A work-life balance helps manage the often-competing priorities between work and life commitments. This can include your career, business, hobbies, family and friends.

If you employ people, consider how your business can offer flexibility to achieve a work-life balance for your employees.

There are a number of benefits of work, life and family flexibilities, such as:

  • reduced absenteeism
  • increased productivity
  • retaining skilled staff and reduced training costs
  • reduced staff turnover
  • attracting new employees
  • being recognised as an employer of choice
  • increased morale and job satisfaction

With the right approach, workplaces with flexible working arrangements and a family-friendly culture help your employees achieve a work-life balance. If you support your employees in this way, they continue to support and be an asset in your business.

Ways you can create a work-life balance

If you want to create a workplace that values a work-life balance, you could offer:

  • Part time hours: reduced-hour working weeks (less than 38 hours).
  • Flexible hours: allow staff to work earlier or later in the day.
  • Compressed hours: staff work four days a week instead of five by working longer hours.
  • Job sharing: two or more people on part-time hours share one full-time job.
  • Teleworking: staff work from home, mobile offices or public places.
  • Purchased leave: allow your staff to get extra leave by reducing their annual salary.
  • Unpaid leave for school holidays: allow staff with school-aged children to take unpaid leave during school holidays.
  • Talk to employees about leave policies: this is a great way to find out what your employees value in a family-friendly workplace.
  • Subsidies for childcare.
  • Return to work support: offer programs that help employees return to work after extended leave.

Flexible working arrangements

Some employees who have worked with an organisation for 12 months are entitled to request a flexible working arrangement. Employees should make these requests in writing. As an employer, you must respond within 21 days.

Right to disconnect

You can give your employees a better work-life balance by only contacting them during work hours.

Many employees have a 'right to disconnect' when not working. This means they can refuse to monitor, read or respond to work-related communications outside working hours.

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