Mental Health at Work: 5 Essential Hacks for a Healthy Work-Life Balance

September 1, 2021 - 7 min read

Suzanne Murphy

If you felt your enjoyment of work take a dive during the pandemic, know you are not alone. Only 5% of employed workers experienced significant work stress pre-pandemic, but since March 2020, that figure has risen to 18%. Additionally, 75% of workers have noted experiencing increased burnout at work within the past year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.”

By this definition, it’s clear that mental health affects all aspects of life, which is why it’s essential to take stock of how you can enact positive mental health in your work life. In turn, this should enforce a healthy work-life balance and promote better mental health generally.

Whether you’re working remote, hybrid, or looking forward to getting back in the office, here are some simple work-life balance tips to encourage a better headspace and safeguard work-life balance no matter where you work.

1. Set clear work boundaries

While some employees found they had more personal time while working from home during the pandemic, many others felt that the lines between work and home were blurred. The importance of work-life balance was suddenly thrown into stark focus.

With the workspace integrated into the home, switching off and detaching from work can be more challenging. The workdays can be elongated when there’s no commute, and meetings and work requests outside regular work hours can become the norm. Similarly, as some of us start to return to the office, it can be easy to fall into old patterns of long workdays, busy commutes, and overcommitting to projects and tasks.

If you have the opportunity to set work boundaries, try to create and abide by them. Mark your work hours in your calendar, speak to your manager if needed, and avoid accepting meetings or taking on work outside your defined work hours where possible. Also, politely remind your teammates to respect your hours. Set a daily time for lunch, mark it in your calendar, and try to stick to it each day so colleagues know when they can reach you.

It’s also essential to carve out time for breaks throughout the day. Try to set up a routine for mid-morning and afternoon downtime to make sure you’re taking the time to check in with yourself, move your body and briefly switch off.

2. Stay social with colleagues

Social interactions play an essential role in wellbeing, and this extends to the workplace. Positive social interactions at work increase productivity and employee engagement overall.

It’s critical to stay connected at work even if you don’t always feel like it. Many of us have experienced burnout and Zoom fatigue in the past year, but staying engaged with co-workers, whether you’re at home or in the office, can help to maintain a positive mental attitude towards work.

Whether it’s carving out a coffee hour each week to chat about all things non-work-related, a catch-up with a colleague at the start of a meeting, or a quarterly team event, keep your social calendar at work thriving to feel more positive towards work in general.

3. Optimize your workspace

We’re not experts in Feng Shui, but we know that configuring your workspace can positively impact your productivity and how you approach work every day. The science says that “people who work in a cluttered environment usually suffer from unrecognized stress and may feel overwhelmed.”

If you’re working from home permanently or as part of a hybrid arrangement, try to choose an area at home that you can associate with work as opposed to relaxation or downtime. If you have the means to choose soothing colors and functional storage units, you can create a clutter-free, calming space for your creativity to flourish.

Even more important than the general ambiance is your physical comfort and support. Where possible, invest in a good office chair that’s supportive of your back. If you’re looking for a way to get more steps in or stretch your legs, something like the StorkStand is an excellent way to achieve the benefits of a standing desk without needing to invest in one.

4. Speak up when work is overwhelming

If you have the space to speak with your employer or HR team about what the company can do to create an atmosphere conducive to better employee mental health, make sure to do so. Many policies can be implemented to create a healthy work-life balance for employees. For example, Citigroup has met this challenge head-on by publishing its plan to “reset” work boundaries.

The company announced several initiatives to counteract long workdays and employee burnout. The first initiative is “Zoom-Free Fridays,” designed to reduce Zoom fatigue, provide employees with a meeting-free day to focus on the work they need to get done and allow some breathing room after a busy work week.

They also focus on healthy work boundaries, encouraging employees to limit emails, messages, and meetings outside regular working hours. Employees are encouraged to use their vacation days and enjoy a companywide day off each year called the “Citi Reset Day.”

Managers and employees should actively pursue employee well-being and the need to instill a healthy work-life balance. We’re at a point where the structure of work is changing, so it’s the perfect time to reset boundaries and adopt healthier work expectations. If every employee understands their limits as we move into a new phase of work, well-being and balance should be intuitive for employees, whether in-office, remote, or hybrid.

5. Practice self-compassion above all else

The most important thing to remember when approaching work during difficult or stressful periods is to be compassionate towards yourself. It has been a trying year for everyone, and naturally, some days will be better than others.

Take the steps you need to make work more manageable for you. Make sure to take your vacation days and use the time to switch off and disconnect entirely. Day to day, focus on doing activities that bring you joy and help you to decompress. If you’re having a tough day, take it easy on yourself, decrease your workload where possible and take regular breaks.

And remember, at the end of the day, we’re only human.

Suzanne Murphy

Suzanne is a former Content Marketing Manager of Wrike.

#Wellbeing at Work

Productivity 7 min read

The 4-Day Workweek: Exploring Alternatives for the Future of Work

The pandemic turned the working world upside down more than many workplace experts could have predicted. Millions of workers left their office desks to work from home offices — or the dinner table — which certainly wasn’t an anticipated outcome for the workplace in 2020 — or 2021, for that matter. So, if the workplace can make a major shift toward remote work in the face of pandemic, it could also be possible to explore alternatives for the future of work in the form of the 4-day workweek, While the 4-day workweek might sound like a workplace utopia, a handful of countries and a selection of companies around the world have already trialed or implemented this alternative work style. So, what are the challenges and advantages of a 4-day workweek and how are institutions making it work in the face of our ever-evolving modern work culture. What is the 4-day work week? The 4-day workweek is just what it sounds like: instead of working five eight-hour days each week, from Monday to Friday, employees work just four days. There are two 4-day workweek schedule examples that have been put into practice: In some cases, workers are still on the clock for a 40-hour workweek, but this is condensed into four ten-hour days. In other cases, a 4-day workweek consists of 32 hours, “where employees simply work one less day out of the week without making up the difference in hours.” Historical precedent of the 5-day work week While the 4-day workweek might sound like an extreme departure from the five-day week that has been the norm for as long as most workers can remember, it actually wasn’t that long ago that employees were expected to work six days each week. According to The Atlantic, the earliest recorded use of the word weekend was in 1879, and referred to a break from work between Saturday evening and Monday morning. In 1908, employers in a New England mill began giving workers both Saturday and Sunday off, so that Jewish workers could observe the Saturday sabbath. Per the Atlantic: “The Great Depression cemented the two-day weekend into the economy, as shorter hours were considered a remedy to underemployment,” and we’ve been living with this five-day workweek for about 100 years. In fact, economist John Maynard Keynes predicted in 1930 that, by now, workers would be making such high incomes that they would only have to work 15-hour weeks. James Suzman, in an interview with Ezra Klein, explained, “He predicted that the combination between capital growth, improvements in productivity, and advances in technology, that nobody would be working more than 15 hours in a week.” According to Suzman, the reason we do not work 15-hour weeks is because workers are in the habit of working 40-hour (or more) workweeks and because our wants have grown over time, necessitating longer working hours to pay for them. Polls and experience have actually shown that those who work 40-hour workweeks aren’t necessarily producing more than they would in a 32-hour workweek, which is why countries and companies have begun to experiment with 4-day working weeks. For example, between 1998 and 2000, French lawmakers created rules that brought the French workweek down to 35 hours, meaning that any hours worked over 35 would then be entitled to overtime pay. Iceland trialled a 4-day workweek for many employees between 2015 and 2019, and it was so successful that 85% of employees now work a 4-day week. 4-day workweek example In a key 4-day workweek example, a New Zealand company with 240 employees instituted a 4-day workweek in 2018, where employees were expected to work 32 hours and received the same pay. According to The New York Times, researchers found that employees were able to complete the same amount of work in four days that they were previously doing in five. Additionally, a quarter of employees found they were able to manage their work-life balance more effectively, and stress decreased while work satisfaction increased across all employees. With the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, workers around the world are paying renewed attention to flexible and alternative working styles because of how workplaces shifted to accommodate their employees in the face of the threat of contagious disease. Many employers and employees alike have realized that productivity is not necessarily tied to the office or to working between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm. 4-day workweek pros and cons While Iceland and France have successfully cut down on workweek hours for employees, what are the pros and cons of implementing a 4-day workweek? Pros of the 4-day workweek First, the benefits of a 4-day workweek, from increased productivity to a lower carbon footprint: Increased productivity: A 4-day workweek has been shown to maintain productivity levels when compared with a 5-day workweek. In Japan, Microsoft trialled a 4-day workweek throughout the summer of 2019 and found that productivity actually increased by 40% compared with the summer of 2018. More balanced gender equality: A 4-day workweek can also increase gender equality, because it allows women to stay on more equal footing with male employees. The World Economic Forum explained that women with children could certainly benefit from the 4-day workweek. “Women at the company who have children will be free to spend one day a week with them and, crucially, remain on the same footing as the rest of their colleagues.” Increased employee engagement: Employee engagement has been shown to increase when a company undertakes a shift to a 4-day workweek. Because there is less time in the office so in order to complete their work, employees focus more than they would be able to during a 40-hour week.” Lower carbon footprint: Finally, if employees cut a full day of commuting from their schedule every week, the company’s overall carbon footprint is reduced. However, for employees who work remotely and therefore no longer commute, this benefit will be lessened. Cons of the 4-day workweek Now, the disadvantages of a 4-day workweek: Requires coverage for customer-facing roles: Companies need to be aware that customers might not be on board with a shift to a 4-day workweek, especially if you are providing a service that needs customer support. Companies have mitigated this problem, however, by ensuring there is a shift of employees available to cover customer queries throughout the traditional 5-day week. Requires an understanding of goals: When employers and employees undertake a 4-day work week, the goals need to be clear. The 4-day workweek isn’t simply a 5-day work week squeezed into four days, unless the schedule adjusts to include four 10-hour days. If employees are expected to cram more work into less time, stress levels will increase and productivity will decrease. Requires better planning: A 4-day work week requires more planning in order to successfully shift from a 5-day workweek. Meetings need to be scheduled across four days instead of five, and PTO requests will need to be managed accordingly. Requires cutting out workplace chat: Cutting the workweek by eight hours necessitates removing as much unfocused time as possible from an employee’s daily life, meaning there might be less time for chit chat at the office than there was previously. Countries trying or considering a 4-day workweek A handful of countries have brought in a 4-day work week already, clearly believing the pros outweigh the cons. As previously mentioned, Iceland had such a positive experience in trialing the 4-day work week that 85% of their workers now use this schedule. Spain announced in March 2021 that they would commit to three years of employees working a 32-hour workweek without having a cut in their compensation. The government has committed to making up the difference for companies that want to participate. In August 2021, U.S. House representative Mark Takano (D-CA) put forward the Thirty-Two Hour Work Week Bill in an effort to readjust American work-life balance. The bill would make all work over 32 hours for American employees subject to overtime pay. Meanwhile, in Ireland, Dublin City Council has backed a pilot program trial of the 4-day week. Companies trying a 4-day workweek And it’s not just countries that are trialing four-day workweeks, there are some companies pioneering this schedule as well. Kickstarter recently announced that it would introduce a 4-day workweek for its employees beginning in 2022. Social media software company Buffer began experimenting with the 4-day workweek in 2020, and the New Zealand arm of Unilever has been trialing the 4-day workweek for its employees throughout 2021. Clearly, companies have taken on board one of the biggest lessons of the pandemic: that work and life need to be in balance in order to have productive, satisfied, and content employees. The 4-day workweek is another way companies could reach their business goals while helping employees thrive.

Productivity 7 min read

7 Ways Employers Can Support Working Parents, Including Childcare and Hybrid Working

Being a working parent has always come with challenges: time spent working in an office is time spent away from raising children. If you get called into a meeting, you might have to skip your child’s drama performance; if you have to work late, you might miss tucking your kid in before bed. As we ease out of the pandemic, now is the time to consider ways employers can support working parents better. As women began entering the workforce generations ago, children often became ‘latchkey’ kids from a fairly young age if one of their parents wasn’t able to take care of them before returning from work. In recent times, though, parents have relied heavily on daycare, grandparents and relatives, after-school programs or sports, or full-time nannies to take care of children while they work. Before the pandemic, most working parents were expected to be in an office full-time. This meant that many parents had to coordinate dropping kids to school, bringing them to doctor’s appointments, cheering them on at the soccer field, or watching them in the school play — all while making it to the office on time. For parents who needed to commute, kids might be dropped to daycare at the crack of dawn and not picked up until suppertime. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a significant increase in flexibility for many working parents, thanks in large part to the rise of hybrid working. Many working parents are now able to drop their kids to school or make it to performances or appointments because flexible remote working has become normalized. However, hybrid working isn’t a solution in itself. Workplaces and employers need to support working parents in a more holistic fashion, from offering childcare subsidies as an employee benefit to creating programs that help employees feel a stronger sense of belonging at work. What does the current childcare landscape look like for working parents? Before the pandemic caused a seismic shift in the way we work, finding, scheduling, organizing, and even affording suitable childcare was difficult for many working parents. If kids were sick or a childcare worker didn’t show, parents were left trying to pick up the pieces — and still make it to the office. With the pandemic-induced shift to remote working, previous childcare conundrums paled in comparison to working at home with no childcare at all. Many parents were expected to keep productivity up while somehow overseeing remote learning for multiple children and keeping them occupied throughout the day without so much as a playdate. Needless to say, that situation was untenable for many working parents, leading 40% of working parents to make changes to their jobs and 17% of women to leave work altogether. The attrition due to the pressures on working mothers in the COVID-19 era isn’t over, though, because according to a study on Women in the Workplace by McKinsey, “as many as two million women are considering leaving the workforce.” Why should bringing women back into the workforce matter for businesses? Getting women back into the workforce is key to a strong economic recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic, according to the U.S. Labor Secretary, Marty Walsh. “We need to make sure if we're going to have a strong recovery — a strong, equitable recovery — we need to get women back into the workforce,” Walsh explained. Walsh further commented that childcare remains a critical factor in ensuring that women can indeed return to the workforce and affect change in the greater economy. As offices reopen and working parents are making decisions about how they plan to return post-pandemic, many parents favor hybrid working to accommodate their needs in taking care of their children. In a study of 1,000 randomly selected working parents in the UK, “76% of all mothers and 73% of fathers surveyed wanted to work flexibly to spend more time with children.” Only 16% of those surveyed expressed an interest in working from the office full-time, due to the flexibility that the hybrid model provides for working parents. What can businesses do to help parents in the workplace? Workplaces have clear incentives to actively help working parents, in particular working mothers — both to create a diverse employee panel and to contribute to the overall economic recovery. As offices reopen and employers look to attract and retain highly skilled talent, here are some initiatives they can undertake to assist working parents. Offer hybrid working options: Hybrid working options give parents the flexibility to drop kids to school and daycare, pick them up, or take care of children who are sick. Hybrid working also eliminates commuting time for working parents on the days they work remotely, giving them additional time with their families. Wrike, as a Citrix company, has offered employees the option to avail of their choice of full-time office, full-time remote, or hybrid working scenarios. Create programs for employees that enhance their sense of belonging in the workplace: Working parents can often feel isolated as employees, struggling with responsibilities that they aren’t typically encouraged to share with others. Programs like a company parents group chat or coffee chat on Zoom can create a stronger attachment to the workplace, making it more likely that those employees will continue their employment at their company. Provide a childcare subsidy to employees: Just like healthcare has become an important item in a list of company benefits, childcare subsidies are likely to become increasingly enticing to potential and current employees who have children or are considering having children in the future. Offer on-site childcare options: Large companies sometimes have the ability to provide on-site childcare to their employees in an effort to lessen the burden on working parents who might otherwise not be able to see their children for many hours at a time. On-site childcare options mean that employees are able to see their children during their lunch breaks and commute with them rather than only see them when they pick them up from daycare. Help employees access employee assistance programs: Company employee assistance programs (EAPs) are often designed to help employees with tricky issues such as finding childcare or a realtor. However, some EAPs aren’t exactly user-friendly, and busy working parents might find them difficult to access. Helping employees access the help in EAPs can increase the rate at which they’re utilized. Encourage all employees to maximize work-life balance: Some benefits may carry a stigma that keeps working parents from taking advantage of them. For instance, encouraging all employees (not just parents) to use all of their vacation days will de-stigmatize that practice and help working parents spend more time with their families. Likewise, encouraging all employees to avail of flexible scheduling or hybrid working will reassure working parents that this benefit isn’t frowned upon. Create a parent support forum: Providing opportunities for parents to support each other is a free way of assisting working parents. Employers can create a forum where parents can share babysitter or daycare recommendations (if many employees are in the same geographic area) or offer hand-me-downs to fellow team members when their children outgrow them. Employers can and should support working parents as the global workforce eases slowly out of the pandemic into what will be the new normal. Elements that were incorporated into daily work during the pandemic, like remote and hybrid working options as well as robust employee assistance programs, can continue to help ease the burden on working moms and dads in the future. These kinds of improvements to the workplace will help increase the likelihood that parents will be able to continue to thrive in their employment as well as at home.

Leadership 10 min read

A Beginner's Guide to Ethical Leadership

Making decisions can be tough when you are aiming to do the right thing and make ethical choices in the face of complicated issues. Even though it’s challenging, being an ethical leader is crucial to having a fair and functional business. In this beginner’s guide to ethical leadership, we’ll discuss the primary theories and why it matters. We’ll also provide traits that an ethical leader should have and give examples of being ethical at work that you can use in your day-to-day life. What is ethical leadership? In the world of business, ethics are becoming more prevalent. This is why it is very important for leaders to develop their skills and knowledge in this area. Knowing how to behave in the workplace can help you become a great leader. Ethical leadership is about a) being a leader who prioritizes ethics in decision-making and b) putting people in positions of authority and responsibility who will promote and demonstrate ethical conduct. There are many benefits to ethical leadership. Ethical leaders can help create a positive environment for employees and the organization. Positive working atmospheres help employees feel valued and included in the workplace. Ethical leadership can also involve the management of team members' conduct and collaboration. This can be done informally and formally using a written code of conduct. When employees get along well with one another, it can help build a stronger team. And in general, a positive attitude at work can help improve the overall health of an organization. It can even create a healthy work environment where people can develop their individual and collective goals. All of this comes from the actions of one or more individuals who lead with strong moral codes. Why does ethical leadership matter at work? Ethical leadership is very important for company-wide success in many different ways. It can help create a positive culture within a company. Leaders can help investors feel good about their organization. They can also help customers feel loyal. As a side effect, good press is likely to come from ethical leaders in an organization, especially if this is demonstrated through business continuity. Even partners and vendors can trust and work with an organization that has ethical leadership. In other words, everyone benefits. There is an immediate difference for companies that prioritize ethical leadership. Leaders can also help boost employee morale by encouraging them to be ethical. This helps them feel more motivated and inspired at work. Leaders who are ethical can prevent ethical issues from happening in the long term, which is crucial for business longevity. Doing so can help organizations develop loyal and satisfied employees. Examples of great ethical leadership include resolving disputes, providing a space of non-judgment where workers can honestly discuss issues, and making a conscious effort to provide equitable treatment to everyone involved. Understanding ethical leadership theory Ethical leadership there is often referred to as the ‘4 V’ model. The four V's are: Values Core values based on morality that drive decision-making. Vision A big picture idea of what will benefit everyone involved. Voice Having your own unique sense of self while leaving room for others to do the same. Virtue Behaving in a way that aligns with all of the above. In order to learn how to put the 4 V model into practice, its creators advised students to “develop a value system [that] includes ego development, self awareness training, moral development, social perspective taking, and service learning.” The most challenging part of ethical leadership theory is that it's difficult to measure. That's why it's so important to build self-reflection into your ethical leadership practice. Radical honesty with yourself and others is the only way to improve over time. Ethical leadership theory also depends on a certain level of selflessness from the person or people practicing it. They must always strive to see things from other people's perspectives and often put the needs of others above their own. When faced with moral dilemmas, ethical leaders must forget about company objectives and remember that we're all human. Their decisions may even negatively impact the bottom line at some point. However, ethical leaders understand that revenue may ebb and flow but their actions have a lasting impact on the lives of the people they interact with. What traits do ethical leaders have? There are a number of basic elements that ethical leaders follow in their work. Developing these traits can help you become an ethical leader: Leading by example Leaders should have the same goals and expectations for their employees as they do for themselves. Having the same expectations can help both individuals and businesses thrive while keeping everyone on the same page and ensuring fair treatment all around. Ethical leaders help employees to do their daily tasks by showing them how to be ethical and moral. Being adaptable Good leaders are able to adapt to the changes that are bound to happen in the future. This is the trait that will allow them to excel in today's fast-paced world. Good leaders are also to motivate and retain their employees by creating a positive environment when faced with adversity. Treating everyone equally Not showing respect to others can create a hostile work environment. It can also lead to resentment and make people think they are being treated differently. By working to uncover unconscious bias and understanding the valuable role each individual plays, leaders can ensure they’re always treating their colleagues with fairness. Being a good listener Having good communication skills is very important for leaders to make sure that their organization is a place where people can trust and be honest. Without communication, issues can easily go undetected. Prioritizing self-care Leaders and operations management face stress every day. But no matter what, it is not acceptable to take it out on your workers. Taking advantage of a power dynamic can create tension and frustration in your employees. Leaders who are ethical can manage their stress in a positive and productive way through healthy coping mechanisms. They also encourage others to do the same while making changes that help everyone reduce stress as much as reasonably possible. Managing conflict A moral leader is someone who is capable of solving problems in a way that's fair to everyone. They also take care to ensure that everyone is focused on positive interactions after disputes are resolved. How to become a moral leader By simply making a choice to become a moral leader, you are one. From here on out, the goal is to improve your leadership abilities whenever you are faced with ethical dilemmas. Becoming a moral leader is all about finding your personal ‘why’ statement. Why is morality important to you? Why is being a leader important to you? How does being a moral leader benefit those around you? This is also a great way to tie in your life's greater purpose to your work. If you're serving something higher than yourself, you'll be able to take things less personally and resolve issues in a way that takes your core values into account. Being immoral also means being curious about other people's perspectives. This means remembering that your core values might not be the core values of your employees. That is why developing emotional intelligence is key. Besides practicing the above traits and doing some introspective work, there are no barriers to you becoming a moral leader. You can start demonstrating behavior you'd like to see in the workplace through your daily actions. You can also be open about your journey, especially the struggles. This will inspire others to learn from their mistakes and become more forgiving. Long term, employees will become more likely to take creative risks and reach stretch goals since they’ll be unencumbered by limiting beliefs. Set aside some time for self-reflection daily and weekly. As you journal, don't shy away from challenging situations. Instead, embrace them with openness and see every challenge as an opportunity to improve the lives of others. A great way to become an ethical leader is to start rolling your sleeves up. If your employees need help, an ethical leader is never above lending a hand. Ethical leadership relies on the understanding that all efforts are a team effort and no one is better than anyone else. And finally, don't forget to accept feedback. Ethical leadership thrives on input from others. If someone offers constructive criticism, make sure you take it and apply it to the next situation you find yourself in. Conclusion Ethical leadership is working with others in a way that demonstrates a strong moral code. It has a large impact on the world around you. The ethical leadership theory has four distinct components that are difficult to measure but can be developed over time. Above all else, modeling the right behavior is the key to becoming an ethical leader.

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Mental Health at Work: 5 Essential Hacks for a Healthy Work-Life Balance

1. Set clear work boundaries

2. Stay social with colleagues

3. Optimize your workspace

4. Speak up when work is overwhelming

5. Practice self-compassion above all else

Suzanne Murphy

Mental Health at Work: 5 Essential Hacks for a Healthy Work-Life Balance

1. Set clear work boundaries

2. Stay social with colleagues

3. Optimize your workspace

4. Speak up when work is overwhelming

5. Practice self-compassion above all else

Suzanne Murphy

Related articles

The 4-Day Workweek: Exploring Alternatives for the Future of Work

7 Ways Employers Can Support Working Parents, Including Childcare and Hybrid Working

A Beginner's Guide to Ethical Leadership

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