Why employers should encourage employees to leave work on time

As an employer, your business is at the heart of everything you do. Unfortunately this level of dedication to the output portion of your business, often leads to you neglecting, albeit not intentionally, the driving force behind your organisation; your employees. Whilst hard work and commitment is a prerequisite in any job, too much of both can have a negative impact on your employees and the business. With the busy nature of many businesses today, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of growing projects and increasing deadlines, which results in a heavy workload for employees. As a consequence of this, employees tend to feel the pressure to go above and beyond, often coming into work early or staying in the office until late to complete their projects and tasks. Whether this is encouraged by employers or not, there are strong and compelling reasons as to why employers should encourage their employees to pursue an equal work-life balance. There is often the misguided perception that working longer hours will equate to more work being completed. Whilst logically this should ring true, the mere presence of an employee in the office does not necessarily mean they are utilising their time wisely or productively. If employees feel the constant strain to work longer hours, it is inevitable that their levels of productivity and the quality of their work will significantly decrease. As an employer, you should place emphasis on the importance of delegation. Sharing the workload amongst a team is far more beneficial than stockpiling work on a particular individual, to avoid stress levels from escalating. It is important that employers monitor their employees’ workloads to ensure that each member of staff can perform at their optimum capacity and that they are not feeling the pressure to cope with demanding projects without assistance. In the absence of a work-life balance, employees run the risk of becoming increasingly sick as they struggle to leave their work behind and give themselves time to relax and rejuvenate before entering another day or week of work. Employee absenteeism is one of the biggest crippling factors to business productivity. Whilst this is an issue that cannot always be avoided, employers can implement steps to decrease the likelihood of employees getting sick, particularly when it comes to being run down as the result of work stress. Equally, encouraging employees to continue working whilst sick will also reduce productivity, as fatigue and burnout will leave someone who is present in body, but absent in mind. Furthermore, employees who come to work sick increase the likelihood that other members of your organisation will become sick, thus causing further strain on the workforce and company resources. Your employees are the most vital asset within your business, so looking after them should be a top priority. Overworking your employees can only lead down one path; that of negatively hurting your company. Demonstrating a sense of compassion and understanding towards your employees by taking into account their workloads, office environment and happiness will pay dividends in the long run for business productivity and profitability. For further clarification on this issue please contact Health Assured on 0808 278 073.