Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses have had to change the way they approach employee relations and the way they operate.
Originally, many businesses focussed on the product or service they provide and not the employee benefits that have begun to become more of a ‘must’ for those looking for new careers. For many, long gone are the days of the ‘ignored out of office email signature’ as there seems to be a societal upheaval in the way employees should (and subsequently deserve) to be treated.
It is promising to see the working dialogue switch to one that embodies a well-rounded lifestyle; you work to live, not live to work. To truly exemplify and demonstrate this, here are a selected few that changed the narrative on work and life balance which may serve as inspiration for all.
Cisco
Listed as one of Glassdoor’s ‘Best Places to Work’ 2022, Cisco is a company focussing on IT, networking and cybersecurity solutions. They pride themselves most assuredly on the environment they create for their workers of whom span across the majority of the planet.
They engage in many different practices that help shape this enriching workplace. One, is that they operate a ‘Time Swap’, which means that an employee can swap 20% of their job with someone else to enhance their interest and desire to learn.
They also grant employees five paid days each year to volunteer for charitable causes that have personal significance. So, not only are Cisco concerned with professional development, they recognise the importance of giving back to the community on a more personal level too. Therefore, this balance between work and life is both heightened and given great importance.
Find out more about Cisco’s benefits and perks.
Seed & Sprout
Following the very nature of a zero-waste brand, this Australian company captures a very strong and important ethos – that people and planet matter!
They aim to integrate the meaning behind their products into the workspace environment for their employees. For example, they hold paperless meetings, and have installed a SubPod in their office garden to compost all of their food waste.
Not only that, but staff teams are encouraged to host monthly ‘plastic free’ lunches supporting local businesses and have started joining beach cleans in Byron Bay. Thus, it is not only their products impacting life in a positive fashion, but it is also the action taken by employees and the company as a whole that integrates work and life into an interwoven lifestyle.
Discover Seed & Sprout’s mission.
Dolby
As a multi-billion dollar company, it should not come as a surprise that Dolby creates a pretty good working environment for its employees. What is at the centre of the company ethos is creativity and innovation which Dolby recognises requires a lot from its employees.
Therefore, they claim that many of their U.S. employees get every other Friday off to allow their workers to re-energise and maintain their wellbeing.
In addition, they also provide free or subsidised gym memberships for their employees alongside ‘wellness credits’ and ‘personal development courses’.
All of this seems to suggest that Dolby sees its employees as something more than corporal success, which is very promising due to the size of the company. Arguably, this sets a good indication for how other large businesses should approach the care of their employees.
Find out more about the ethos and culture at Dolby.
The7Stars
Self-claimed as the UK’s largest independent media agency, The7Stars is frequently featured in the Sunday Times’s annual “100 Best Small Companies to Work For”, and it is easy to see why.
Firstly, this company does not ‘believe’ in the use of timesheets as each task in a job varies, thus the time it takes to complete each task is different so they operate on this basis. This seems to be a more rewarding approach for the employee as the day is shaped around the work they are doing, not the hours they are working.
The7Stars also takes a relatively innovative approach to holidays, insomuch that holiday allowance is unlimited. This again emphasises the brand’s recognition of their employees with full, well-rounded lives, not as working ‘robots’.
To go even beyond this, The7Stars provides a paid gym membership, weekly yoga and mindfulness sessions, adding to the long list of benefits for employees. It is companies like this that have really started to change the narrative on work and life balance.
Find out more about culture at The7Stars
Hopefully, through the companies listed above, it is clear how the narrative for work and life balance is rapidly changing. Not only this, these companies should provide inspiration for the future of brand/employee relations.
By viewing a collection of varying companies spanning multiple sectors that understand the importance of a balanced, fulfilling life, it is most important to recognise that what connects every company are the people who work for it, and the caring and nurturing environment that is required for personal and professional success.
Again, to reiterate; you work to live, not live to work.
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