A survey from StepStone and totaljobs has revealed two thirds (66%) of UK employees admit to being dissatisfied with their work-life balance, whilst 42% said the stress of work affects their home life. Of the 1,072 British workers surveyed, 25% said they do not get enough time to themselves with work being too time consuming.

John Salt, director, totaljobs, said of the findings: “Clearly British workers are not satisfied with their work-life balance and this is something that can affect staff morale. It’s counter-intuitive for employers to make staff work longer hours in order to increase productivity; workers will become resentful and worn out which leads to costly mistakes while increasing the likelihood of staff giving in their notice. It’s vital that employers ensure staff are able to handle their workload within normal working hours, leaving enough time during the week to switch off and recharge.”

Ways in which employers can improve work-life balance of staff:

• Flexible working – some staff will have different commitments to others such as family or volunteering. Introduce a policy that allows staff to work around these commitments as long as it doesn’t impact overall hours worked.
• Temporary staff – if you know you have a big project coming up, consider bringing in temporary staff or freelancers to help bear the burden. This will take the pressure off your full-time staff and help preserve a happy workforce.
• Early finish on Fridays – allow small perks like leaving early on a Friday or a late start/early finish during the week. It helps create a positive working atmosphere and has a negligible impact on productivity.