The latest JLL barometer on the new work preferences of employees is very clear: the priority for employees is to have a better work/life balance. This trend is confirmed by the survey carried out by the Jean Jaurès Institute in July 2022, which reveals that the relationship of employees to work has changed. If in 1990, 60% of them gave "very important" importance to their job, today only 24% do.

Therefore, talents are no longer willing to sacrifice their personal lives for their careers. To attract and retain them, companies have every interest in taking measures to improve work/life balance.

Overview of individual and collective actions to be implemented.

Work/Life Balance: Measures related to working time organization

1/ Prohibit meetings before 9 am and after 6 pm

How can you drop off your children at school when a meeting is scheduled at 8 am? And who will pick them up when daycare closes at 6 pm? For young parents, organization can quickly become a headache and generate stress.

A simple and quick solution to implement is to prohibit team meetings before 9 am and after 6 pm. To make use of this in your company, hit hard by including this rule in your internal regulations! This is a firm way to curb rebellious managers who might be tempted to ignore this measure.

2/ Respect and enforce working hours

"It's 5 pm and you're already leaving, you've taken your afternoon off"? This kind of comment is common in French companies where the culture of presenteeism is still (too) frequent. And it's high time that this changes! Because no, leaving at 5 pm is not abnormal when the employee respects their hours. Staying in the office to make a good impression is not only absurd but also counterproductive.

To put an end to this archaic custom, start by setting an example. Of course, it is also the role of the team leader to remind employees who work more hours than planned.

3/ Establish telecommuting and flexible organization

On average, employees take 35 minutes to get to work (source: Observatory of Territories). In some cities like Paris, this figure doubles or even triples, and according to the company Swile, 35% of resignations would be related to a bad experience of the home-work trip. By implementing telecommuting days, your employees will regain time to pursue their personal activities.

Moreover, according to the "People at Work" study published in late July 2022, 57% of French people are ready to accept a salary reduction in exchange for a better work/life balance and 27% in exchange for flexibility in their working hours.

Another possible option: individualized schedules. For employees whose jobs can be performed in whole or in part on different time slots, this is a major advantage! They can manage their working time according to their own personal constraints and desires.

4/ Test the 4-day week

According to the same "People at Work" study of 2022, 71% of European employees aspire to move to a 4-day week. Of course, it is a measure that takes time to organize and deploy, but according to organizations that have tested it, the game is worth the candle! And we know what we're talking about since we've implemented it at Gentis!

To find inspiration, overcome your obstacles, and understand how companies have moved to the 4-day week, we recommend that you look to the LDLC Group or MV Group.

Work/Life Balance: HR and Management Measures

5/ Raise awareness of the right to disconnect

Many managers and employees consult, send and respond to emails outside of their working hours. However, this habit encroaches on the private sphere.

A simple measure to put in place: add a note at the end of each email reminding you not to check your email after a certain time. Then, raise awareness among your managers about this practice to encourage employees to do the same.

6/ Train the employee to prioritize their tasks

Some employees have difficulty organizing and distributing their work into urgent tasks, important tasks, and tasks that can wait. For them, they are all urgent when in truth they are not and could be dealt with another day.

The good news is that prioritizing tasks to regain control of your working time can be learned! Identify the employees concerned and offer them training.

7/ Delegate and distribute the workload well

Does your manager not know how to delegate? Are some team members overwhelmed with work while others have time to take 6 coffee breaks during the day? These situations affect work/life balance. In the first case, coaching or individual coaching for your manager to learn to delegate is a good idea.

In the second case, it is important for the team leader to analyze the workload distribution to balance the tasks. Specifically, which employees have the heaviest files to manage? Is the workload fair in terms of quantity and skills?

8/ Learn to say no

One of your employees doesn't know how to say no? While others leave the office, he is still busy working because he said yes to yet another project? Then, coaching to learn how to say no is welcome!

9/ Block access to the company server

A radical solution that has the merit of dissuading those who circumvent the rules on working time is to block access to the company server after a certain time. By choosing this option, you send a strong message: we are responsible for your mental health!

With these 9 ideas, you are now ready to improve your employees' work/life balance!