Insights / Workforce Management
The Importance of a Good Work-Life Balance
A look at why work-life balance matters for light-industrial employers, how different generations view it, and simple ways to offer it on the job.
Without work-life balance, employers face lower productivity, more worker's comp claims, and burned-out employees, costing U.S. businesses $125-190 billion annually according to Harvard Business Review. Employers can help by offering flexibility like comp time or remote work for clerical staff, plus competitive pay, positive culture, and room for upward mobility.
What Happens Without Work-Life Balance?
For employers, if you fail to ensure work-life balance for your employers, you’ll likely have lower production and higher insurance claims. You may experience more worker’s compensation reportable incidents as fatigued employees make mistakes on-the-job that lead to safety infractions. When workers are stressed, there is a negative impact on the employer and the employee who may develop illnesses tied to chronic pressure and stress. Burnout workers are fatigued, irritable, and have lower productivity. Harvard Business Review says physical and psychological burnout in their workers costs employers $125 billion to $190 billion each year in the United States. Obviously, we aren’t doing a great job tackling the issue.
What Do Your Workers Feel About Work-Life Balance?
A couple of years ago, Forbes had an interesting article that tracked workers by generation to find out what they felt about work-life balance. Here’s what they found:
Baby Boomers, born between 1945 and 1960, paid less attention to work-life balance overall. Over time, these workers moved into management roles, where today, 80% say they experience high levels of on-the-job stress.
Gen Xers were born between 1961 and 1980. They are pro work-life balance because they witnessed first-hand the high levels of stress their parents regularly carried home with them. That’s why so many polls now show most Gen Xers and millennials are highly focused on finding work-life balance in their next job environment.
Millennials are also anti-stress Born between 1981 and 2000, this population views work as just part of our culture. While these young workers are generally worried about their high student loans, they still insist on work-life balance as a requisite for taking a new job.
Even though our workforces are multi-cultural and multi-generational, it seems they’ve come together in agreement on this one point. But how can employers respond to these concerns?
Creating Work-Life Balance on the Job
This is a tough question because employees will have different standards for what provides them with work-life balance. However, Forbes suggests there are a few common practices that employers can offer their employees to help them find this balance:
Whenever possible, allow work flexibility. It’s tough to meet this goal in the light industrial industry, where productivity drivers are often tied to time limits. However, allowing workers comp time to deal with family issues or allowing work from home for clerical teams can provide a better working environment.
The workplace environment should be one where workers have competitive pay, where culture is positive, and where working conditions allow upward mobility.
Frequently asked
What happens when employers don't prioritize work-life balance?
Employers see lower production and higher insurance claims, with fatigued employees making more mistakes that lead to safety infractions and worker's comp incidents. Stress also causes illness in employees, and burnout costs U.S. employers $125-190 billion annually, per Harvard Business Review.
How do different generations feel about work-life balance?
Baby Boomers historically paid less attention to it, though 80% now report high job stress in management roles. Gen Xers, having watched their parents' stress, prioritize balance heavily, and Millennials also insist on it despite worries like student loan debt.
What can employers do to create work-life balance for employees?
Forbes suggests offering flexibility where possible, such as comp time for family issues or remote work for clerical teams. Employers should also provide competitive pay, a positive workplace culture, and opportunities for upward mobility.
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