Every organization dreams of making it on a best place to work list, but what exactly makes an organization a great place to work? Cool décor? Lavish parties? Or, is it something else? Look at the companies that consistently make the list and you may notice a common thread: they understand the importance of supporting a healthy work-life balance. Supporting a work-life balance is an integral part of building a great place to work. If you are hoping to make it on one of these lists, it’s high time you consider the ways you can do the same.  At LinkNow Media, we recommend doing the following:

Encourage Vacation

The benefits of an employee taking a vacation aren’t hard to see. A little rest and relaxation means coming back to work feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and this translates to increased productivity and enhanced morale. None-the-less, it’s easy to look past these benefits. After all, if an employee isn’t working, they simply aren’t producing. It’s not surprising then that many people in the workplace opt out of taking their vacation. When it comes to an employee taking off, what is the general atmosphere? Are they met by harsh judgment from coworkers? This could cause them to forgo a vacation completely. Creating a culture where employees are encouraged, rather than shamed for taking off can help to avoid burnouts.

Offer Flexible Hours

There’s no denying it – some errands need to get done during the 9-5 workday. We all know that feeling of being at work and trying to figure out a way to be home for the internet guy, or stressing over the fact that getting a dentist appointment after 5 is nearly impossible. On days like these, it can be difficult to concentrate on the task at hand. Luckily, there’s a simple solution: flex schedules. Accommodating the busy lives of your employees by allowing flexible hours can reduce the time an employee spends worrying about outside tasks inside the workplace. Flex schedules allows an employee to accomplish everything they need to do, while still getting in 36 hours at the office. This benefits everyone.

Allow Employees to Work from Home

Advances in technology have allowed for 24/7 connection from anywhere in the world. If you have a system to properly measure and evaluate an employee’s performance, then you can easily see who is capable of handling work from home and who isn’t. Allowing those who are more productive to work from the comfort of their own dwelling will not only save money, but enhance employee morale. Workers will feel good knowing that you trust them to get their work done on their own watch.

Closing

Providing employees with an accommodating environment is the secret to gaining a reputation as being a good place to work. Of course, it’s always important to set boundaries about what is and what isn’t prohibited. This will keep everyone on the same page! What qualities do you think a company needs to possess to make it on such a list? We’d love to hear!