Work-life balance is easy to understand but often tough to implement. Busy companies often do their best, but the day-to-day realities of work can overshadow everyday life. Keeping balance can become even more challenging during seasonal peaks, when you're in "all hands on deck" mode. For your workers, long commutes or other transportation difficulties can make work-life balance even tougher to achieve.
Yet when this balance is not achieved, employee wellness suffers. Eventually, your employees might start to experience signs of burnout, such as a lack of motivation, decreased productivity, and even physical illness. Fortunately, there are proactive steps your HR team can take to help foster work-life balance—particularly through employee benefits such as a corporate transportation program.
Why Prioritize Work-Life Balance?
The many benefits of promoting work-life balance for your entire staff include:
- Lower stress and physical fatigue
- More robust mental health
- Increased productivity
- Improved focus and efficiency at work
- Greater job satisfaction
- Stronger loyalty, leading to lower employee turnover
Interestingly, studies show that organizations that foster a healthy work-life balance tend to have greater diversity, with more women and people of color among their management ranks. While workers of all kinds need work-life support at times, data points to those groups needing it the most, for everything from childcare to reliable transportation.
The Challenges Employees Face
Your employees may face many challenges that can make it difficult to balance other needs with those of the workplace. These may include, but are not limited to:
Long Commutes
Did you know that the average American now spends nearly an hour roundtrip commuting each day? Or that more than 8% of American employees drive an hour or more in each direction to get to and from work? Long commutes can make the workday seem endless. They can be costly and require access to reliable transportation. They also infringe on time that your employees could otherwise spend with friends and family, pursuing hobbies, or simply relaxing. Workers with disabilities, single parents, and those who don't own a car may be unable to make a tough commute at all.
Inflexible Scheduling
Business needs have traditionally dictated employee scheduling, with little thought for the conflicting priorities that many workers have. When schedules are rigid and inflexible, it can be impossible to attend family events, take care of essentials such as doctor visits, or even get enough sleep.
Excessive Work Demands and Overtime
Overtime is a fact of life at many companies, and many workers appreciate the extra pay. But when work demands become excessive, employees can start to feel like work has taken over their entire lives. This makes it difficult to care for themselves and their families, lowers productivity, and significantly increases the risk for burnout.
What You Can Do About It
Companies are not helpless in the face of these challenges. Every workplace is different, but all employers have the ability to offer some relief from the weight of these issues.
Handling the Commute
You can mitigate transportation hurdles and make a real difference in restoring work-life balance by offering a comprehensive commuter benefits program. Commuter benefits can come in many forms, like paid vouchers for commuter trains, prepaid parking in a nearby garage, or a rideshare partnership. For many organizations, a microtransit service like the one we offer at SHARE Mobility is the best solution.
With a customized microtransit program, you can offer your employees scheduled rides on a company shuttle bus that follows a customized route based on your employees' unique needs. For example, you might provide last-mile door-to-door service for those living in a nearby bedroom community who need to get to and from the commuter train station. Or if you manage a warehouse in a rural area that lacks convenient public transportation, you might partner with a service like SHARE, which can design dynamic custom routes to pick the day's workers up in the morning and bring them home at night. Reducing your employees' commutes frees up more time for them to spend with friends and family or pursuing hobbies, creating a stronger work-life balance.
Starting Wellness Programs
Employee wellness initiatives can offer one form of support. Onsite yoga classes, outdoor meetings, and walking challenges are just a few ways to encourage your employees to balance their health with work. Be sure to set up your wellness initiatives on a schedule that allows everyone to participate, no matter which shift they work.
Encouraging Time Off
On-site benefits aren't enough on their own. Your employees also need to take time away from work. Offer generous time off wherever possible, such as more vacation days, plenty of sick days, and longer parental leaves. Be sure to create a work culture that encourages people to actually take time away, without being bothered when they're off the clock.
Offering Flexible Work Options
Flexible work options are among the top priorities for today’s workers. In fact, flexibility has become one of the most important employee retention strategies you can use. Depending on your business needs and goals, consider offering one or more of the following:
- Hybrid work. This can be a great way to provide more flexibility, although it's impossible for many companies. Even if your company's needs require an on-site presence, perhaps this option can be made available for some departments.
- Flexible hours. Many businesses are able to offer this model, especially if your facility operates around the clock. However, flexible schedules can actually cause more stress for workers who rely on public transportation, since a ride may not be available when they need one.
- Compressed workweeks. With some creative redistribution of teams, you may be able to offer compressed workweeks, such as four 10-hour days. Again, though, some workers may run into transportation problems when working nontraditional schedules.
Promoting work-life balance is one of the best tools you have to attract and retain top talent. It can keep your employees healthier both mentally and physically, ultimately boosting productivity. For many companies, especially those located in more remote areas, providing transportation benefits can make a real difference in helping workers find this balance. Learn how SHARE Mobility’s unique microtransit program can help by contacting us today.
