The Gen XY Lifestyle
Well-being in the modern workplace
The future of work depends on creating renewable human energy.
This topic is vast, but in this article, we will tackle the most actionable aspects that will help prevent burnout, encourage well-being, and support autonomy simultaneously.
To prevent burnout, provide the right to disconnect.
Did you know that 86 percent of job seekers avoid companies with a reputation for burn-out-prone toxic cultures?
We have embedded the right to disconnect in our culture deck, but more importantly, are daily practices. We believe the ability to disconnect is a fundamental right that allows our team members to refrain from engaging in work-related tasks (including phone calls, emails, and other digital communication) outside working hours in their respective time zones. This includes holidays and other forms of leave.
Being a passionate professional and a full-time employee should not contradict being a great partner, parent, sibling, child, etc.
In other words, we don’t expect team members to be available and reply outside of their declared work time. Many employees are doing flex hours these days, meaning they are reallocating hours between days according to their preference and urgency. If that is the case, they decide when to be online that day. Committed employees tend to overwork, so if any control is applicable, it should be around not working too much rather than policing clocked-in hours to determine if they were enough. Therefore, all leaders in the organisation should be mindful of their leading-by-example capacity, which means disconnecting and reminding overdoing employees to exercise the same right.
The well-being of your employees in action
89 percent of workers at companies that support well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as an excellent workplace.
Be willing to let go of control over how and when things are done. The suggestion is to replace management with an overview, keeping a hand on the pulse. If the final goal is clear, all deadlines are known, and dependencies between teammates are understood, there is room for an allowance for employees to decide how they do their work. Simple project management tools can help achieve such transparency.
Regardless of your organisation’s size, you will need to control the “room temperature”. Again, surveying tools come to the rescue, showing changes in your departments across many metrics. But you will also need someone who will help you fix the temperature. The first and most essential step is enabling managers to support employees’ personal needs. Some people may value more time in the morning because they are caregivers to small children and do not mind throwing in a few extra hours over the weekend. Some people may appreciate the ability to fully disconnect over the weekend, as they must travel to see their elderly parents. It is essential to check and throw those into the mix and look into the overall picture to make it fair for everyone on the team.
Autonomy is the way forward
Did you know 47 percent of job seekers cite that type of culture as their reason for looking?
Autonomy is one of the 3 main pillars of employee engagement. It is the way to attract millennials. Millennials want to be able to work in a way that suits them best. It is also the way to attract and retain Gen Z employees. Although in their case, flexibility may have to be stretched toward apps and tools they would prefer to use to get the job done.
Before proceeding with “how-tos”, will you be so kind as to answer this question honestly? Do you believe your teammates understand their goals and are committed to working? In other words, do you think anybody planning or intending to do a lousy job? If so, your teammates should be able to take a more significant time block and work on tasks without supervision or any disturbances.
We encourage everyone to disable Slack notifications (as well as email & all other work-related notifications and keep only one declared emergency channel on – like a mobile call), not only during time off. We practice deep work time blocks, which means we are active on all company-wide channels during work hours a couple of times a day. This allows for collaboration, timely communication, and focused work during the day. In our team, most notifications should be turned off for people who don’t work in customer service or aren’t covering a shift. This way, everyone can take back control of their time, do their best work with focus and efficiency, and have enough time outside work to enjoy other aspects of their life.
If you’re building a company you hope will last, your priority and most crucial resource is talent. Money, time, and tech are more accessible at this point than securing and retaining top talent.
Article contributed by Agnes Kay, Business Development & Marketing Lead, Livit International
Photo by Hannah Busing and by Windows on Unsplash
