Understanding the importance of work-life balance
The employment agency Randstad conducted an important survey on the subject, and it emerged that 60.5% of Italians interviewed consider work-life balance the priority aspect when choosing one company over another. During the contract negotiation phase, time, the quality of employees' lives, flexibility, and benefits have become the crucial point, the tipping point that determines all subsequent choices.Companies, of any type and size, must therefore remodel themselves, rethink their work process, and put the employee in the best possible position; the advantages of this transformation are countless, for both parties.
FOR THE EMPLOYEE: improvement of mental and physical health, greater job satisfaction, reduction of stress, increase in quality personal relationships, sustainable professional growth in the long term.
FOR THE COMPANY: greater productivity, better employee retention (loyalty), increase in corporate reputation, great power of attraction for new talent, creation of solid and long-lasting partnerships.
From abstract concept to practice: useful tips
It is important that this “philosophy” is then applied to daily work and does not remain a theoretical and impractical concept. Among the best practices are certainly:- work flexibility: offering flexible hours, remote work possibilities, simplified management of vacation and leave requests;
- the promotion of free time: encouraging breaks during the working day, offering wellness programs for employees, proposing a serene work environment that can also stimulate social relationships;
- clear definition of boundaries: establishing working hours, avoiding responding to emails during personal free time, deciding how and through which tools to contact employees;
- effective communication: encouraging open and transparent communication between employees and managers to address any problems related to work-life balance.
Glacom: our work-life balance
In the fast-paced world of web agencies, where work can easily spill over into personal life, finding harmony between the two spheres becomes essential. Work-life balance is a necessity that directly influences productivity, creativity, and employee well-being. These are our strategies to maintain a healthy balance between work and personal life.1. SMART WORKING
For full-time, therefore for 40 working hours per week, from Monday to Friday, Glacom has established that:
-> in the office 6 out of 8 hours, the remaining two remotely, approximately from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This allows those who love to sleep in the morning to arrive calmly and not wake up at dawn; parents to leave in time to pick up the children from school; everyone to manage any sports activities, training, meetings, commutes etc.
-> Fridays totally remote, with a fixed appointment at 10:00 AM to organize current work and individual tasks. Everyone works from home, wherever that may be!
-> and if you need other remote days, besides Friday, no problem! For family needs, travel, temporary changes of residence or whatever else, it is possible to agree on other smart working days in which it is possible to work remotely.
For the moment, this type of smart working proves to be the best solution for us. We do not propose full-time remote because we strongly believe that sharing work, the cross-pollination of all personal skills and experiences, as well as teamwork are aspects to be preserved and valued, which determine the true success of Glacom's projects.
2. SIMPLE MANAGEMENT OF LEAVE AND VACATIONS
The management of leave and vacation requests is very simple and immediate. And, in almost all cases, a communication email is enough. There are no pre-established periods in which days of absence from work can or cannot be requested. The standard two weeks in August and at Christmas are provided, during which the office is actually closed; after that, for the rest of the days of the year, it is possible to use one's vacation as desired.
3. COMMUNICATION AND RESPONSIBILITY
Open and transparent communication is fundamental to creating a work environment where employees feel heard and supported. The managers of the various divisions of the company are available to discuss workloads and the personal challenges of employees daily, providing support and resources when necessary. We rarely have “urgent” jobs to be finished within the day, scheduling is weekly and extremely flexible. In this regard, we invite you to read the in-depth analysis regarding Project Management; it is precisely thanks to organization that all this is possible!
4. TOOLS AND CONTACTS
We have established that the “preferred” means of communication is email, so that the employee can read it only during working hours. For everything regarding projects and work in progress, we use the Trello platform to track every advancement and Google Drive for the archiving of materials and data.
We certainly have a WhatsApp group, but we use it primarily for sharing successfully completed projects, communications addressed to everyone, greetings, and even some funny viral GIFs! No to messages on the weekend, disconnecting is essential.
Work-life balance is not a luxury, but a necessity for companies that want to retain their employees, value them, and prosper in the long term. Investing in their well-being and creating a flexible and sustainable work environment not only leads to a happier and more motivated team, but also to greater competitiveness and corporate success. Finding the perfect balance requires commitment and adaptability from all team members, but the benefits are definitely significant.
