The four questions employers need to ask their team

Let me ask you a couple of quick questions before we get started. Do you feel like your workplace has a positive influence on your well-being? Do you think your colleagues understand the responsibilities you have outside of the day job?  How you answer this is key to the rest of this blog. During National Work Life Week, I think it’s essential that we consider how well our work knows us. And to start this process, here are four questions employers need to ask their team.

It won’t come as a surprise that I fully support the annual campaign to encourage employers and employees to talk about wellbeing at work and work-life balance. It’s central to my work and the issue that led me to launch The Balance Collective in 2015. Now, ten years on, the need for #FlexForAll is even more prevalent; during Work Life Week, we have all been sharing stories on why flexible working is not a nice-to-have but an essential to help people stay in the workforce. At a time of rising financial pressure, alongside a broad spectrum of caring needs, this week is designed to demonstrate to everyone, from employees and employers to policymakers, that new approaches are needed in the world of work.
The shifts in work style we saw in 2020 haven’t led to the innovation and flexibility for all that was expected. While hybrid work has become a preference for many employees and employers, recent research has found that the expectation is for two to three days a week in the office, with many organisations still pushing for five days a week. This is happening at a time of ongoing political and economic shocks and shifts, where a more flexible, first, and remote approach could make a significant difference to people.

With all this, it can feel like fundamental changes in work–life balance are beyond our control. Today, I want to suggest that we have more freedom than we think, especially as business owners and leaders. Whilst it may feel we don’t have any influence on the laws linked to flexible working, I challenge you to remember we have control over policies and processes. As long as these are within the legal boundaries of your country and sector, you are free to create a flexible first culture within your organisation, in any way you wish.

Not only does flexible working help you attract the best people when you need them, it also enables you to retain the best people when you have them. You have the freedom to craft your culture by keeping all your staff in mind. When they encounter challenging times in life, flexible working and an honest conversation provide them with a safety net to manage their wellbeing.

I encourage you to take this beyond a thought exercise by sharing these questions. If you can’t provide a thorough response, then now is the time to start asking your team!

• How do you understand the needs of your employees?
• Could you tell me who within your team is a parent? *
• Are you aware of those who need a reasonable adjustment to support their needs? Remember that the need for flexibility may also be temporary, such as accidents or illness.
• Do you know those who have caring responsibilities? **

Now is a perfect opportunity for you to get to know your staff, using the many reflections and research shared during Work Life Week. To be open to improvement, understanding that no one should “leave their work” at the door, however hard they may try. As a Career & Return to Work Coach, I speak regularly with people who carry the weight of the world on their shoulders but are hesitant to speak up. They are unclear about how it would be received. You can take the initiative and create a flexible first culture that will not only support the staff you have now but also make you an employer of choice for the future.

Isn’t it time you started?

If you would like some more tips and reflections around Work Life Balance, then I recommend:
Why wellbeing at work is essential
Four ways to support the parents in your team BEFORE they return to work
How employers can better support working parents
Why every employer needs a Parent & Carer Group

And read this book!
A work in progress by Gethin Nadin

*Approximately 75% of mothers and 90% of fathers are employed.

**It is estimated that 2.5 million of the 5.8 million UNPAID carers are in employment. That is around 9% of the workforce. These statistics were taken from the 2021 census, so I imagine the numbers will have increased since then.

If you would like to speak about my 1:1 coaching and career wellbeing workshops, book a call here.