Finding the sweet spot between work and life has never been more crucial. And recently, I’ve been thinking about the pursuit of a better work-life balance.
Some of my friends have spent almost three years working from home full-time – since the onset of Covid. At first, they loved it. Now, they miss the camaraderie, and their work and home life have become so blurred that every day feels the same.
Many factors come into play, with personal situation being the biggest influencer, so balancing five days at the office isn’t the recipe for everyone.
In my experience, I’ve found that two days at home per week strikes a nice balance. It fosters team bonding and knowledge sharing, while still providing flexibility.
Here’s what I’ve learned about improving work-life balance for our team of 80 people:
- Create set in-office days to balance remote work and in-person collaboration – our team comes in on Fridays for afternoon drinks and team showcases.
- New team members are initially in the office full-time while they build relationships with colleagues and learn work processes.
- Use in-office days for team-focused events such as team lunches and learning sessions.
- Always offer employees flexibility to accommodate life’s responsibilities such as sick kids, personal deliveries etc.
- Run quarterly planning days with a social aspect to align on business goals while fostering team connection.
When it comes to a good work-life balance, as a leader, it’s important to acknowledge that each person’s situation is unique – and therefore flexibility is key. Maximising the opportunity of in-office days by including team connection time, and being open to adjusting working hours when life throws its curveballs has been a great strategy to follow.
