source: Gartner Here are some other challenges you may face if you work from home: Feeling lonelier because you’re in a more isolated environment. Misunderstandings with colleagues due to communicating digitally rather than in-person. Higher cybersecurity risk at home. Lack of access to the same equipment you use in the office. If you work in a different time zone to the company, it can be challenging to schedule meetings and meet deadlines. Your manager may over communicate with you or micro-manage while you work from home. This may make you feel like you aren’t trusted. How to Create a Work-Life Balance While Working from Home Although there are many problems you can face while working from home, switching off is one of the hardest. When your home becomes your work environment, every part of your house can remind you of work if you let it. To help you combat this, here are some of the best ways to establish a work-life balance when you work from home. Managing Work Stress By Setting Up A Schedule 🥵 You should establish a regular schedule, just like you would if working from an office. A defined timetable can help you maintain a consistent pattern of work and designate non-work hours. It can also help you manage your workload. An alternative to a timetable is a task list with completion times given to each task. If you discover that you frequently work past your scheduled hours, change your schedule to suit your working day better. You won’t have to put in a lot of overtime this way. Keep in Touch with Your Team 📳 Regularly inform your team members of your working hours now that you have a daily routine. Remember to set your status during working hours if you converse using a messaging app. You may also make an online calendar to keep track of the team’s working hours. Doing this is extremely useful when your team members are across many time zones. Another option is to create a balance by having a hybrid working schedule; you work from home some days and at work on others. You can communicate with your team this way if you all work in the same area.  According to a study by Statista, over 68% of employees prefer a hybrid setup. This statistic applies to every age demographic, from Gen Z to Baby Boomers. Establish a Work-Only Area at Home 💺 Working from anywhere you like is tempting when you have free reign of the house. You might work from the couch on some days and the kitchen counter on others. Although it could seem like the ideal situation, it can lead to distractions and a poor work-life balance. Adjust the workspace to your needs instead. Set limitations and only allow yourself to work there. Setting boundaries on where and when you conduct business can prevent work from encroaching on your free time. You must also make many considerations when establishing a work-only area at home. Discover Hobbies to Do After Work 🚴 Working remotely occasionally can make it difficult to leave the home office. Therefore, find interests you love to make it simpler. Your days can become monotonous if you don’t have personal time to break up the work week. Consider painting, joining a gym, or simply going outside for fresh air. You could even arrange a weekly game night with family and friends for some social time. A pastime not only helps you maintain a healthy work-life balance, but can also teach you new things about yourself. Also, making time for your hobbies by adding them to your schedule is essential. Don’t just hope that you’ll have enough time for them. Time Your Breaks In an Airtasker survey, the highest percentage of remote employees (37%) said that taking breaks often is the best way to stay productive while working at home. When things at work become difficult, it’s simple to become overburdened and worn out. With this in mind, take breaks throughout the day to safeguard your physical and mental health and work-life balance. Source: Airtasker Although they need not be long, breaks should involve getting up from your desk and moving about. Take a break from your job to grab a new cup of coffee from the kitchen, or stand up and stretch. In either case, taking breaks should help you maintain a healthy work-life balance. Practice Mindfulness Techniques at Home 🧘 Sometimes, taking breaks might not be enough to destress you completely, so trying mindfulness techniques is an excellent alternative.  The most popular choice is to meditate, which, in its simplest form, is sitting quietly and clearing your thoughts.  There is no guide to excellent meditation; you just need to clear your mind and avoid distractions. Meditation and mindfulness aren’t for everyone, but they are worth trying because they can help with stress management. Even if

Workplace Conflict & How to Handle It

Workplace Conflict: How to Handle It

Even in the healthiest workplaces, conflict can sometimes arise. It’s simply the nature of humans working closely together! In fact, 85% of employees experience conflict at work. However, resolving workplace conflicts quickly and smoothly is essential because a tense working environment can lead to decreased productivity. If you can learn to resolve conflicts well, your workplace will benefit. Your employees will feel safe and valued, and creativity can flourish. That said, addressing conflict is a learning curve. Let’s talk about how you can handle six types of workplace conflict. 1. Working Styles 😡 Everybody has a different manner of working. When two colleagues work closely together, they might clash based on these different styles. Conflict occurs when they become irritated with one another. Example: Employee A has been assigned to a task working with Employee B. A prefers to work alone, but B doesn’t mind group work and is enthusiastic about the task. A likes working close to the deadline, but B prefers getting things done ahead of time. As a result, they spend more time arguing about how to complete the task than doing the task itself. 💡Resolving a Working Style Conflict Encourage employees to see things from another point of view before acting. As a manager, you can sit both employees down and encourage them to come to a compromise. 2. Expectation-Based Conflict 📅 Sometimes, an employee does not meet expectations. It can be disappointing when a worker misses deadlines frequently, doesn’t turn up to work, or stops completing their tasks to a high quality. Example: An employee has started handing in their timesheets late. This affects departmental performance and also means that other employees are receiving their paychecks late. It causes tension among the team and also between the manager and the employee. 💡Resolving an Expectation-Based Conflict As a manager, active listening is essential when managing conflict. The employee could be failing to meet expectations due to a number of factors, so it’s important to approach the conflict from a place of understanding. Gently remind the employee of their duties while acknowledging their perspective. 3. Interpersonal Conflict 🫂 Sometimes, people just don’t get along. Colleagues sometimes dislike each other for a variety of reasons. As a manager, this is a challenging conflict to tackle–you can’t force people to be friends. However, you can foster a healthy workplace where people are professional and civil. Example: You might enjoy your job and get along well with most people, but one person on your team rubs you the wrong way. It could be opposing views outside work or the fact that they leave their food in the office fridge until it goes off. Either way, you often experience conflict, affecting your joy for work. 💡Resolving Interpersonal Conflict With interpersonal conflict, there may be emotions involved. Managers may have to bring in professional mediators that can prevent these situations from escalating. Furthermore, if you know that two employees don’t get along, try to avoid making them work together. 4. Task-Based Conflict 📝 Sometimes, disagreement over a task can be positive. Some back-and-forth over the best course of action can help you reach a good outcome. However, with disputes that escalate, they can also cause a problem. Example: In the weekly team meeting, a colleague suggests a solution to the latest problem. You don’t think it’s the best idea to benefit your client, so you raise this concern. However, they double down, and the discussion quickly becomes heated. 💡Resolving Task-Based Conflict If you are part of the conflict, step back from the issue to stay calm–don’t get dragged into the argument. Managers can put a pin in the discussion, encouraging a break or returning to the discussion at a later point. Encourage collaboration between the team to find a solution that suits all parties. 5. Discrimination 🏳️‍🌈 Discrimination is one of the most serious workplace conflicts. It might be a sign of a toxic workplace culture, so it’s something that your company should have zero tolerance for. Remember that discrimination can come in numerous forms, from overt insults to indirect comments. Example: Employee A has been working at the company for 10 years but has missed out on promotion several times. This time, they know that the other candidate was less qualified and experienced. Feedback from management was vague and unhelpful. As a result, they are worried that the decision was based on prejudice. 💡Resolving Discrimination Conflict Discrimination is a job for Human Resources (HR). If you are a small business without a HR division, consider bringing in external support to address the issue. If you were a victim of discrimination, ask a manager you trust for support in this process. 6. Creative Ideas Conflict 🎨 If your job involves some creativity, there will likely be the occasional clash between employees. Strong creative opinions can lead to arguments. Similar to task-based conflicts, it’s important to recognize that every contribution has value. Example: You work at a content agency creating social media campaigns for clients. You are working on a TikTok campaign for a client and are concerned about reaching the right target audience. However, the colleague you’re working with is much more focused on the aesthetics of the video, and you don’t feel they’re striking the right tone. You feel that they’re dismissing your ideas too quickly, causing tension. 💡Resolving Creative Conflict You can resolve a creative conflict by acknowledging the other person’s point of view. As creatives, you can both work together to find an innovative solution. If you feel that your colleague is being difficult, involve a third-party observer or manager to help you come to a resolution. More Ways to Handle Conflict Like a Pro There is no one-size-fits-all approach when attempting to resolve conflict. Even after identifying the sources of conflict, you might need to develop a novel approach. Here are some extra tips and tricks to help you. Devise an employee manual: If everybody knows the ground rules for a healthy and positive workplace, you can

We Procrastinate and How to Stop It

Why We Delay Tasks and How to Overcome It

Have you noticed your tendency to dawdle and put off tasks until the very last minute? Maybe you’re feeling under pressure about the amount of work you need to get done. Avoiding tasks until they’re due is called procrastinating, and it’s something that affects a wide variety of people. From college students to the workforce, plenty of people suffer from procrastination issues. Fortunately, there are things you can do about it. You’re not doomed to feel stressed forever! To get to the bottom of the issue, it’s important to understand why you procrastinate. Then, you can figure out how to avoid it. In this guide, we’ll explain why people procrastinate, and how to avoid it in the future, helping you accomplish your goals one step at a time. What Is Procrastination? 🤔 Procrastination is the act of postponing your choices or actions without real reason. It can be a symptom of wider mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, plenty of people without other health issues also find themselves procrastinating. According to psychologist Piers Steel, those who don’t procrastinate are high in a personality trait called conscientiousness, which also means they are self-disciplined, persistent, and responsible. Procrastinators, on the other hand, may lack care or simply have poor time management skills. Unfortunately, procrastinating can have some serious disadvantages over the long run. Disadvantages of Procrastinating Procrastinating can cause people to miss their goals or feel more stressed. Here are some of the worst effects: Worse grades for students Worse quality work for employees Low mood Stress and anxiety Gastrointestinal or immune problems Generally, it’s better to get your tasks done on time and avoid these consequences. Active vs. Passive Procrastinator There are several types of procrastinators. Some researchers split them into two groups: active and passive. Active: Delays the task intentionally because they feel that they work best under pressure. Passive: Avoid the task because they have trouble making decisions and acting on them.  Reasons for Procrastination 📝 When you understand why you avoid pressing tasks, you can learn to motivate yourself and remain organized. There are many reasons why people practice task avoidance. Here are six of the most common. 1. Vague Goals 🥅 Without goals, you won’t be able to motivate yourself. And yet, a whopping 92% of those with goals fail to achieve them! Why? Because they’re vague. Set yourself some goals to focus on so you can motivate yourself to achieve them. 2. Indecisiveness 😟 Sometimes, we overthink things and struggle to come up with the best course of action. This is a huge cause of procrastination, so it’s something you should try and tackle if you have tasks to be getting on with. 3. Impulsiveness 🏃‍♀️ Active procrastinators may rush to complete their tasks because they believe that pressure helps them perform well. On the other hand, many workers find themselves distracted by other tasks or activities. If you impulsively abandon one task in favor of one you find more enjoyable, it can cause problems down the line. 4. High Expectations 🏔 Some people postpone tasks because they are afraid of failure. Having high expectations of yourself can create pressure, meaning that you feel too anxious to begin and creating high levels of stress. 5. Deadlines 📅 If the deadline is far away, you may not feel that the task is priority. However, deadlines can creep up on you quickly, so it’s best to avoid letting them build up. Poor time management skills like this can create a lot of stress when deadlines are fast approaching. 6. Mental Health Problems 🧠 As mentioned above, procrastination can be a symptom of a larger problem. In the case of broader mental health problems, a doctor can help you decide on the best course of action. Simply setting realistic expectations and learning time management may not be enough on its own, so it’s worth consulting a professional. How to Stop Procrastinating Studies show that chronic procrastinators may suffer as a result of their habits. For example, one 2022 study found that university students with severe procrastination issues experienced more psychological issues such as anxiety and insomnia, and lower quality of life overall. As a result, there are some long-term benefits to preventing task avoidance. Here is a step-by-step guide you can use to address the issue. 1. Have an Accountability Partner About 20% of adults are chronic procrastinators. In other words, you’re not alone. Find a buddy who’s also struggling with task avoidance and pair up to hold each other accountable. You can even find a friend who’s super organized to keep you on track and teach you some extra time management skills. Source: American Psychological Association Ensure it’s someone you trust and who you will be honest with, or this step won’t really work. 2. Establish Goals It’s important to set goals that will keep you on track. Without goals, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture and give up before you get very far. However, with realistic goals in place, you can work toward them and improve your self-esteem along the way. Try setting SMART goals to ensure they’re realistic: SpecificMeasurableAchievableRelevantTime-bound 3. Figure Out The Problem You won’t be able to overcome procrastination if you don’t understand the reason behind it. Remember, there are many reasons for task avoidance, so you need to figure out which one (or ones) applies to you. It could be your levels of stress, for example, creating anxiety that leaves you paralyzed when it comes to decisions. In this case, you need to take a step back, recharge, organize, and prioritize your tasks. 4. Create and Implement a Plan When you know what the problem is, you can create a plan. Your step-by-step plan should include techniques for overcoming task avoidance at different points, including solutions for different triggers. Share this plan with your accountability partner to keep you on track. Then, track your progress and improve

Technology-is-Changing-the-Healthcare-Industry

How Technology is Changing the Healthcare Industry - MyTommy.com

Technology is essential to the healthcare industry. Without it, advancements in patient care might not be possible.  But how did they change the industry as we know it? Also, what impacts are these changes bringing to the healthcare industry? Here in this article, we will list the different technologies altering the healthcare industry and their benefits. Read about them below! What is Digital Transformation in Healthcare? 🖥️ Digital transformation in healthcare is identifying a healthcare organization’s current and future needs and implementing technology solutions. Since each organization is different, the digital transformation changes per business. There’s no stopping digital transformation, so the time is now to inform yourself of new technology in the healthcare industry and adapt to it. What Are the Disruptive Technologies That Are Changing Healthcare? The healthcare industry is a massive beast, so there are many gaps that technology is filling so it can improve it. Understanding the technology you will use going forward in the industry will help you adapt to it and move forward. To give you a start to understanding digital transformation in the healthcare industry, here are 9 crucial healthcare technologies. 1. Remote Patient Monitoring Tools 🤢 Organizations can offer better, more personalized care using remote patient monitoring (RPM) tools. It can also reduce unnecessary visits because patients only need to visit the hospital during critical conditions. These RPM tools include: Oximeters. Biosensors. Sweat meters. Exercise trackers. Fitness Trackers. Blood Pressure Monitors. Electrocardiogram (ECG) Monitors. These tools collect, monitor, and analyze health data for better patient outcomes. They also help the healthcare industry save a lot of money. They saw massive use during the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, here is the conclusion of a study about virtual patient monitoring tools during the pandemic. Source: The National Library of Medicine 2. Artificial Intelligence (AI) Artificial Intelligence presents massive changes to the healthcare industry by providing numerous benefits to patients, healthcare workers, and organizations. Here are some advantages they can get: Chatbots and robots – can answer inquiries and assist people with tasks. Diagnostic tools – used for diagnosing health issues. Risk calculators – identify potential health risks in people. Administrative software – to help reduce time-consuming tasks. Machine learning algorithms – reduce the drug development cycle. Pattern recognition – can provide personalized therapies depending on the genes and lifestyle of the patient. Computer programs – can offer highly accurate diagnoses and drug combinations. However, there are risks of people in the healthcare industry relying on AI too much moving forward. Here is a quote to suggest how we should move forward with AI in the healthcare industry. 3. Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices provide high-quality care by giving healthcare options to people with limited mobility and isolated communities.  For example, IoMT devices can provide the following: Remote patient monitoring. Early diagnosis tech for patients. Telehealth support. Emergency response triggers. And more. They also help save money by enhancing access to diagnosis, treatment, and preventative care. It is another technology people became adequately aware of during the pandemic. It is a growing technology that the healthcare industry will rely on more and more. Source: Medical Device 4. Telehealth and Remote Care Because of the pandemic, the demand for telehealth and remote care increased to avoid going to the hospital unless necessary. Health organizations must adapt to this trend because it might not go away anytime soon. Before offering these to their patients, they must also ensure they comply with their country’s laws and regulations. 5. Data Usage 📈 By using software that can collect and analyze data, health organizations receive the following benefits: Decreased medication error – by checking the patient’s electronic health records, healthcare workers can identify possible medication errors. Best client care – you can use the stored health information to provide the best patient care. Preventive care – helps reduce the number of people returning to the hospital. Better staffing – healthcare organizations will know how many staff they need per shift. Improves medical research – you can use the data to enhance treatments and produce necessary medicinal drugs. It can also identify patterns in diseases and illnesses. Any healthcare organization has to abide by specific data collection laws in Australia, such as the Data Availability and Transparency Act 2022 and the Australian Data Strategy. 6. Smart Implants These bio-implants have diagnostic capabilities and therapeutic benefits.  They promise better efficiency in regenerative medicine and improved outcomes in patient rehabilitation. They may even provide a cure for specific disabilities thought to be incurable. 7. Employee Wellness Apps 🤳 When discussing healthcare, we shouldn’t only consider the patients but also the welfare of healthcare workers. Because how can they take care of other people if they can’t care for themselves? That’s where employee wellness apps come in! Through using these apps, the employees will have more control over their health and have greater satisfaction. The apps will also save money and reduce employee turnover. Below are some of the features you can find on employee wellness apps. Health assessments will help healthcare staff understand their health status and any potential health risks they are encountering or will encounter. Personalized plans based on individual health attributes. These plans will include recommendations and tips for exercising, nutrition, and more. Activity tracking functions like distance tracking, step counting, and calories burned in a certain period. Nutrition tracking functions like dietary advice based on the food you input into the app. Mental health support, like tips to reduce stress and access to high-quality mental health resources. And much more. 8. Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) Virtual and augmented reality were originally for entertainment; they also have various healthcare applications. For example, you can use virtual reality to train healthcare workers. It can enhance retention, reduce skill fade, and help complete procedures faster. Mental health organizations also use VR on patients. Below are some results from a test to use virtual reality for therapy.  “Most participants perceived VR to be

How Introverts and Extroverts

Understanding Introverts and Extroverts During the Pandemic - MyTommy.com

Since the pandemic caused most people to stay at home, people think introverts were in paradise, and extroverts weren’t doing well. But is that the case? Read below to learn how introverts and extroverts dealt with this crisis. Also, learn tips for everyone in the spectrum that you can use in post-lockdown life How Did Introverts Deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic? 📖 An introvert is a trait characterized by introversion: a reserved or quiet person who prefers spending time alone and is contemplative. People expected that introverts would work better from home during this pandemic. However, this was not the case. Introversion connects more with uneasiness and dread. The uncertainty of this crisis was tough for them. For many introverts, the lockdown was a welcome change from normal life, and a chance to stay home. However, it quickly became isolating. Source: Bloomberg Introverts also found it challenging to return to the office. They often hide their frustration and bottle it up, increasing their anxiety when returning to their original working environment. Introverts will avoid social situations and activities. They will find small talk awkward, and they might be unable to say anything. They might even be sensitive and misunderstand what people say to them. However, there are reports to show that the mortality rate was lower for introverts than for extroverts during the pandemic. Our Tips for Introverts After the Pandemic Don’t keep your emotions to yourself because they might bottle up. Ignoring your feelings will not help or make them go away. If it’s hard for you to return to the office, plan what you should do to increase your happiness. Tell your boss so they understand your situation. Use self-help resources or ask for help from professionals if needed. How Did Extroverts Deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic? 🥳 An extrovert is a personality trait characterized by extroversion: a normally outgoing and unreserved person who enjoys and seeks out social engagement. Extroverts fared better in this pandemic than introverts—extroversion links with optimism, positive emotions, and resiliency. However, extroverts prefer socializing and working with their office mates rather than at home. They can handle working from home, but it can also increase stress and anxiety. When they got a chance for social connection, they often forgot the safety protocols and hygiene requirements; this can cause regret. For example, drug taking in the party scene increased, according to a UNSW report. The number of people taking ketamine jumped from 43% to 52% in their study. Source: The New Daily Our Tips for Extroverts After the Pandemic Be cautious about what you say. When you’re excited, you might overshare or mention sensitive topics to others. Be responsible for how you celebrate events. Try to avoid overdrinking liquor and consumption of drugs. Take care of yourself by washing and sanitizing your hands, following safety protocols, and being sensitive to others when socializing. Show social support. Tips for Introverts and Extroverts After the Pandemic Here are some tips that introverts and extroverts can follow now that the pandemic is over. Connect With Others Virtually and In Person to Maintain Consistent Communication 👭 Extroverts might automatically connect with their friends and family through social media and meet-ups. However, introverts might be more reluctant to do so. However, introverts must connect with their loved ones so their mental health will not diminish. Extroverts might organize parties or meetings with several people. Meanwhile, one-on-one communication will work better for introverts. Also, eat with your family, have a movie night, or do something else with your loved ones so you don’t feel alone. Social interaction is essential for great mental health. Keep Yourself Occupied with Tasks and Activities Although most entertainment is now available (clubs and concerts, for example), you may still need something else to entertain you at home (not including remote work). You can read a new book, learn a unique skill, or study a foreign language. Keeping yourself busy will enhance your outlook and give you a sense of purpose. But try not to overdo it and tire yourself. Go Outside to Exercise or Relax ☀️ You should go outside occasionally. Sunlight and fresh air will help uplift your mood. You can go for a walk, travel on a bike, or work in your garden.  Here are some examples of what you can do outside to keep yourself occupied. Final Thoughts on Introverts and Extroverts During the Pandemic The pandemic was hard on everyone, and we all dealt with it in our own way. Now that life is returning to normal, remember that you may still feel the effects of extended isolation, so follow our tips to keep busy and see your loved ones. Remember that you are not alone if you are an extrovert or an introvert.  Head to Tommy if you need more help adjusting to work after the pandemic. A Look at Introverts and Extroverts During the Pandemic How Did Introverts Deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic? 📖 Our Tips for Introverts After the Pandemic How Did Extroverts Deal with the COVID-19 Pandemic? 🥳 Our Tips for Extroverts After the Pandemic Tips for Introverts and Extroverts After the Pandemic Connect With Others Virtually and In Person to Maintain Consistent Communication 👭 Keep Yourself Occupied with Tasks and Activities Go Outside to Exercise or Relax ☀️ Final Thoughts on Introverts and Extroverts During the Pandemic

Choosing the Right Employee Engagement Platform for Your Business

How to Choose an Employee Engagement Platform

Employee engagement is one of the most important aspects of any business. Happy and engaged employees have better productivity and will likely commit to the company for longer. Using an employee engagement platform is the best way to improve this in your business. But how do you know which employee engagement platform is right for your business? So many options are available, and it can be challenging to decide which is best. That’s why we will discuss employee engagement platforms’ different features and benefits to help you choose the right one.  Read below to learn what to look for in an employee engagement platform, how to choose one, and more. What Is an Employee Engagement Platform? An employee engagement platform is an online space where all company members can interact with each other.  The main aim of these platforms is to build company relationships and culture to enhance performance, retention, happiness, and well-being. They do this with various features and systems that involve employees much closer in the company’s mission. Additionally, it has features that help employees immerse themselves in the company more, increasing their engagement level. Qualities To Look For in an Employee Engagement Platform When selecting an employee engagement platform, there are many things to consider. There’s more than one way to engage an employee. Before choosing an employee engagement platform, research the aspects that matter most to you. Doing this gives you a clearer sense of what you want. To help you out, here are the qualities and functions you should look for in an employee engagement platform. 1. It Should Have a User-friendly Interface 😀 You should ensure that the software you choose will be easy to use and navigate.  A user-friendly interface includes: A great design – the layout must be simple, with minimal clutter on the screen. Also, buttons, fonts, and colors must have a consistent look; otherwise, it’ll look visually confusing. Solid navigation features – these include menus that are easy to navigate and a panel to find the section of the platform you want quickly. Optimized design features for mobiles and tablets (a mobile app, for example). Spacing between text and features – this reduces the platform’s visual clutter. A search function – a good search function should include comprehensive suggestions and filters so you can find what you want/ Correct text size – if the text is too small, employees will find it hard to read.  Accessibility functions – it needs these for employees with disabilities. An example of an accessibility function is text-to-speech. If it is over-complicated, doesn’t perform well, and doesn’t fulfill needs, your employees won’t be happy using it.  2. Survey One way to learn more about your employees and your company is by conducting surveys (regular pulse surveys, for example). Here is an example employee engagement survey in Australia. Source: Mercer It will help you know what’s going on and what measures you can take to improve the business’s current situation. It will also help you understand how your employees perceive their working environment and culture. It’s beneficial to see if there are wider concerns from your workforce. It can also be a helpful tool if you want help making a major decision in the company. So, consider this function when choosing employee engagement software. 3. Measurement 📏 You won’t know what to improve in your company if you can’t measure the metrics. That’s why the platform should measure these metrics and use them as a benchmark for future measurement. Metrics you may want to measure include: Employee engagement metrics. Employee performance (for an employee performance review). Employee productivity. Employee attendance. Employee development. And much more. Doing this lets you know if your strategies effectively make improvements or changes in your company. 4. Segmentation People are not all the same. That’s why segmentation should be a vital function of the software.  It will help you ask the best questions to your intended audience. You’ll then learn a lot from the feedback you’ll get from them. You can customize segmentation based on teams, for example, or target team members working on specific projects. Doing this means that you always ask relevant questions to relevant people. 5. People Analytics To help employers make staff decisions, analytics should be in place. Employers can use analytics to see their whole workforce (managers and employees), so they know who is performing well. They could then act accordingly based on what they see. Don’t think of this as a tool to segment a workforce, but one that can bring all employees closer together. For example, if one person isn’t performing as well as others, focus on their development to bring them up to a better level. Also, people analytics can help drive value for the business; Thomas Rasmussen states: “The idea is quite simple, the people analytics basically shows you what works in terms of driving value, in terms of reducing cost, in terms of improving customer outcomes but typically those findings are a bit high level, so it will show you where there is value.” 6. Goals 🥅 Goals are essential to achieve success. Remind everyone of them so they can strive to fulfill them. If the platform has this function, people can set, monitor, finish, and evaluate goals for the whole company. Doing this improves accountability and alignment in your organization. 7. Recognition Employees like credit for their hard work. If they are accountable for their failures, they will want recognition for their successes. Having a platform that can do that will be useful for you. When you show your appreciation to them, it will do the following. 8. Adaptable 📱 When you choose a platform, consider your employees’ devices. It would be more accessible if they could use the platform on different devices, such as: Mobiles. Tablets. Personal computers.  Also, consider if it can adapt to your employees’ various needs and functions. Additionally, having the features and functions of an employee engagement platform on their phones may make employees

Enhancing Company Culture to Establish a Happy Workforce

Enhancing Company Culture to Establish a Happy Workforce

Enhancing Company Culture to Foster a Happy Workforce 🙂 Do you wonder if how you act at work affects your team’s behavior? Have you noticed one particular behavior that is common in your employees?  If so, then it is probably a result of company culture. This article will show you why great company culture is essential when making decisions at your company. We also go into ways that you can make a good company culture to foster a happy workforce. What is Company Culture? Company culture is the system of shared behavior. It influences leadership style, problem evaluation, and work norms.  It explains why people behave the way they do at one workplace versus another. When properly utilized, company culture could increase employee productivity and workplace happiness. Want to improve company culture? If you answered yes, you’re on the right path and at the right website. We will cover some of the most important aspects of fostering a positive company culture, including how to acknowledge company culture, make your employees feed confident, and make time for employee wellbeing. 1. Acknowledge the Importance of Company Culture Essentially, company culture guides and leads the workplace without an authority figure present. Forbes’ 2015 study indicates that almost half of the employees believed that the company culture affects productivity, creativity, and stress management. Once you leave a room, the company culture is the governing force that keeps the mandate in the office. If the employee has no one to ask, company culture helps them execute an action based on the norms. A culture evolved through the years in the office molds your team’s judgment. Company culture is a hidden authority. If you know how to control and modify it to your company’s vision and mission, you create a workroom full of leaders. Ignoring company culture can hinder you from advancing your career or enjoying your current job. Bad workplace culture significantly hinders job satisfaction and career advancement. 31.9% of workers show dissatisfaction with company culture. Source: elifesciences 2. Commit To Nurturing Your Company Culture Company culture develops on its own, whether you intend it or not. It will still progress because it serves as a basis or norm. However, if you ignore the development of this culture, it will create factors that could cause future problems. The first factor is the leader that employees see. Sometimes, this leadership occurs when the company is under stress to meet a specific deadline. Hence, the observed leadership is not optimal for company growth since it may revolve around stress, anxiety, and cramming. Do you have employees that have strong personalities? If yes, not nurturing your work culture can result in other employees looking up to these people and inheriting their positive and negative aspects. To prevent these things from happening, you must be intentional and vocal about your company culture. In this way, you can steer it in the desired direction. If your employees know you care about nurturing a more positive culture, they will help you achieve it. 3. Make Your Employees Confident One way to create a positive work culture is to empower your employees. They will be creative, productive, and resilient if they are confident about themselves.  Confident employees possess the following characteristics: Focus – they don’t rely on unnecessary information, like gossip or scandalous accusations, that may affect trust in the work area. Creative 🎨– confident employees bring up the freshest and timeliest ideas that would help the company prosper. Resilient – if people feel empowered, they will pass through any challenges that might stand in their way. Empowering does not just come with additional authority or incentives. It only takes encouragement from you for them to hit the marks. A 2023 Mercer study states, “89% of employees feel their managers value diverse ideas and perspectives”. Doing this is a large part of inspiring confidence in employees. Here are some other things you can do to improve employee confidence: Set clear expectations so they know how to achieve goals. Provide constructive feedback so they have a direction for improvement. Provide opportunities for them to develop. Appreciate them when they commit to completing tasks. 4. Concentrate on Employee Development 🧑‍🎓 A working environment where employees want to learn and improve their skills creates a company culture that sets employees’ expectations. Concentrating on employee development effectively will not intimidate employees but motivate them and increase employee engagement. Do not tell employees that you expect them to be perfect workers. Set realistic goals you know they can achieve, and slowly build up their workload to improve their consistency and skill set. Also, involve staff in work-related training to build their work-related skills. Around 4.4 million Australians (23%) aged 15-74 years had undertaken work-related training in the past 12 months – that is, training or courses which did not form part of a qualification, and were undertaken for work purposes. Source: The Australian Bureau of Statistics Finally, encourage staff to undertake self-development; this could be building on work-related knowledge or learning a new skill they can use in their job role. Enabling staff to do this fosters an organizational culture where they want to be the best versions of themselves. 5. Make Time for Employee Well-Being 🛌 To encourage employees to become their best professional selves, you must also encourage them to look after their well-being (especially if you’re in a customer service environment). Ideas to improve employee well-being include: Offer them flexible working arrangements; they could work remotely or have a hybrid role. Provide counseling services and stress management workshops to support their mental health. Promote fitness at the workplace; start a cycle-to-work scheme, for example. Encourage employees to take breaks when needed. Create a break space at work. Talk to employees about creating a work-life balance. Lead by example. 6. Introduce Feedback Culture to Your Company 👂 Workplace culture develops from constant stakeholder communication, between managers and employees, co-worker communication, and how customers interact with employees. You could set up a talk with your employees at

24 Employee Wellness Ideas That Promote Camaraderie 9

24 Wellness Ideas to Boost Employee Camaraderie

In the fast-paced world of work,🌎 it’s easy for employees to feel stressed, overwhelmed, and unmotivated. Unproductive employees can negatively impact a company, as they may produce a lower standard of work because they lack purpose and belonging.  Employee wellness is crucial for a successful company, and promoting camaraderie may be just what you need.📈 Designing and managing an employee wellness program is critical to improving employees’ health and productivity and the overall cost of employer-provided health care. Boosting a focus on your employee’s minds and bodies will increase their motivation, and they’ll feel more optimistic.🤩 With rising health insurance prices and an emphasis on employee wellness, firms are wise to establish an effective wellness program that benefits your company and employees and its financial line. Before we look at some ideas to promote camaraderie, let’s take a closer look at an employee wellness program. What is an Employee Wellness Program?😁 An employee wellness program is a structured initiative designed to boost the well-being of employees by introducing techniques, routines, and habits to promote their physical and mental wellness at work. 52% of US companies offer wellness programs, suggesting the positive impact they can have on a workplace.😊 An employee wellness program aims to assist employees in maintaining and enhancing their overall health. It also aims to address specific health issues that employees may be facing.  An employee wellness program seeks to provide workers with a sense of belonging, the opportunity to grow, and increase camaraderie between employees and team members.🤝 A third-party supplier can offer various wellness programs, or the business can provide mandatory employee training or seminars. According to a study, 72% of employers saw a reduction in healthcare costs after implementing a wellness program, presenting its beneficial impact.  We’ve compiled 24 wellness ideas that you should try to support employees, boost their engagement, and improve their health and well-being. Source Zippia Wellness Ideas That You Should Try✅ Employee wellness is essential to keep your workforce motivated and positive. With productive and healthy employees, your business will transform and become more successful with high camaraderie amongst workers. Here are 24 employee wellness ideas you should try: 1. Demonstrate How They Can Improve Their Health👍 Bring in a professional who can perform biometric screens, health evaluations, seminars, and plans for better health. Prepare a guide so the expert understands what they should discuss and focus it on improving your employees’ health. With clear, motivating, and productive demonstrations, employees will feel a sense of belonging as they begin their journey together. With these shared experiences, camaraderie will increase between employees.👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏽 Source Zippia 2. Session of Motivation on Mondays🗓 For a productive start, motivate your staff on Mondays to get them through the rest of the week. We all know how hard Mondays can be, and this will do a lot to help them feel better about themselves and improve their mental health. Provide inspiring talks, encouraging words, and motivating speeches to prepare them for their week.💬 This will boost employee morale as they indulge in a shared experience of motivation. A motivating session on a Monday will encourage your employees, empower them to face the week ahead, and provide a supportive environment that your workers will appreciate. According to a study, engaged employees are 87% less likely to resign from their companies, so it’s important to motivate your staff with inspiring and engaging words.  3. Health-Related Websites and Publications📑 Workplace health and well-being should be highlighted in a company newsletter. If you introduce new exercise, nutrition, and wellness education concepts, your staff will become more conscious and sensitive to their health and well-being. 4. Hourly Walks🚶🏻 Hourly walks will benefit both the emotional and physical health of your employees. The emotional benefits include increased focus, enhanced concentration, and reduced stress levels. The physical benefits include increased energy, active breaks, and weight management. Incorporating hourly walks⏰ will enhance motivation and productivity. It’s also a chance for employees to be social, increasing camaraderie between them.  According to research, sleep and self-initiated short breaks help restore energetic and self-regulatory resources which, in turn, enable employees to experience high work engagement. Promoting regular breaks will increase your worker’s well-being and job performance.    5. Setting Working Hours⏱ Your staff have lives outside of the workplace, so the least you can do for them is to offer flexible work hours and schedules. Effective scheduling software will ensure no one works more than necessary and that employees can enjoy a productive work-life balance. You could offer the opportunity of remote working, allowing employees independence and control over their time. By respecting their time, they’ll feel valued and appreciated.🗓According to a survey, flexible hours can reduce absence rates and (it) allows employees to manage disability and long-term health conditions, as well as supporting their mental health and stress. 6. Make Time for Breaks⌚️ Working in a stressful environment may negatively influence even the most dedicated and productive members of your workforce. Your staff should be allowed to take small breaks during long shifts.  Regular breaks will let your team be sociable, take a moment for themselves and boost their productivity. A study shows that breaks can reduce or prevent stress, help to maintain performance throughout the day and reduce the need for a long recovery at the end of the day. 7. Health Club Membership🏋🏻‍♂️ Provide access to a gym for all of your staff so that they stay fit. Or you can set up an office gym, making it easier for your employees. By offering this perk to your workers, you’ll promote a healthy lifestyle outside the workplace, improving their work-life balance. Exercise reduces stress, releases endorphins, and many employees may build stronger work relationships if they go together.🏋️ 8. Fun Activities and Games🎲 Make your office an excellent workplace by encouraging staff to participate in fun games and activities. Bring out their competitive side by allowing them to rest and recover from work. This will boost morale, teamwork and increase camaraderie amongst team members. 9.

EU Time Tracking Law: Everything Employers Need To Know 3

EU Time Tracking Law: Essential Info for Employers

You probably already know how important it is to track your employees’ hours and attendance. Every European company must have a record of them available for government checking.  Time tracking has many benefits for employers and employees, and an effective tracking system must be in place. Companies must be compliant with the time tracking law.⏰ The European Court of Justice (ECJ) set the law in 2019. It stated that all countries in the EU “must require employers to set up an objective, reliable and accessible system enabling the duration of time worked each day by each worker to be measured.” Essentially, a time-tracking software must be in place.⌚️ In this blog, we will discuss the EU time tracking law and some examples of how they’re implemented in other European countries. Let’s examine some of the EU member states’ laws and everything you need to know. What are the benefits of time tracking? Time-tracking doesn’t only help with compliance, but it’s also beneficial for employees and employers.  Let’s take a look: Benefits for employees🤩 Overtime will be compensated No wage theft Increased rest periods Legal protection against abusive employers Better working hours Work-life balance Digital disconnection rights No consequent work shifts Benefits for employers☺️ More accurate records Better trust and transparency between all parties Enhancement in employee productivity and health Increased handling of costs, inefficiencies, and time sinks Deadlines and quotes have better accuracy You will avoid penalties and fines European Working Time Directive (2003) The European working time directive or ETWD was created to safeguard the employees’ health and safety. By reducing the working hours and providing sufficient rest; you can prevent the following: Burnout Stress Illness Depression Time tracking also helps employers because employees’ productivity and efficiency may increase when they are healthy and well-rested. According to research, a highly engaged team can experience 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover, suggesting the importance of time-tracking benefits. Source Indeed Before 2019, companies were not obliged to track working hours, only overtime. But the members of the EU should create their national law that uses the EU directive and add the ones they prefer.🇪🇺 You can check out the EU directives’ minimum standards below: Working Hours⏳ Employees cannot work more than 48 hours per week, including overtime, for over seven days. This doesn’t include breaks. Employees who want to work extra overtime can choose not to follow the 48-hour limit.  Tracking employee work hours will ensure no one exceeds the correct amount of time. Breaks and Rest🥱 Each worker must have 11 hours of continuous daily rest. In addition, they must also have a 24-hour continuous rest after seven days. Employees who worked for 6 hours should have a 15-minute break. Those who worked for 9 hours need to have a 45-minute break. Regular breaks and rest help increase productivity and focus. According to a study, nearly 90% of North American employees claim that taking a lunch break helps them feel refreshed. Annual Leave🧳 Each employee has a paid leave of at least four weeks per year. You can’t convert paid leave into money unless the employment contract has been terminated. Source Zippia  Night Shift🌃 Night workers are only allowed up to 8 hours every 24 hours. They shouldn’t perform heavy or dangerous work during that time as well. Night shift workers are allowed to have free health assessments. They should also be entitled to transfer to the day shift during specific situations. EU time-keeping requirement since 2019 The European Union decided to have a new time-keeping requirement in May 2019. This is because CCOO, a Spanish trade union, sued a local branch of Deutsche Bank. The former stated that the latter violated the EU labor law, which the EU Working Time Directive set. It was estimated that they did not pay for 54% of overtime hours and even underreported the employees’ working hours.⏲ That’s why the EU now obliged employers to monitor their employees’ attendance and working hours, including daily working time and overtime.✍️ The European Union required all its member states and employers to produce an objective, trustworthy, and accessible system to track time. By doing this, cases of underreporting hours and underpaying can be avoided. German Law🇩🇪 Germany greatly protects their employees’ rights, so they apply all that is in the EU directive and went the extra mile with the following: Maximum of 8 working hours each day or 48 hours each week. When an employee exceeds eight working hours, it is classified as overtime. All overtime must be recorded through software or hard copy. It should be signed by the staff and kept for a minimum of 2 years. Employees are only allowed up to 2 hours of overtime each day. Each workday must have a 30-minute unpaid break. Since Germany is strict with this law, employees’ time must be documented on paper or via software with a time tracker like the one MyTommy offers. All employers are obliged to record their employees’ working time precisely. Source Lexology Spanish Law🇪🇸 Spain is the first nation that obliged companies to track time for all working hours. This is probably because of the dispute between the Deutsche Bank and the CCOO. According to their law, companies are required to: Record all of their employee’s working hours and breaks, wherever they may work or whichever type of contract they have. Keep time documents for four years. The time records must be available to the public, government, unions, and employees. Inform employees about the duration and distribution of a workday. The unions should be informed every month about overtime hours. If a company doesn’t comply with this law, it will be fined from €626 to €6,250. The amount will depend on the size and nature of the company, how many employees they have, and the turnover rate.  The law doesn’t specify how to record attendance and working hours. But you can consider using a clock-in/clock-out system or a time tracker. UK Law🇬🇧 The UK decided not to be

A Complete Guide To Employee Self-Scheduling 10

A Complete Guide to Employee Self-Scheduling Systems - MyTommy.com

A Complete Guide To Employee Self-Scheduling Self-scheduling involves allowing employees to choose their shifts or exchange shifts (or shift work) with teammates. A manager still has a portion of control over schedules, but it helps reduce some of their responsibilities. It has many advantages, and it will be ideal for your business.  Employees will also enjoy creating part of their schedules. Continue reading to find answers to the following self-scheduling questions. Who Can Use Self-Scheduling? Almost any industry can use self-scheduling. Companies that rely on it the most often have employees from multiple countries or employees who plan to work overseas. Source: Finder It’s helpful for employees and employers. For businesses that work on-site, you can still self-schedule. No matter the shifts you apply in your business, you can still integrate it into various industries. Perks of Letting Employees Choose Their Schedule Self-scheduling has many advantages for employees and employers.  It primarily benefits employees, so many more are using it. In a study from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 36% of employees (in August 2021) had a flexible work agreement; it was 34% in 2019. Flexible working arrangements usually include employees being able to self-schedule for working hours and vacation days. Here are some benefits of using self-scheduling in your company. It Gives Employees More Flexibility to Have a Work-Life Balance 👯 Self-scheduling helps improve flexibility for employers and employees.  The more flexible scheduling system (than traditional scheduling) provides maximum flexibility in the business operation regarding demand and needed shifts for employers. For employees, it helps them maintain a work-life balance. It also gives them time for their other commitments. Doing this will make them happier and reduce stress and burnout. Source: PWC Reduced Absences 🙋 Employees may miss work for the following reasons: Emergencies. Sickness. Harsh weather. Conflicts. Due to self-scheduling, employees can trade shifts with each other or choose an alternative schedule if they cannot work on a specific date. If all employees have this mindset, you can reduce work absences. Great for Recruitment and Retention During recruitment, you can inform the potential recruit about the company’s scheduling options and policies. Offering self-scheduling can be advantageous for your company because it can be a big reason they will choose to work for you. It is also ideal for employee retention because they typically prefer a company that offers flexible scheduling. After all, it gives them more freedom and a better work-life balance. Improved Productivity Self-scheduling can increase productivity because the employees may choose the schedule that best suits them. Happiness during work can significantly enhance productivity. In a study about Australian worker happiness, 27% of workers said that a lack of control over schedules and workload is why they are unhappy at work. Less Involvement from Managers Because of self-scheduling, the manager or the person who usually makes the schedule will have less participation. Therefore, they can focus on other tasks they need to finish. Initially, they need to train other employees on how to create their employee schedule. But after time, team members can do it on their own. The manager just needs to review and finalize the schedule. It Saves Time ⏳ Managers can have difficulty creating a schedule because they must consider many factors, like customers’ demands, availability, and other commitments. Due to self-scheduling, it’s quicker and easier for managers to finalize the schedule. The reason for this is that the employees take note of their availability, obligations, and other factors and add them to the schedule in real time. Self-Scheduling Process Self-scheduling might seem daunting, but once you get the flow of it, you’ll find it relatively easy.  Here are some steps for using self-scheduling for your company. 1. Establish Guidelines Like other tasks, you must provide guidelines for the self-scheduling process.  Doing this varies on what type of business you have. An example of a rule is the limit of a particular employee’s working hours. 2. Make a Template After informing everyone about the guidelines, you should create a schedule template. Ensure that you mention the shifts that you require employees to fill. 3. Set Beginning and Final Dates 📅 Make it clear to your employees when they can start scheduling and the last day for scheduling time. Also, inform them that they can create their schedule on a mobile device. That way, you can easily finalize the schedule after everyone chooses their availability. 4. Share the Template After informing your employees about the start and end dates, share the template you created so they can fill it up. 5. Finalize and Distribute After the end date of the scheduling period, finalize the schedule. For the next schedule batches, you can repeat the process and skip out the steps you think are unnecessary. Tips for Better Self-Scheduling If it’s the first time your company will use self-scheduling, here are some tips to help you transition. Inform Everyone You should tell all your employees that you are implementing a self-scheduling method. Inform them about its benefits and how to do it. Show them the guidelines you want them to follow, the beginning and final dates, and the template. Ask your employees about their opinions, questions, and concerns. Tell them that you can help them with scheduling if they need any assistance. Be Positive 🧏 Some people are not entirely accepting of changes to the scheduling process. The established staff must be optimistic about new self-scheduling initiatives and communicate them positively to other employees.  All other employees will welcome this change if this happens. Source: shawnachor.com Should You Have Concerns About Self-Scheduling? Although self-scheduling has many benefits, you may still have concerns. We will address the concerns and show you that they aren’t as big of a red flag as you may think. A common concern is that you cannot fairly distribute shifts. For example, when two employees want a day off on the same day, and they both schedule it, but you may still need one of them to work. To avoid problems like

Gig Economy

Adopting Flexible Staffing in the Gig Economy - MyTommy.com

Gig Economy: Adopting Flexible Staffing in Your Workforce In today’s modern world🌎, there’s more to companies than just the traditional jobs we first think of. The gig economy is a rising force that changes the way we look at hiring employees, as it offers a different strategy to benefit employees and your business. 📈 Gig employment often consists of employees working remotely on digital platforms. 👩‍💻Under this working arrangement, freelancers, workers, and contractors are paid under a fixed-contract agreement. According to a study, “the gig economy grew by 33% in 2020, expanding 8.25x faster than the US economy as a whole.”  The Covid-19 pandemic significantly impacted the gig economy, as employees were relied on to deliver services to consumers and customers from their homes, working remotely. The pandemic brought job flexibility to light, and many people found the freedom they could have at work appealing.🧑‍💻 Source: Ultimate Gig: Flexibility, Freedom, Rewards. What are the ways to incorporate the gig economy in the workplace? How to incorporate gig workers into your workforce? Let’s examine the gig economy in more detail and answer those critical questions. What Does the Gig Economy Have that Contributes to its Success?⭐️ Most businesses shifted to virtual operations to lessen contacts in compliance with the health protocols during the pandemic. Hence, it resulted in a spike in freelancing jobs where the fixed-price contract is held. Aside from it being less expensive, the gig economy enables HR recruiters to tap into a larger pool of skilled workers. According to statistics, in 2023 73.3 million freelancers are estimated to work in the USA and in 2024, 76.4 million are expected.  Alongside the changes in the diverse workforce arrangements, technologies are up to support virtual set-ups. Companies couldn’t ignore that hiring short-term but talented individuals could help the company increase its sales while cutting down expenses. The 5 Downsides of the Gig Economy👎 Despite the growing trend, the gig economy also holds various disadvantages, and there is a lack of benefits for companies and employees. The gig economy comes with challenges that must be taken into consideration before you adopt the concept into your company. Let’s look at some of the downsides of the gig economy. 1. The Inability to Support Multiple Employees’ Needs🤒 Employee needs, such as accidents or health insurance may be impacted. Working in a short-term and contractual mode prevents companies from covering employee benefits. This may leave workers vulnerable, especially in their times of need.  2. Isolation and Loneliness🧍‍♀️ Gig workers usually work remotely on tasks, reducing the amount of social interaction they may have. Working in the gig economy can be lonely, isolating and may impact a person’s job performance. 3. Privacy Concerns🔒 Some companies find sharing private information uneasy. Hence, they only share information for small-time projects. 4. Poor Communication🗣 Managing remote workers may be more difficult as communication is more of a challenge. Feedback, instructions, or general communication can often be a struggle with the gig workforce. 5. Lack of Laws and Government Regulations📄 Hiring gig workers is challenging, so document manipulation is prevalent since freelancing has no verification method that examines workers’ credibility. Source: Finmasters  While there may be many job opportunities for gig workers, it’s worth considering the challenges the employee and company may face. Hiring remote, independent workers may benefit your business primarily, but being aware of the drawbacks is essential. Let’s take a look at the benefits: The 4 Benefits of the Gig Economy👍 The gig economy benefits employees and businesses, and this modern approach can create a dynamic and transformative workforce for your company. Let’s take a closer look at the 4 benefits of the gig economy: 1. Flexibility📆 One of the most prevalent advantages of the gig economy is its flexibility. Unlike a full-time job, freelance workers can choose their schedules and make productive use of their time independently while working towards a deadline. By making the most of remote workers and utilizing their skills, they’ll feel more motivated, productive and produce high-quality work.🤩 Source: Statista 2. Scaling Made Easy In permanent work, HR recruiters often face the challenge of a more stringent and long-term hiring process because they wouldn’t want to hire someone incapable of working on their project.  Alongside this hiring is the need for businesses to supply funding, like hiring recruiters, creating advanced analytics, and creating advertisements. This is where the gig economy offers benefits because it allows a shorter hiring period.🤝 Also, it avoids expensive separation pay or lengthy processing during the termination phase of the project. The gig economy allows companies to gauge their resources, modify their tools, and scale their funds depending on the demands of their surroundings. Source: Fortunly 3. Trial Mode Abilities In the typical hiring process, HR recruiters are left with no choice but to employ employees with a showy attitude; these applicants may fake their performance to land the job. However, HR recruiters couldn’t just fire someone because they have signed the contract.✍️ The gig economy addresses this problem because some companies ask for trial performance from freelancers to decide, based on performance, who is fit for the position. It allows employers to examine talents that a typical working mode couldn’t offer.  4. Saves Company Funds💰 Despite gig workers having higher hourly rates than permanent or full-time employees, companies could still save costs since they don’t have to cover up for the benefits of these workers. The 6 Ways to Incorporate Gig Economy As an uprising business model, you can incorporate the gig economy into your company and experience the benefits for yourself. Here are the six ways to incorporate this trendy model: 1. Know the Law🤔 Despite the relatively new gig economy, only a few countries mandate laws and regulations regarding freelancing, especially on tax provisions. Your HR recruiters should be able to study this in detail. Your hiring managers should be able to equip gig workers with beneficial and attractive policies for the company and the workers. 2. Short-Term Training⏰ As a manager, you

14-Ways-To-Reduce-Stress-and-Re-energize-Your-Employees

14 Tips to Help Reduce Stress and Re-Energise Employees

Creating a stressful environment where your employees are under intense pressure to meet deadlines and achieve goals is ineffective. Instead, you should find as many ways as possible to reduce employee stress. Doing this will result in employees who work harder yet enjoy their work far more. Below, you can find our best tips to achieve this working environment by reducing employee stress. How Can You Reduce Employee Stress? Instead, change the working environment and culture so employees don’t have to deliver excellent work under stress. To give you an idea of how to change this working environment, here are 14 tips to reduce employee stress. 1. Create a Positive Environment 😄 Our first point is critical, as many of our further tips return here. Being positive is critical. You need to bolster every employee element under your control with positive re-enforcement to reduce employee stress; this includes: Positive communication – create clear communication channels. Encourage teamwork and avoid unhealthy competition. Appreciate your employees’ effort; being too critical can stress them out and put them in a negative headspace. 2. Set Realistic Targets 🎯 Strict deadlines significantly increase employee stress. Some managers even set strict deadlines because they think the pressure will get the best work out of their employees. Unfortunately, this strategy is incredibly outdated. Thankfully, the solution lies in the complete opposite approach. Realistic employee deadlines give them enough time to double-check their work and perfect it. They will also appreciate the extra time because it allows for more effective research and finalizing (if required). Also, you should fully define what you want from your employees. If the tasks are too vague, they will question what you want from them; this increases their stress. 3. Ensure That you Promote Relaxation in the Workplace 🛌 The mental image of a modern office is slowly (but surely) shifting away from the grey, dull cubicle setup that many people associate with a hostile workplace. Nowadays, you should have a more open workspace for your employees and plenty of relaxation areas. You should aim to create the perfect balance between productivity and relaxation to get the best results. Also, encourage your workforce to find ways to relax; say “close your eyes” to them, for example, or do some breathing exercises to cope with stress like taking deep breaths. 4. Encourage Employees to Have a Work-life Balance A Linkedin 2023 study states that 51% of Australian workers hold flexibility as one of their top work priorities. Flexibility means having the opportunity to create a work-life balance. Although you should want commitment from your employees, overworking them can result in burnout and disengagement. You can encourage employees to have a work-life balance (seeing their family members, for example) by implementing the following things: Flexible working hours; one half-day a week, for example. Remote work as a full-time option, or a hybrid setup. Encourage your employees to take time off if they need it. Use time and attendance software to manage this properly. 5. Reward Employees for Their Successes 🏆 The pressure to impress ‘the boss’ is a massive contributor to stress in the workplace. Therefore, it is up to you to remove this stigma by rewarding employees when they complete a task. You can do this by: Expressing your sincere gratitude. Formally recognizing their achievements with something like an employee of the month system. Giving them a yearly bonus or a prize for completing a challenging task (like a gift card).💰 6. Offer to Support Employee Mental Health🧠 Mental health can be a massive issue you need to be fully supportive of in the workplace. If you don’t do this, employee stress can go up, and it can cost your business a lot of money because of the numerous days off they need. Source World Health Organization To support employee mental health, try some of the following: Implement an employee assistance program. Offer mental health resources like a workplace therapist.  Set up workshops for stress management. Look after your employees as if they are your family. 7. Promote Physical Health at the Workplace 🏋️ Along with mental health, physical health can be critical to keeping stress levels low. High stress can cause a high heart rate, blood pressure and muscle tension, so physical activity is critical in the workplace. To maintain physical health among your employees, you can implement the following: In-house gym access (or gym memberships). Walking meetings in the local area around the business. A cycle-to-work scheme with incentives. Monthly (or weekly) wellness challenges like a healthy eating or weight loss challenges 8. Create Social Events 🎳 Although promoting a work-life balance is essential to energizing your employees, there is no guarantee your employees will form relationships outside of work. Promoting this can create a strong team who actively wants to work together. Creating social events outside of work can be the answer. Examples of this include: Organizing team-building activities. Creating social events like restaurant visits, leisure activities (like bowling), or nights at bars or clubs. 🍸 Hosting virtual events like quizzes or game nights. 9. Trust Employees to Make Key Decisions For some employees, the idea that you may not trust them is enough to stress them out. A 2021 UKG study states, “Nearly two-thirds (64%) of employees say trust has a direct impact on their sense of belonging at work”. Trusting your employees to make decisions impacts their sense of belonging, decreases their stress, and reassures them that you value their input. Also, involving employees in the decision-making process (when appropriate) shows them that they are a valuable addition to the company. 10. Manage Employee Workloads 💻 Employees want fair treatment, so you must create a fair workload distribution. If you like one employee’s work more than others, this doesn’t mean you should give them an unrealistic workload. If one employee has too much, redistribute some of their work to someone with a smaller workload. 11. Encourage Regular Breaks ☕ Believe it or not, regular breaks can improve productivity

12 Creative Strategies to Attract Part-Time Employees

12 Smart Ways to Attract Part-Time Staff - MyTommy.com

Do you need to hire extra help but don’t have the budget for a full-time employee? Or do you need a reliever for a few months? Then hiring a part-time employee is the solution to your problem! ⏰ But if you’re having a hard time finding them, here are some strategies you can use to attract part-time employees to your business. Let’s take a look at 12 creative strategies to attract part-time employees: What Are the Benefits of Hiring Part-Time Employees?👩🏾‍🤝‍👨🏽 Hiring part-time employees has many benefits for any business, depending on the specific needs and circumstances. If you don’t have the budget to employ more full-time workers or need an extra pair of hands, hiring some part-time employees may be a good idea. Here are some benefits of hiring part-time employees:  Cost savings Reduced overtime A diverse range of skills Flexibility Help with staffing gaps Specific expertise Reduced training costs Finding part-time workers may require creative strategies that attract them to your business and perks. Part-time employment also benefits the workers, depending on the circumstances. It’s a win-win!👏🏽 Let’s look at some creative strategies to attract part-time employees: 1. Choose The Right Platform👩‍💻 Take a look at the various online freelancing platforms where you can find great part-time employees. Their skills may vary, and you have many options to choose from. However, each platform has a particular user base, so you should research them before deciding which platform to use. Also, take note that there might be many applicants, so it might be time-consuming to find the right people. As of January 2023, there are 27.52 million part-time workers in the U.S, reflecting how many more applicants may be looking for part-time work.  Job postings across various platforms will attract a range of potential candidates, so make sure to choose the right platform for the part-timers you’re looking for. Source Zippia  2. Post a Good and Accurate Job Description✍️ A job description is one of the most crucial parts of finding a great part-time employee. You should thoroughly describe vital information about the part-time position and vital information about the job. Your posting should contain mainly the following information: Number of working hours and required shifts (if needed) Preferred type of employee (e.g., student, parent, or retired people) Budget Location (if needed to work onsite) Role and responsibilities Expectations (if any) Only serious people will apply for the position if your posting is accurate. Alternatively, if you post vague descriptions, many people that are not fit may also apply. Have a co-worker check the job description before you post it. 3. Encourage Employee Referrals🗣 Another creative way to get excellent part-time employees is through an employee referral. When an employee refers someone, they know who that person is and their capabilities.👍 88% of employers rate employee referral programs as the best source of applicants, suggesting the benefits this strategy will have on your business. The chance that their referral will be a great addition to your company is high.  That’s why it’s a good idea to encourage employees to do referrals and consider giving them an incentive if their referral gets hired. 🤩 Source Zippia 4. Have a Virtual Job Fair 💻 If you have many job openings for part-time work, you can host a virtual job fair. You can do it yourself or ask for help from professionals. You can invite influencers and have games so people will be more interested in participating.  In this way, you’ll have many people to choose from for various positions needed in your company. Over 80% of 16- to 17-year-olds choose to work part-time jobs, and a virtual job fair may be a great way to attract them. 5. Prepare A Nice Budget💰 People say that “quality comes with a price.” This is also applicable to part-time employees. Your budget shouldn’t be as big as those for full-time employees, but it shouldn’t be too low either. You won’t get quality employees with a very low budget because great employees know their talent’s worth. Even if only employed short term, they wouldn’t be motivated to work for you or hard if you’re paying them cheaply. 6. Offer A Signing Bonus💸 If it’s hard for you to hire employees, you may offer a signing bonus to applicants. A signing bonus is a lump sum of money paid to new employees and incentivizes them to join. This will attract a lot of attention. However, if you don’t want them to abuse it, you may ask them to work a certain period to get the bonus. 7. Provide Benefits or Incentives✅ Just like your full-time employees, you may also give benefits or incentives to your part-time employees. We don’t mean you should give them the same benefits as your full-time employees.  However, giving them even small benefits for outstanding performance and staying longer will be something they will appreciate and value. Approximately 79% of companies offer health insurance benefits to part-time workers, which is a significant benefit for the workers.👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ You can give them incentives, such as discounts, allowances, or sponsor their certifications. In this way, they will work harder and treat it as a job (not as a gig) where they will be rewarded for fantastic performance and loyalty. Source Zippia 8. Give Chance for Their Career Growth📈 It would help to build good relationships with your part-time employees because you might need extra help again as your business expands, and employee benefits are essential.🏆 It’s better to rehire someone you already know rather than try out with someone new.  You may also consider providing extra hours or giving them a full-time position if they agree with it, especially if they’ve been there for an extended amount of time. However, you shouldn’t trick a person into believing there’s a chance for growth when there is none. 9. Create Boundaries⌚️ Hiring part-time employees means that you only hire them for a few hours per week. Try to make fixed working hours and ensure you don’t talk

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