Top Tips On How To Maintain A Work-Life Balance While Working From Home

With government guidelines recommending that companies allow staff to continue to work from home again given the rising cases of the Omicron variant, it’s vital to ensure employees maintain a good work-life balance to ensure well-being and avoid burnout.

As Parexel’s Vice President, Diversity, and Inclusion, Aida Sabo recently told myGwork, it’s important to find that balance that allows us to have time to focus on work as well as personal needs. “For many of us, our work is being done at our home and with that there are many benefits, but we must be careful that work doesn’t take over other life needs,” she cautioned.

Here are how some of myGwork member companies and leaders are encouraging their staff to maintain a healthy work-life balance, as we return to home working and increasingly hybrid work arrangements.

Criteo, for example, is communicating weekly to employees on how to prepare for – and adapt to – hybrid working. “Our new policy allows employees to work up to four days remotely per week, giving them more flexibility in where they work,” shared Rachel Scheel, SVP Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Criteo. “We’ve also introduced Quiet Fridays once per month, to allow our employees to take time away from meetings to find time for themselves, their development, or catching up on offline work. We have also developed several toolkits and training resources to support employees to find their balance at work, setting their boundaries, and focusing on their mental well-being.”

“Try to make the days work for you,” advised Clyde & Co’s Solicitor, Kate Mikolajewski. “I make sure that I am contactable during core office hours, but I often work early in the morning, when I am most productive, to get things done, and then ‘finish’ earlier so I can pick the kids up from school and spend time with them. I also make sure I get out of the house for a walk every day, even in the rain.”

As a global business, RS Components “really try to encourage a culture where it is adult to adult, where you are measured on the work you produce and the quality of it, and not the amount of time you spend at your PC,” shared Jessica Chu, Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement at RS Components. “Trust me, we don’t always get this right, but in a culture built on trust and openness, I know I can go to my boss and say, school pick up is at 3-3.30pm each day. I need to be there for my children and he trusts me to get my job done around that.”

May Yang, Global Head of Operations at Synechron, believes that leaders should set an example of respecting blurred lines: “As leaders, we should respect the personal time of our team members. For example, not emailing them over the weekend, or end meetings early if the agenda of the meeting is met. I like to provide flexibility to employees as we all have different family commitments. We cannot assume that we know what our colleagues are juggling with.”

Tammi Wallace, Co-founder of the Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce, agreed. “As a leader, setting a work-life example is the best encouragement to give people the comfort level that they can shut off their computer, do not have to check emails and eliminate any expectation of an immediate response after hours or on weekends. I believe it’s up to us as leaders to set this expectation.”

As a leader, Unilever’s HR Vice President Richard Sharp, actively aims to be a “vocal and visible role model” for respecting work-life balance. “People know that I take time off to take care of my own well-being and my family when needed, and I use my 'Out of Office' indicator on Outlook and Teams to make it clear to everybody.” In the world of hybrid working, “we have to work on developing leaders to be even more output metric focused,” Richard added. “Judgement of good performance can no longer be driven by presence, it needs to be driven by the delivery of the team/individuals, regardless of where from.”

Rehana Nanji, Senior Manager, People Culture at Checkout.com said she also “tries to be a role model where possible to help the team recognize that it’s not an unreal expectation to have that work-life balance in their lives.” She believes it’s important to “remind the team that it’s always a priority to think about self-care.” There’s "then an element of trust that the team maintains this priority. I’m not going to ask for evidence, but I want them to set boundaries and ask for support where they need it," she told myGwork.

So what do these leaders do to relax at the end of a hard day or week? Many unwind with a good book or watch a movie, with a glass of wine. Synechron’s May, for example, said she likes to relax with “a glass of red wine and a good book.” Checkout.com’s Rehana also enjoys quite a few of the “unwind classics": Netflix, wine, and good food: “I love going to good restaurants with good friends and having a bit of a debrief about what happened that day.”

RS Components’ Jessica, who describes herself as a self-confessed foodie, said one of her favorite things to do on a weekend is to have a glass of wine, over some good food. “Doing this with my family makes me really happy,” she shared.

Many find that spending time with pets is also a great way to unwind. “I love to hike with my dogs in the hills behind our home. My dogs bring me so much love and they show me how to appreciate different things,” shared Parexel’s Aida.

Swapi CEO Pete Howroyd also has a “very special tool” which helps him unwind called Sheba. “She’s a one-year-old Labrador who requires walking non-stop. So I go on three or four walks daily in the countryside where we live. It helps me sort through what’s in my mind every day, while having the best mate that anyone could ask for,” explained Pete. “I can honestly say that if it wasn’t for Sheba I don’t think I would have made so much progress to date with Swapi.”

Others find that exercise helps them to unwind at the end of a long hard day. Although Unilever’s Richard admits he’s not a morning person, he does enjoy going to the gym or for a run along the river Thames (especially in the summer) during the evenings to let off steam. “It gives me energy back after a hard day and sets me up to avoid slumping on the couch at the end of the day,” shared Richard.

Clyde & Co’s Kate also goes for a run or a walk. She also enjoys “catching up with my parents or friends on the phone.” Like many of us, she also favors watching some “trashy TV with a glass of wine and some chocolate,” and said she always ends the day with a soak in the bath.

Like Kate, Criteo’s Rachel also enjoys a mix of everything, depending on her day: “Sometimes I go for a walk and if I’m really energetic, something more taxing like a short run. Sometimes I just need to sit down and switch off technology and relax. Other times, it is time with family or friends. I also do enjoy eating out and I make time to schedule this in most weeks. Stepping out of the house (especially now with more homeworking) is so very important. It creates a better divide between work and self. And of course, it is always a chance to get a refreshing glass of wine with friends or family. Either way I do feel it is important to step away from work, get headspace, and allow yourself time to give your brain and mind a rest from the busy workday.”

What do you do to ensure a work-life balance and unwind after a hard day at work, especially when working from home/remotely? Write in and let us know.