Appreciating employee work/life balance

Nebel Crowhurst at Reward Gateway | Edenred asks whether the culture of going ‘above and beyond’ at work has died out

Once upon a time, before Zoom chats and Teams calls made every employee accessible 24/7, there was an unwritten expectation that in order to get ahead in your career you worked overtime to please your employer.

With the promise of pay rises and promotions at the end of the tunnel, many employees conformed to this way of work at the expense of their personal time and wellbeing. However, times are changing. 

Today, one in three office workers complain that their boss expects them to be available outside of normal working hours according to new research. And many say they feel they have to regularly respond to emails in the evenings, at weekends, and even on holiday.

And with trends such as ‘quiet quitting’, ‘lazy girl job’ and ‘do the job you’re paid for’ on the rise, you might be forgiven for thinking that the workplace culture of going ‘above and beyond’ is dying out.

The phrase ‘going above and beyond’ has typically been used by employers as an incentive to drive employee productivity for business gain. In the past, generations like boomers were often expected to ‘live to work, not work to live’, with pay rises and career progression awarded to those who worked the long hours. 

Over time, the idea of ‘going the extra mile’ or ‘above and beyond’ became the norm for many. It was no longer a case of ‘when needs must’ but a daily expectation. Not surprisingly, this started to have a negative effect on employee wellbeing - increasing stress levels, fatigue, exhaustion – all classic signs of burnout.

In response to this, businesses are now witnessing a societal shift in the workplace and the catalyst for change has been Gen Z starting their careers.

A societal shift in the workplace

People’s priorities are changing. For the everyday employee working a 9 to 5 job, it’s no longer a case of sacrificing your personal life to do a good job and get ahead in your career, this group of employees don’t want to hinder their wellbeing for career progression. Instead, people are beginning to recognise that they can bring their best selves to work if they have a healthy work life balance. 

Businesses are realising this too. They see the benefits that a positive work environment, one where their people feel engaged and appreciated, has on their bottom lines. From lowering levels of absence, sickness, and stress amongst staff to boosting employee morale to improve business outcomes, employers are starting to see the rewards that a healthy work life balance brings. 

The new Labour government is also getting on the case, looking to implement the ‘right to switch off’ legislation. When in force, this legislation will give employees the right to “ignore” emails from their employer after work hours, with the hopes of promoting a healthier work life balance across industries.

The truth is productivity in the workplace isn’t about squeezing every last drop of effort out of your employees. Productivity gains come through creating a positive workplace, one where people feel heard and appreciated. 

Seeing the power of appreciation

Our Employee Engagement: An Economic Value Study research found that when businesses embed appreciation into their company culture, they can typically see an increase in business performance of between 5 and 7%.  

Showing appreciation for your employees is not about one-off gifts or tokens. It’s about driving cultural change, right from the bottom to the top. The impact this can have on businesses is undeniable, just like low morale and burnout tends to sweep through a workplace, lowering productivity and stunting business performance, appreciation can have the same effect.

When staff feel appreciated as people outside of their job title, they’re more empathetic and collaborative, and more likely to spread positive feelings themselves.

Overcoming this ‘appreciation gap’ – the space between standard workplace gestures and meaningfully meeting people’s needs – will be a driving force for businesses wishing to boost productivity and create an environment where people thrive. 

A great way to show this appreciation is through the benefits that are tailored to the needs of your workforce. During these financially choppy waters for example, why not support employees by providing benefits like interest-free loans on white goods that could dampen some immediate financial worries, or why not show your support for big life decisions this year, through pet-adoption benefits, fertility support with family planning, or valuable mortgage advice? 

If businesses truly want to get the most out of their people, they need to start appreciating their employees. Listening to their needs and providing benefits that help to promote a healthy work life balance is a first step towards this. When we invest in their happiness and shift to align with their values, we attract top talent, boost productivity, and enhance innovation.

Nebel Crowhurst is Chief Appreciation Officer at Reward Gateway | Edenred

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and AlSimonov