This new concept that has been heard so much recently in the business world has led us to explain a little what it is and how it works. If we translate it directly, we get its meaning, which is nothing more than finding the balance between work and personal life. This does not make work something bad or mandatory, but rather part of our life, and therefore we will be at peace when working. It has always been said that a happy worker is a productive worker. Hence, the goal of WLB is to seek happiness in the work environment and to reduce the levels of stress produced by high workloads.
What is work-life balance
In the previous paragraph we have already defined what WLB is. As we have said, it is about finding the balance between personal and professional life. Nowadays, we find many people who seem to work 24 hours a day, not disconnecting from work. This lifestyle usually leads to diseases, since the body processes the stress it is subjected to. Therefore, WLB is based on 3 fundamental pillars: the psychological, the physiological, and the metabolic. These elements are part of a system and should not be treated separately. As the Romans would say: Mens sana in corpore sano.
Goals of work-life balance and how to carry them out
The main objective of the WLB is to have employees 100% committed to the company and their personal lives, which will endow employees with physical energy, mental balance, alignment with the company’s values, improved performance, and therefore their productivity. All of this will result in an increase in the company’s profitability.
This is achieved by improving the employee's life both within and outside the workplace. To achieve that balance, the company must offer its employees certain benefits that will make them happy. Among the most important of these are:
The flexibility of the working hours. The freedom given to workers to organize themselves well when performing their tasks is important; therefore, letting them configure their work schedule will make them work at the time they feel most comfortable and, therefore, they will be more productive.
The promotion of a healthy life. It is important to have a good work environment so that employees are comfortable with one another, which can benefit the company.
Activities outside the company. These activities can be leisure activities, such as going out for a drink together, or group activities, such as a escape room, Or directly sports activities, such as hiking or functional exercises with a personal trainer.
Creativity and innovation. That the company has ingenious details for its employees, such as giving them the day off on their birthday, is a gesture that anyone easily appreciates and makes them feel valued. Or choosing a date in the month and creating a themed day. These are small details that don’t cost the company anything and generate trust and peace of mind for the employee.
