Employers should focus on instilling freedom and boundaries in the workplace to avoid employee burnout and boost productivity and retention. Here are some ways organizations can proactively promote work-life balance and escape the toxicity promoted by hustle culture:
• Connect with employees’ personal and professional goals. Encouraging employees to share their life and career goals ensures that their desires outside the workplace are acknowledged and supported. Employers can organize frequent check-ins to discuss employee progress and provide resources to help where applicable.
• Allow flexibility in work schedules and execution. A hybrid work model gives employees the freedom to choose where they want to work, depending on their preferences. If an employee is showing signs of burnout, including disengagement, reduced performance, and cynicism, encouraging them to take a paid day off or work from home can be the recharge they need.
• Focus on performance, not hours. Working longer hours at the expense of sleep, time with loved ones, and other life administrative tasks, does not equate to better performance and productivity. Performance should be measured based on how the results produced match up to clearly outlined expectations.