Top 10 List for Best Work-Life Balance
According to a new report, only one North American city is in the Top 10 List for Best Work-Life Balance. Ottawa, Canada, comes in at number seven in a sea of European and Scandinavian cities:
- Oslo
- Bern
- Helsinki
- Zurich
- Copenhagen
- Geneva
- Ottawa
- Sydney
- Stuttgart
- Munich
The report findings consider three themes: Work intensity (vacation days, holiday allowances, paid parental days), Society and Institutions (quality of healthcare, access to community support, gender and LGBTQ+ equality), and Livability (access to culture and leisure activities, outdoor spaces, air quality).
Work-life balance first became a topic of conversation in the 70s and 80s, with some companies caring about it and others dismissing it. Now, however, the tide has turned.
Employees’ priorities have changed. The pandemic has caused many people to stop working grueling 12-hour workdays in the hopes of a bigger paycheck or promotion. Simply put, employees are tired of spending their precious time at work and sacrificing weekends because ‘business needs dictate.’
Jill, What Can I Do? Use these tips to help you support your employees’ work-life balance: Be flexible, provide paid time off (PTO), limit carryover PTO, role-model work-life balance, respect an employee’s time off, allow unpaid time off, and consider job sharing and part-time work. Treat employees the way you want to be treated and watch your people and your business flourish.