Flexible Work Archives

7 Steps to Reduce Employee Absenteeism

Employee absenteeism has an incredible financial impact on businesses around the US. In fact, absenteeism costs businesses $225.8bn a year. This is a huge amount of money to be losing annually, so how do you limit absenteeism and save your company money? In this article, we’re going to take a look at the steps you can take to tackle and reduce employee absenteeism to save your company money and ensure you’re running an efficient business. Take a look below to learn more now. Source: Expert Market 1. Implement an Attendance Policy ✅ Implementing an attendance policy is the first step to setting out rules regarding employee attendance. It can improve attendance, punctuality, and fairness when it comes to management and shift distribution. Your attendance policy should include processes for requesting time off, reporting absences, and handling tardiness to ensure that managers and employees all know what the standards are. You will also need to specify acceptable reasons for absence, for instance, a family emergency or illness, so employees know where they stand. You might even consider implementing a method of monitoring and tracking attendance, like using our app, which makes tracking and reporting attendance simple. 2. Continue to Share and Discuss the Attendance Policy 🗣️ When you first implement your system to tackle absenteeism in the workplace, you may find some team members or managers object to such a formal method of tracking and monitoring attendance. So, it is important that you continue to discuss, share, and train people in the use of the system for managing absenteeism. It is important that they understand how absence rates affect the business and other employees and that they are aware of what is an acceptable reason for absenteeism and what is not. 3. Monitor Absences 🧑‍💻 Monitoring absent employees, as well as the overall absenteeism rate within your company, can give you a number of helpful insights, including which employees use sick days most often, employees that miss work for issues that don’t qualify as valid reasons for absence, and which employees are covering shifts for those who are absent. Monitoring absences can also be beneficial for the following reasons. Early identification of patterns, like frequent Mondays off or sick leave after vacations To prompt intervention and support when necessary To boost accountability among employees who know they will be monitored To identify the root causes of absences, like employees who call in sick based on the manager on shift or those who dislike morning shifts To implement preventative measures, like wellness initiatives, childcare support, and more To improve workforce planning, i.e. shift scheduling 4. Address Instances of Absenteeism as They Occur 👀 When instances of absenteeism occur, it is important to encourage employees to give their reasons, whether a personal issue or a health problem; you need to know why they’re off work. This is because you may need to plan for long-term coverage if the health issue is serious, and it is important for your own tracking data. Addressing instances as they occur can have a number of benefits, including the following. Maintaining productivity: With employees absent, your workflow may be disrupted, which can impact productivity. If you address each case as it happens, you can minimize its impact. Preventing Escalation: If you ignore absenteeism, then it may normalize the behavior. If you address it as soon as possible, you will send a clear message that it isn’t acceptable, and you can encourage employees to take absenteeism seriously. Identifying underlying issues: By addressing instances as they happen, you have the opportunity to take steps to address the underlying issue early on so that it doesn’t become an ongoing issue. Maintaining team morale: Absenteeism leads to an increased workload for other employees, which can also lead to decreased morale. If you have addressed the absenteeism and gotten information on how long-term it is going to be, you can work collaboratively with employees to ensure that work is distributed fairly. Preventing abuse of policies: If employees see that you do not address unscheduled absences, they may take the opportunity to abuse these policies, too. Demonstrating leadership: Prompt action on absences can demonstrate your leadership to your employees. 5. Attempt to Understand the Cause of the Absenteeism 🫂 Source: Gitnux Once you have the data, you can begin to look at the common causes of absenteeism in your staff. You can work out whether employees are struggling to complete certain work hours, i.e., they may miss more morning shifts due to child drop-off times, and you might also find that certain employees have repeated personal issues. With this information, you can attempt to understand issues that individual employees face. You might find that you could implement childcare services or offer flexible hours to allow employees with families to attend work around childcare responsibilities. In cases where employees’ mental well-being is impacting their attendance, you might consider implementing services that help employees with their mental health. This could be an app or wellness service that employees can use to reduce stress. 6. Reward Employees for Good Attendance Levels 🥇 While encouraging a work-life balance is always going to benefit your staff, it might also be helpful to reward employees who have good attendance rates. This could be part of wider recognition awards where staff get the chance to benefit from good work, good attendance, and good punctuality. Benefits of rewarding good attendance can include: Motivation for other employees to boost their attendance rates Better engagement when at work, knowing that employees recognize hard work Boosting morale among employees Enhancing team dynamics and showing dedication to each other Reducing overall absenteeism 7. Create a Culture of Motivation 👏 Lastly, creating a positive workplace culture can have a huge impact on ensuring that employees actually want to come to work. So, how do you go about creating a culture in the workplace where employees want to work hard for you? Set clear goals and expectations: Clear communication is at the heart of all positive workplaces.

5 Tips for Business Owners to Make Working from Home Easier

In the digital world we live in 🖥🌎, remote work is more than just a trend; it’s a reality for many. As a business owner, adapting to remote work is essential for the productivity and well-being of your employees. In order for your business to succeed, your workforce must feel motivated, productive and content with their working environment.👍 According to Forbes, “by 2025, an estimated 32.6 million Americans will be working remotely, which equates to about 22% of the workforce.”🏡 To help you navigate this common way of work, we’ve compiled a list of 5 working-from-home tips to ensure you and your employees remain satisfied. Let’s get into it! Source: Forbes Remote Work: The Pros and Cons👍👎 Remote working has become increasingly popular in the world we live in. In some businesses, employees experience a mixture of office-like and remote work, and others only require one location. Whatever the dynamic, there are pros and cons that all business owners should be aware of.🤔 According to statistics, 98% of workers want to work remotely at least some of the time. So, as a business owner, encouraging productivity and employee well-being when working remotely is essential.🤩 Some employees may enjoy working from home, whereas others may struggle with their productivity. 🥱That’s why it’s essential for strategies to be in place to ensure all employees’ well-being is put first. Source: Forbes Here are some pros of remote work: Work-life balance and flexibility🤸‍♀️- Employees who work from home can create a more flexible schedule, more time for themselves, and a healthier work-life balance. From personal commitments to appointments, employees have more input over their time.⏰ Increased productivity🧠- Some employees feel more productive in the comfort of their own home, with well-known surroundings. They can personalise their work environment, creating a home office or workspace that fosters their engagement.👩‍💻 Reduced costs💸- If your employees work from home, you don’t need to spend as much on office space, utilities or overhead costs. Employees will also save on commuting costs.🚎 Breaks down global barriers🌏- Remote work allows people of all time zones and geographical regions to contribute to the workforce. You can open up your employee pool to the wider world. Source: Zippia Here are some cons of remote work: Work-life balance⚖️- Sometimes, the line between work and home life gets blurred when people work from home. This can make it hard for employees to set clear boundaries, potentially leading to burnout. Loneliness☹️- A lack of face-to-face communication can make some workers feel lonely. This can lead to a lack of productivity and motivation. It can also negatively impact a person’s mental health. A lack of team morale🤝- If employees aren’t mixing, there may be a lack of team morale. This can lead to loneliness and a lack of motivation among staff. Lack of monitoring⌛️- As a business owner, it’s more of a challenge to monitor your employees’ productivity when they work remotely. This could lead to performance issues. It’s essential to keep in mind that what works well for one employee may not work for another. Everyone’s different, with different outlooks and abilities. Some people love working from home; others find it more of a struggle. That being said, there are steps you can take as a business owner to ensure your staff remains productive and motivated. These steps will increase employee well-being and satisfaction and lead to a thriving business.🤩 Source: Pew Research 5 Tips for Business Owners to Make Working From Home Easier🏠 Working from home is a fairly new concept and became exceptionally popular during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, some businesses have allowed their staff to work remotely. While there are many pros to working from home, there are some challenges that employees face. It’s vital to ensure that your workforce remains as motivated, productive, and happy as possible. Here are our 5 top tips: 1. Separate Work and Personal Life🖥🙎‍♂️ When people work from home, the line between work and personal life tends to get blurred. This can lead to your employees feeling stressed or demotivated. Maintaining a boundary is essential, so encouraging your employees to create a designated workspace and specific working hours when they finish and start work may help.⏱ You could introduce time and attendance software to help your workers stay on top of their hours.⏳This will help them draw a line between their work and personal lives, avoiding burnout and helping create a sense of structure and routine in their daily lives. Encourage your employees to have a workspace that’s separate from the rest of their home. Urge your employees to create their own home office, as this will help them stay productive and stay on track with a work schedule with increased productivity. This will help to keep the boundary clear.👨‍💻 Another tip for maintaining the boundary is to avoid reaching out to your employees outside of their working hours.💬This could lead to them feeling overwhelmed and create a challenge when separating home life from work life. If your employees feel that they can focus on their work, finish it, and separate it from their personal life, they’ll feel more motivated, and their well-being will increase.😊 2. Create Communication Channels🗣 Another remote working tip for business owners is to set up clear channels of communication. Working from home can be lonely for some people, but by setting up a clear way to interact virtually, your employees can remain in the loop and in contact with each other. According to Zippia, “19% of work-from-home employees stated that “isolation” is their #1 problem, and 70% felt left out of their workplace.” If possible, aim to have weekly video calls so your employees can catch up with their workmates. You could include icebreakers so they can get to know each other better.👋 Working from home may be lonely for other people. But it doesn’t have to be. Have weekly meetings where your employees can catch up with their workmates. Start with icebreakers ❄️ and let them share about

Looking at the Future of Hybrid Team Management

Looking at the Future of Hybrid Team Management Do you recall how straightforward life was back then? All you had to do to get your team together for a quick brainstorming session was ask them to meet in the conference room. It was all so easy until the pandemic changed everything. We had no choice but to transition to remote employment quickly, and we can all admit that we didn’t fully prepare for it. Making a significant change to a remote work environment requires much effort. When we were comfortable with it, the epidemic entered a new phase. Now businesses are open again, but remote work isn’t going anywhere. While some of your employees are eager to return to their desks, others may have health difficulties preventing them from returning to the office or other reasons for working from home. According to an April 2022 report from the Australian Industries Group, 46% of Australian employees work from home partly or entirely, and 34% of businesses create teleworking arrangements for their employees. Managing a hybrid team is a challenge, but it is not impossible. To help you out, here is what you must know about hybrid teams. Source: Ai Group What is a Hybrid Team? The term “hybrid team” refers to an arrangement where employees can work from home or in the office. In a hybrid work environment, employees can work from anywhere. Hybrid teams, including remote and in-house personnel, were common before the pandemic and will become even more common now. As a result, managing hybrid teams is the future of leadership. How to Lead a Hybrid Group? When leading a hybrid team, effective leadership boils down to treating every team member equally and fairly, no matter where they work. Effective team management skills are challenging to build for a hybrid team. However, you can reap the benefits of a hybrid team by adding checkpoints and enhancing internal team communication. 1. Put Up Standards of Practice For Accountability 🙋 Having clear expectations and accountability for hybrid teams is essential so that home and office workers can work together effectively and know who is responsible for accomplishing what. For example, you might hold virtual meetings with your staff daily or weekly so that you may start each day or week off appropriately. Communicate the workflows and critical deadlines and discuss progress frequently to keep the momentum going. 2. Be Open and Honest About Work Schedules 🗓️ Ensure that everyone knows and understands where each member will be working if they are in various physical places. Also, a 2022 workplace report found that hybrid Australian workers were likelier to be honest about their mistakes. Therefore, the system of honesty can go both ways. A shared calendar staff can use to state where they’ll be working each day can help increase the visibility of this critical information. 3. Recognize and Uphold The Principles of Equity in all Employment Situations Workers who work from home may have an easier time juggling work and family life than those in the office. Therefore, your office-based team members may benefit from the same level of balance if you allow them to take their child from school or go for a jog during business hours. An employee scheduling tool like Tommy can help with this. Additionally, you must set an example of healthy work habits yourself, no matter your location 4. Each Staff Should Receive Equal Attention and Time ⏰ It shouldn’t matter where an employee works or what their job entails regarding how much attention and assistance you give them. For those who work from home, you should not treat them any less favorably than those in the same office. Here are some things you can do to give all staff equal attention. 5. Avoid a “Them vs. Us” Mentality During Team Collaboration When you have a hybrid workforce, people who work mostly remotely or in the office space may have unhelpful attitudes about the ‘other’ group. This is especially true if several teams work primarily in one place. Having co-located employees perceive that remote team members don’t work as hard or have an easier time at work isn’t something you want to allow to happen. Everyone has common goals at work, no matter where they are, so you need to talk to everyone as one team to encourage collaboration in the workplace. 6. Keep an Eye Out for Burnout 🥵 You must carefully monitor your team members’ stress levels during these transitions. Many individuals, including yourself, feel stress and fatigue. However, if you notice someone acting strangely, it could indicate burnout. Employee burnout is at an all-time spike, so noticing it and reducing workloads is essential. According to a 2023 survey from Future Forum, 42% of employees reported experiencing burnout at work. This is a 2% increase from their survey in 2021. Source: Future Forum 7. Make it Enjoyable for Employees 😀 It’s also worth considering how to inject some fun into your workday. Many of us miss the joy of our life before the outbreak. Find times when there isn’t an agenda, and individuals discuss their reading, kids, or current Netflix addictions. Also, ensure these events are open to everyone, regardless of where they work. 8. Pay Attention To How You Can Promote Effective Communication You may have workers who work primarily or totally from home in your hybrid working style. Face-to-face interaction won’t work for these employees. Your virtual remote meetings are how you can include all employees equally. According to a report by the ACMA, 99% of Australians were online in 2020, so it is becoming more popular in all facets of life. When working and knowledge sharing with remote team members, voice or video call is preferable to email or chat. Remote workers will appreciate it if they see and hear from you frequently. 9. Quantify What a Good Performance Looks Like Instead of focusing on the time you spend at your desk, you’ll need to shift your attention to the

work life balance - illustration of person skiing

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

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

COVID-19 Stress and Fatigue Management

The COVID-19 pandemic 🦠 had a tremendous impact on people in many ways. From mental health to physical health, we are likely to still be seeing the effects of the pandemic for years to come. Upon the return to some semblance of normalcy, employees may have found it challenging to transition back into an everyday work life. They may be suffering from the pressure of having lived through such an unprecedented situation and require some help with stress management. Employers can help employees who are dealing with stress in many ways. We have looked at a few of the ways below. Read on to learn more. 6 Ways to Support Employee Wellness Post-Covid In the post-Covid-19 world, things have changed. We have come face-to-face with the realities of living through a global pandemic, and it is pretty understandable why so many of us have probably been feeling a heightened stress level for some time. As an employer, you will likely have experienced not only more stress in your own life but also seen how this stress has impacted your employees. We’ve consolidated our top tips for coping with stress in the workplace and helping your employees who are dealing with chronic stress below. 1. Allow Flexibility 🤸 Source: Forbes The pandemic taught us very early on that most of us can do our jobs from home. While for some, working from home was incredibly stressful and less than ideal, for others, it provided the opportunity to spend more time with their families 👪, eat a healthier lunch 🍎, and exercise more during the day 🏃. Many people now would at least like the option to work remotely. Indeed, 98% of employees would actually like to work from home at least some of the time. What this suggests is that offering a hybrid model to your employees could help them feel less stressed and benefit their physical and mental health. Source: NCBI In a survey conducted during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that most workers who reported working on a hybrid model had good self-rated mental health (80.7%). On the other hand, exclusive remote work and exclusive in-person work were both associated with poorer self-rated mental health. This suggests that a hybrid model, where employees may be in the office 2 or 3 days a week, can help to improve overall mental health. Better mental health means stronger resilience and an ability to cope with stress in more effective ways. 2. Encourage Open Communication 🗣️ Open and clear communication is crucial to being a good leader. It is also a good stress reliever! Keeping employees up to date about what you expect of them, how they are performing, and any changes that will affect them can help them feel more comfortable. Letting staff know of changes well in advance can help them to manage their time properly. This has a significant impact on stress and helps them to avoid rushing and feeling overwhelmed. Additionally, if they are clear about their duties in their role, they will not spend time confused about who is responsible for what. With all the changes that have occurred during the pandemic, it is no wonder that employees may feel a bit confused. Setting out clear instructions and keeping them up to date with changes as we return to normal work life can really help them deal with residual pandemic stress. 3. Implement Mental Health Benefits 🧠 Employers may feel like the health of their employees is not their concern, but many surveys have proven that workers look for employers who support their mental health when looking for work. Source: APA So, while you may not have previously considered it, having mental health support in the workplace can actually make you a more attractive employer to potential candidates. In terms of COVID-19, having mental health support in place has never been more critical. When staff feel overwhelmed, having a place within the workplace or a virtual place online that they can access to speak with a professional can help them enormously. Professional mental health support can ensure employees find ways of coping with stress and can monitor their progress. In addition, employers can also implement other mental health activities, like wellness courses 💆, in-office meditation sessions 🧘, and social events, to ensure everyone feels supported. Learn more about how employers can support mental health at work. 4. Encourage Breaks and Annual Leave 🏖️ Often, when employees are feeling stressed, they will neglect coffee breaks ☕ and lunchtimes. They may do this to meet deadlines or because they are feeling overwhelmed, but it is incredibly important that employees take breaks during the day. Taking time away from your desk each day (yes, even as the boss) can help you to be more productive and focused and can help reduce stress levels. You could encourage employees to take a walk outside during breaks, as getting back into nature and feeling the fresh air is known to have a positive effect on mental health. On top of this, encouraging employees to use their allotted annual leave time is important. Sometimes, people need more than a weekend of downtime to be performing at their best. In fact, research shows that even a short vacation can improve stress levels and overall mental well-being. 5. Understand When Someone Is Struggling 🫂 As an employer, it is good if you can see the signs when an employee is struggling. They may not know where to turn, and they may not want to speak with someone about it, but if you can educate yourself on the symptoms and signs of chronic stress and burnout, you may be able to reduce workloads and speak with stress-out employees. There are many signs of a stressed out team, including the following. Arguments between colleagues High staff turnover Increased sickness and absence Decreased performance levels More complaints The signs that individual workers are stressed out include the following. Taking more time off than

A Complete Guide To Employee Self-Scheduling 10

What is Employee Self Scheduling? A Complete Guide

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 Workforce

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

8 Workplace Wellness Initiatives To Get You Motivated

Workplace wellness efforts are becoming a top priority in organizations around the world. STAT. Long-term success requires proactive attention to both emotional and physical employee wellness. As companies adjust to ongoing flexible working practices and The Great Resignation, it’s essential to prioritize employee wellbeing more than ever before. Several organizations are leading the charge in this field, and we want to share some of the true jewels 💎 we have discovered in the workplace wellness space. Continue reading for some amazing ideas on delivering workplace wellness programs. Why Implement Workplace Wellness Initiatives? Employee well-being refers to how a staff member’s job affects their overall health and happiness, and vice versa. When businesses prioritize wellbeing, their teams are less stressed and more productive. In other words, implementing workplace wellness initiatives can increase employee engagement. In fact, companies with workplace wellness programs report: A 66% increase in productivity 67% increase in employee satisfaction 63% increase in financial stability 50% decrease in absences These statistics show that employee wellness programs can be incredibly value. By boosting productivity and reducing absences, you can increase efficiency. It’s more profitable for your business. Not to mention, when employees feel valued and happy, they will stay in their job. Considering that hiring new employees can cost 3-4x the position’s salary, it pays to keep employees happy. Workplace Wellness Programs That Will Motivate You 👍🏻 There are endless ways to implement employee wellness initiatives. From smoking cessation programs to healthy eating, there are plenty of options to help you encourage a healthy lifestyle. Many employee wellness programs also focus on mental wellbeing. Here are eight amazing wellness programs to inspire you. 1. Wellness Days 📅 Wellness days can refer to two different things: Designated days off where employees can take time to rest. A dedicated event that celebrates employee wellbeing. The first type is useful for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, your employees need a break, or they will face burnout. Workplace stress is a slippery slope, where stressed employees struggle to meet deadlines. Before it gets to breaking point, allowing days off to focus on wellbeing can nip the issue in the bud. In the United States, 89% of adults have experienced burnout in the past year. The most commonly cited reasons are physical fatigue, cognitive weariness, and emotional exhaustion. Source: Zippia Employers can work to tackle these issues by allowing their staff to take a set number of ‘mental health days’ per year. Crucially, these should be separate from annual leave and sick days. They allow employees to recuperate so they can return to work as their best selves. The second kind of wellbeing day prioritizes team membership. Get everyone in the office together to participate in a themed wellness day (or wellness afternoon). This is very similar to team-building exercises, as it ensures that everyone is interacting socially. You can try dance classes, mindfulness days, cooking classes, stress management sessions, art therapy, or puppy play sessions. Case Study: CharterNet Advisers offered staff extra wellness days for every fortnight during the lockdowns in Sydney. 2. Prioritize Flexible Work 🏡 The pandemic has made us all much more flexible in the way we work. Now more than ever, it’s time to shift to a more flexible working schedule that allows employees to improve their work-life balance. You don’t need to implement remote work all of the time. However, giving your staff some wiggle room takes some pressure off their personal lives. Let’s say you have parents on your team. Flexible working schedules mean they don’t have to worry about collecting their children after school. allowing them to divert that energy into their work. Case Study: Despite being a huge company with over 25,000 employees, TELUS International has unique programs for remote recruitment, remote work, remote training, and more. The company prioritizes connection and wellbeing throughout the global team. If they can do it, so can you! 3. Give Wellness Allowances 💸 What is considered fitness to one person might not apply to another. It’s tricky to implement workplace wellness programs when different staff members have different needs. You can attempt to combat this by providing wellness allowances. It’s a great method for celebrating employee success, allowing staff to become healthy employees by prioritizing their own needs. Note that this method takes a little nudging, encouraging employees to use their allowances and think about what they need. Case Study: Expedia Group has introduced a wellness reimbursement program. Employees can submit reimbursement claims for personal health and wellness expeses, and Expedia reimburses them for a certain amount. Employees have used this system for fitness watches, boxing gloves, skiing equipment, and flying trapeze classes. 4. Encourage Movement 🚶‍♀️ Physical activity has a huge impact on overall health, including mental wellness. It’s important to encourage your staff to get up and about, particularly in an office setting. There are several ways you can do this. Some companies implement walking meetings, giving their employees fresh air and exercise while also maintaining productivity. Of course, this only works for small one-on-one meetings and places with good weather! ☀️ Other alternatives include on-site fitness programs, like yoga classes or boxercise. Yoga is a great option because anyone can participate no matter their fitness level, and it’s easy to do with minimal equipment. Either way, encouraging your staff to stay active is crucial. Case Study: Dealertrack’s headquarters in Long Island, NY features dedicated cardio and yoga rooms. These repurposed conference rooms are more than enough to encourage staff to work out. Plus, it ensures they don’t have to drive to a nearby gym after work and pay extra membership fees. 5. Encourage Practical Wellness via Transportation 🚴‍♀️ If you live in a walkable community or city center, you can encourage employees to cycle or walk to work. This is a great employee wellness program because it’s low cost and easy to implement. If you choose to use bikes, you can rent or buy in-house share bikes so that staff don’t have to shell out

Best Way to Hire Restaurant Employees: 8 Mistakes to Avoid

Best Way to Hire Restaurant Employees: 8 Mistakes to Avoid Besides your customers, your staff is the lifeline of your restaurant. So, it’s important to treat your employees well. However, you might be making certain mistakes that will be bad for them. What’s the best way to hire restaurant employees? And better yet, what’s the best way to retain them? In this guide, we’ll talk about the common mistakes restaurant owners make when hiring and handling employees. That way, you can learn how to manage restaurant employees effectively. 1. Unclear Job Description 🗒 Restaurant staff have to do various tasks. You need to post a clear job description that clearly describes the responsibilities and goals of the role. Without it, your employees will become confused about their job. They won’t know how to contribute well to your restaurant, stopping them from being productive. Plus, unclear job descriptions can contribute to high employee turnover. Unhappy staff won’t stick around, so you need to make it clear what they will be doing in their day-to-day. You should also post job openings on multiple channels, including social media, job boards, and more. That way, job seekers will find your business easily. 2. Insufficient Training 🤔 Whether your employees are experienced or not, you need to provide ongoing training. Onboarding training during the hiring process is not enough on its own. Your staff are human beings, and there’s a chance they’ll forget the things taught when they first arrived. Allocate time for training and upskilling, or at least a refresher course. Source: LinkedIn Not only will training help your staff get clarity on their job, but it will also enhance their skill set. It benefits the business as a whole. Also, you should provide regular feedback on your staff’s work. If you let them know they can ask you anything about their job, there won’t be any confusion. 3. Communicating Poorly 🗣 Communication is the key to your restaurant’s success. A restaurant business is like a well-oiled machine with a lot of moving part. Each part needs to know its role in order for the machine to work properly. Hold regular meetings to update your staff on the company’s goals so they can help you achieve them. If they know what goals to work toward, they can implement them in day-to-day restaurant operations. Ask your restaurant team for comments and suggestions, too. They might see aspects of your business you haven’t noticed. When you open the floor to your staff and let your employees know they can talk to you, it will do wonders for your business. 4. Not Promoting Internally 🧑🏻‍🍳 When you need to fill a higher position, make sure you promote internally instead of hiring external candidates. By doing this, your staff will see that they have room for growth and will be loyal to you as well. For example, if you want to hire an executive chef, consider training and promoting the sous chef. You will be surprised to see how many qualified candidates are right under your nose! It will also save you time and money. Job posting in itself can be costly. Training external candidates can be expensive. But, because your staff already know the restaurant like the back of their hand, you can conserve valuable resources. 5. No Staff Appreciation ❤️ If you want to reduce employee turnover, it’s crucial to show your staff that you appreciate them. You can do this my complimenting them when they’re right and correcting them when they’re wrong. You can also consider giving out awards, like employee of the month, attendance rewards, or bonuses for staying in their role for extended periods of time. Alongside individual awards, consider implementing team building exercises and company days out to help your staff gel. 6. Improper Delegation of Tasks 😣 To help reduce the workload of some employees, you need to delegate tasks to those who can handle them properly. Providing them with more responsibilities shows you can trust them, and it will help improve their skills and knowledge. However, you need to ensure that you don’t overload your staff with work because they may have a burnout – and that benefits nobody! 7. No Flexible Schedules 🕜 The restaurant industry is demanding, and some employees work very long hours. Because of this, they don’t have a healthy work-life balance. This can easily lead to burnout. By offering flexible employee schedules and having an overtime policy in place, you can reduce overworking and provide more rest to your employees. Happy employees are productive ones, so keep this in mind when setting a rota. 8. Low Compensation 💰 If possible, provide your staff with market rate or higher salaries. This way, they won’t easily resign when they find another role that pays higher. By doing this, you’ll also save time and money hiring and training replacements. The restaurant industry has a huge turnover rate, with roughly 75% churn. When faced with low wages and long hours, many staff will leave restaurant jobs for something more fulfilling. By making an effort to compensate employees, you will build loyalty and satisfaction. Plus, you’ll build long-lasting relationships with skilled and productive staff. How to Motivate Restaurant Employees 😁 There are plenty of ways to motivate your employees. Try using the following suggestions: Motivating your staff is about fostering a positive company culture that employees want to be a part of. An employee-centric mindset will help you keep employees happy and retain staff. Summing up: Best Way to Hire Restaurant Employees It’s not easy to own a restaurant. But, when you avoid these common mistakes, your business can grow and reach the peak of its success. It’s essential to prioritize your employees and make them feel valued. By offering bonuses, incentives, career paths, and more, you can motivate staff to work hard. Use this guide as a checklist to make sure you’re on the right track. Avoid these common mistakes, and you’ll make your staff happy in no

9 Easy Tips to Set Your Career Goals

9 Easy Tips to Set Your Career Goals Are you feeling lost in your career? Perhaps you need to engage in some career goal setting to get yourself on track toward fulfillment. It’s never too late to get to grips with your career path and personal development plan. So, if you feel like you’re stagnating, don’t worry! Setting even small short-term goals can set you on a transformational journey. Take small steps toward new skill sets, a leadership position, or even simply a better work-life balance. In this article, we’ll break down nine easy tips to help you set your professional goals to help boost your career and life journey! Why Do You Need To Set Goals? 🗓️🎯 Setting career goals is a great way to keep yourself on track. When you frame your career in terms of goals, it can help you make better decisions day-to-day. Your goals determine how you will spend your time and how you will act in the workplace. This can help bring about a level of driven productivity that would be otherwise very hard to achieve. Your goals act like signposts helping you with short-term career goals toward a broader purpose. 🪧 Let’s get straight into our tips for setting goals. 1. Visualize Your Success Though perhaps a tad poetic, Shaw’s quote presses home the power of imagination and visualization in the achievement process. 🔮 Before you set goals, analyze what it is that you truly want to achieve in your life. What is your endgame? Your raison d’etre? What does success look like to you? This is an introspective process and can relate to different elements of your work life. A common career goal is to consider salary. Yet, careers aren’t just about money. 💰🤑 Is it about retiring at 50? Do you want to become a thought leader and a go-to expert in your field? Or is your priority about being happy at work and avoiding stress? This will look different to each individual. Here are a few career goal-setting examples for inspiration: I want to be a Department Head in the next five years. I want to be able to drop to a four-day week before I’m 40. I want to earn a promotion in the next two years. I want to own my own company with X employees by 2030. 2. Make SMART Goals 🎯 As you set your specific goals, remember to make them SMART goals. SMART stands for: S-pecific – Concrete steps or goals will motivate you because they are not wishy-washy. They should also relate particularly to your situation. M-easurable – Ensure your goal is measurable, otherwise you won’t be able to determine whether you are successful. A-ttainable – Unachievable goals won’t help you – they’ll only serve to bum you out when you fail to meet them. Instead, choose goals that you can realistically achieve. R-elevant – Your goals must be important to you and your professional life. T-ime-based – Set a time period for your goal to provide clarity and urgency. By setting yourself SMART goals, you’re creating realistic and achievable milestones that will provide the stepping stones toward fulfilling your dreams. One study suggests that of those of us who make new year’s resolutions, a mere 19% keep them over the following two years! The explanation for this is of course complex, but often it can come down to the fact people don’t make their goals SMART. 3. Break Goals Into Steps In goal-setting, small can translate to big success. To avoid feeling overwhelmed, break down your ultimate goal into smaller tasks. This will give you time to organize your thoughts. It will also motivate you to push through and decrease your procrastination in the face of goals that are too big. It’s critical to find the right balance here. Your overarching goal may be long in the distance, but breaking it into small SMART goals is extremely helpful. Those mini SMART steps are a lot less intimidating. Completing those will see you progressing toward the finish line in no time at all. 4. Find A Goal Partner🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Did you know that 84% of Fortune 500 companies have mentorship programs? The top players in the business world understand the value of sharing experience and advice in helping employees to achieve goals. Find a mentor or a goal partner to join you on your journey. Having a goal partner will help you push through with your plans with the added accountability. A mentor can offer experienced advice and encouragement if you are having a tough time. That support network can be vital if you feel overwhelmed or under pressure in your work life. Sharing your goals with them can motivate you when you’re losing hope, and they can return you to the proper path if you’re feeling lost. Having that person to talk things through is always helpful. They will also be your cheerleader whenever you achieve something, celebrating your successes and pushing you forward to the next step. 📣 5. Ask For Feedback 🗣️ You may be biased toward your own skills, so it’s essential to ask for feedback about your work performance. 📈 Take a performance review seriously and use it to reflect on your strengths and weaknesses. Ask your project manager or other superior for feedback regularly on your latest work so you can know what’s going well and where to improve. This will help you set goals that will challenge you to excel and refine your work performance. Always frame this as a healthy reflection and something to use going forward as you press for success. With this in mind, take criticism as constructive and don’t allow praise to go to your head. 👑 6. Read Books 📚 Another way to improve is by reading professional development books. Ask your peers or superiors for book suggestions. There are plenty of inspirational books that many people cite as transformative in helping them think about their careers differently. A great career advice

8 Simple Tips To Manage Your Teams Schedule

8 Powerful Team Schedule Management Tips

Do you find it simple to manage your team’s schedule? Do you know your way around a Gantt chart? Do you never miss due dates? The truth is even the best project managers need to monitor and reflect on their team schedule process to maximize efficiency. A key element of project management involves simply ensuring the right employees are in the right place at the right time. Why do project managers need to optimize team schedules? 📈 Project managers must be expert plate spinners to oversee rostering and schedules effectively to complete the projects at hand. The problem with plate spinning is that even the best-laid project plans can go wrong and bring everything crashing down. That’s why you need specialist employee scheduling software alongside your project management software to get a real-time overview of your employee’s commitments. Effective time-tracking software lets you know who is scheduled to work where and when. This accuracy saves time as you can quickly determine the best-placed employees to complete project tasks. Here’s a comprehensive list showcasing the benefits of effective scheduling for a project: Better work-life balance – Effective scheduling allows employees to plan their lives better and in advance. It enables them to manage their personal and professional spheres. Better workload management – Scheduling tasks allows us to break down projects into more manageable chunks. Meeting deadlines – Scheduled tasks can improve efficiency and avoid missing deadlines or losing leads. Progress towards broader goals – Schedule days, weeks, hours, and even months for short-term and long-term goals. Accountability – transparent work schedules ensure everyone understands who is working on what and when. Happier teams – Flexible and open work schedules should foster collaboration among team members. It also saves time just avoiding the manual creation of your schedules! Take a look at this stat from Shiftboard’s 2023 Hourly Workers Survey: Organizations report employee scheduling software drives 30% faster schedule creation and reduces scheduling errors by 55%. Source: Shiftboard With talk of all these benefits, you’re probably keen to know about our tips for successful team schedule and project management! So, without further ado, let’s dive in! 🏊 1. Identify which work schedules you need to use ⏲️ There are many types of work schedules used by organizations. These depend on the circumstances and needs of your business and the structure of your workforce. The most common examples are: When creating a project schedule, you’ll need to determine which work schedules your employees are on and if you need to make changes to these. Full time The most common arrangement, where employees are required to work for at least 40 hours per week. The total number of hours is usually divided across multiple days. This arrangement is stable, but recording overtime can be difficult. Part-time Part-time employees work fewer hours than full-time employees. However, the hours can vary from 1 hour to 39 hours per week. The hours may also be inconsistent, which offers flexibility to employers and employees. Scheduling in this arrangement is dependent on the importance of the employee’s position. Part-time work is common within the hospitality industry. Flexible Many employees express a preference for a flexible work arrangement. Source: Quickbooks Flexible work policies enable employees to meet work expectations on a schedule that matches their personal commitments. An employer might specify a minimum number of set hours but leave remaining hours as flexible. This empowers employees to fulfill hours as they wish. This setup can work for shift work, where employees can swap shifts with others as needed. Fixed This arrangement is a regular, defined, and predictable number of hours per week following a set start and finish time. Since you clearly define the hours, it is a stable situation for both employer and employee. Rotating This arrangement sets shifts on a schedule where employees may work a day or night shift on a rotating basis. The rotation can occur on a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly basis. Rotating shift work is common in retail or manufacturing companies that operate more than 10 hours daily and utilize part-time or flexible employees. Rotating shifts allow flexibility but can be physically and mentally tiring transitioning from day to night work and vice versa. 2. Planning is key 🔑 Once you’ve selected the most appropriate work schedule, you need to consider three other elements to help in your planning phase. Demand Customer demand for your products or services may determine the number of employees required for the required output. Demand may change on a daily, weekly, or seasonal basis, impacting your scheduling arrangement. Skills and experience required Consider the skills and experience required to meet the demand and output. Your employees each have particular skill sets, and you need to choose the right combination to fulfill the specific project requirements. Consider the project activities and know your employees well to effectively allocate the best combination of team members for the task. Legislation Legislative requirements for employer and employee relationships exist at local, state, and federal level. These may include break times, time clocks, and hour limits. Scheduling and planning employee hours must adhere to legislation. When considering your planned schedule for your upcoming project, you’ll need to ensure your allocated time to each team member complies with the law. 3. Know your team Each team member plays a crucial role in your business’ success. Knowing your team allows the most effective use of their skills and experience. Further, personality, strengths, weaknesses, and background may assist in planning for specific demands or new products and services. Maintaining a spreadsheet of employee information may help your future planning. Information to include: This information helps with flexible work arrangements, changing demand, launching new products or services, and industry changes. Further, the balance of skills, experience, and relationships on shifts may influence the output and quality of work. Knowing as much information as possible about your team and their work together will significantly impact your decision-making. 4. Write a scheduling policy Create a policy that details

The Importance of Work-Life Balance

The Importance of Work-Life Balance Employee wellbeing is dependent on a healthy work-life balance. If you’re an employer, it’s on you to communicate that work-life balance is important and something you value. You must set up systems and procedures that empower employees to embrace flexibility at work. The bottom line is happy workers are more productive. So, promoting increased employee awareness of a healthy work-life balance makes business sense. (It’s also just generally a nice thing to do to discourage unhealthy relationships with work!) 👍 But, let’s unpack this a bit further. How do we explain the importance of work-life balance? What is the evidence to back this up? How has the rise of remote work affected work-life balance? Let’s dive in! The Importance of Work-Life Balance: What Do the Stats Say? Finding work-life balance means reaching a happy medium between work and your life outside it. The crux of the issue is managing your time. Employees want to work well without compromising family time, hobbies, relaxation, sleep, and everything else that makes up life outside work. 💤🎾👪📺🧘 Yet, it seems Australia has an issue with work-life balance. According to an OECD survey, Australia has a poorer work-life balance than the US, the UK, and many other leading economies. The result of long hours is often counterintuitive. Those who work long hours often feel their workplace performance plummets. They report reduced productivity and reduced engagement levels. Furthermore, once we get past the consequences for the business, we need to consider the adverse effects of busy work schedules on employee mental health. In a recent survey of Australian workers, some 50% of prime-aged workers feel exhausted. The same survey found about 40% reported feeling less motivated about their work than pre-pandemic. 33% found it more difficult to concentrate at work because of responsibilities outside of work. The Fair Work Act recommends a 38-hour work week for exactly this reason. Anything more than 38 hours, and you start to see detrimental effects on employee mental health. Employees who are confident in their capacity to combine work and life, on the other hand, are less stressed, more relaxed, more productive, and perform at a high level more consistently. These stats set out the importance of work-life balance effectively, both for the health of your business and your employees. But, it’s not always easy for business leaders to monitor how their workers balance their job commitments with their personal life. The rise of remote work has made this more challenging as managers often have less control over their working environments. What Was the Impact of the Pandemic? The pandemic transformed how we think about work-life balance. It blurred the lines between the worlds of work and home life. Spending time with family or relaxing can now take place in the same environment as your working hours. You can shower, make meals, read a book, make reports, and attend meetings, all in the same place. 🚿📚🧑‍🍳📑💬 While not a new concept, most employees were unfamiliar with these circumstances, having to adapt to the new normal abruptly. Some loved the freedom of more flexible working arrangements. Source: officernd Others, however, hated it, feeling they couldn’t strike the right balance at home. These are the cases of people struggling to get out of their pajamas, missing the social aspects of work, or simply being unable to switch off, depending on various employee personalities. What Are the Effects of Remote Work on Work-life Balance? One thing you can say about the pandemic; it made a pretty great case study to test the viability of remote work on a broad scale. The research shows that remote-based businesses can be highly profitable. As a result, many companies decided that the benefits of working remotely are sufficient to keep them working remotely indefinitely. Source: officernd Yet, not all managers feel that way. Some are experimenting with flexibility in the workplace to keep some of the benefits of remote work while offering office space for face-to-face collaboration. This hybrid working model based on flexible scheduling allows employers and employees to negotiate when to work. Many employers look to offer flexibility in the hope this will improve employee engagement. Whichever work model you choose in your workplace, it seems that remote work does not hinder productivity, and it can even increase productivity. But what about its effects on work-life balance? The Fight to Unplug Many managers worried remote work would result in employees working less. It was thought there would be too many distractions and too many temptations to skip work. There was a prevailing belief that, without the keen eye of a manager overseeing things, many employees might practice work avoidance while at home. Instead, it turned out that many remote workers are more likely to wind up working longer hours. This is down to the inability to unplug, switch off, or log out. Working from home has the advantage of reducing travel hours, but many employees end up occupying that time with extra work. Further, many workers settle into a routine of working in spurts, working for a few hours, then taking a break before returning to work. This means workers often work into their evenings and catch up over weekends, too. Work bleeds into leisure as there aren’t clear boundaries. A study suggested Australians worked more when working from home during the pandemic, clocking up 319 hours of unpaid overtime on average over 2021. Each worker racked up 6.13 extra hours each week on top of contracted hours. Source: smartcompany If “out of sight, out of mind” was true while heading home after a day at the office, some stay-at-home workers experience the opposite. When work is always within reach, it might be tough to resist the temptation to put in “just a few more minutes” or to work through the weekend. Furthermore, because their work is always with them, certain organizational cultures have come to require employees to be “on” at all times, especially those that work to

Scheduling

Attendance

Communications

Retail

Hospitality

Healthcare

Small Business

Mid-sized Companies

Flexible Work