Working 9 to 5? You’re in the minority.
These days, work hours often extend above and beyond what once was considered standard. And burning the candle at both ends can be harmful to your employees’ health.
For one thing, there’s the stress involved with working too much and trying to balance job responsibilities with family, friends, and all the aspects of life that go on outside the walls of the workplace.
Too much stress affects the body as well as the mind, and may result in lost sleep, fatigue, headache, stomach upset, and muscle tension.
Additionally, too much time spent behind a desk robs your employees of the physical activity that is such an important component of health and wellness.
Unaddressed, a chronically sedentary lifestyle can contribute to obesity, heart problems, and type 2 diabetes, not to mention the aches, pains, and ergonomic concerns that come into play from “oversitting.”
Another reason you should examine your employees’ working habits? If they’re spending too much time and effort on the job, they risk getting burned out. The last thing you want is to lose a hardworking staff member to the disengagement and exhaustion that comes along with job burnout.
All these things can be prevented by paying a little more attention to work-life balance.
With only so many hours in the day, you may be concerned with how everything will get done if your workers spend less time at the office. The fact is, though, that productivity actually increases when employees are enjoying a well-balanced life. They come in rested and refreshed, get in a full day’s work, and leave at a reasonable hour feeling satisfied and ready to tackle the next day.
That’s in contrast to those who neglect certain aspects of their life and devote too much of themselves to the job. These are the workers who are chronically tired, stressed, and frustrated. Despite their intentions, an imbalance between work and life can deplete their energy, drive, and quality of work.
