The 5 New Rules of Work-Life Balance

How to re-establish the boundaries that have been blurred by working from home

Long before the threat of COVID-19 confined many professionals to their home offices, technology had allowed work to encroach on our personal time. The need for work-life balance is not new, but it has been heightened by the events of 2020.

With physical and mental barriers between the personal and the professional diminished, establishing a healthy balance is proving elusive to many.

Here are some reasons the scale has tipped so dramatically and some suggestions for leveling it.

Balance disrupters, then and now

Before the pandemic, working from home was regarded as a privilege widely available only in certain industries and companies. As of 2019, only 7% of employees in the U.S. routinely exercised this option. Now, the number of people working from home five or more days a week, by choice or mandate, is 44%.    

When the office is home, creating a separation between the personal and the professional requires much more than simply unplugging.

The inability to create healthy boundaries can lead to high stress and burnout, even in "normal" times. And the pandemic has elevated the risk of burnout among most workers surveyed—some to alarming degrees.

To combat this issue, company leaders should develop new rules that make it easier for their employees to find balance.

Rule 1. Expectations must be clearly set

Working from home requires a different set of guidelines for everything from breaks to expense accounts. Surprisingly, after almost a year of work-from-home mandates, many companies have yet to formalize these changes in their policies.

Having formal standards explicitly written for remote employees minimizes confusion and potential disputes. Company policies should be revised to include adjustments to time management and tracking, compensation, perks, and other previously straightforward conventions of office life.  

Rule 2. Separation should be enforced

Time away from the job is essential for employees at all levels to avoid burnout and remain healthy.

All individuals should comply with their company's vacation policy, from the top down. Make taking paid time off and occasional mental health days a rigorously implemented policy.

On a daily basis, employees working from home can mentally separate from work by leaving their designated office space and shutting down their tools. It is a simple but highly practical exercise.

Rule 3. Access and availability can be limited

During the workday, employees should be encouraged to adhere to a reasonable schedule based on clear expectations and in line with their positions' demands. With exceptions for emergency or "on-call" circumstances, it is helpful for all workers, regardless of location, to clearly define the end of the workday and week. 

Setting those boundaries necessitates placing some distance between workplace connections and homelife. Company leaders can assist by insisting managers respect their subordinates' private time and permit employees to establish reasonable limits to their accessibility.

Unless your business routinely faces emergencies, there is no reason why individuals must be accountable to their superiors 24/7.

Rule 4. Productivity should be rewarded

By rewarding the work that is accomplished rather than the hours spent doing it, leaders emphasize value rather than time. It may be difficult to pivot from a "punch the clock" culture to one that is focused on individual and team achievement, but the timing to do so is ideal.

The need or desire for many team members to remain remote gives organizations the opportunity to change their rules for evaluating and compensating workers. And widespread job flexibility and other accommodations will ease work-life balance burdens.

Rule 5. Company culture must prioritize mental health and wellness

The healthiest companies are run by leaders who model work-life balance. Company culture should promote this in a highly visible way.

Your employees may need assistance with personal issues affecting their performance but be reluctant to seek help through their employer. Make sure everyone has access to information about the mental health-related options in benefits packages. Communicating about these topics openly and frequently also helps destigmatize them.

Encouraging work-life balance is only genuinely achieved through a robust and supportive culture. So, be sure to evaluate your company's culture, values, and policies to ensure that they promote a healthy environment.

Carrington Legal Search is celebrating 20 years in business: we were in the trenches with our clients during 9/11 and 2008. We partner with our clients to identify leaders and mission-critical talent to shore up and grow companies even during the most challenging times. We are here for you! To make our nationwide network work for you, get in touch at 512-627-7467 or email carrie@carringtonlegal.com.