Home: Message List - Work/Life balance for your employees

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

CEO Space — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:35:40 GMT

I am a strong believer in that you should get paid what you are worth and so in all my businesses, I tried to the best of my ability set up compensation based on results as much as I possibly could.

I would pay my employees a base pay better than the state average for that job and then would have a additional compensation based on results for the location in profits.

I think because of this I got better employees and people worked harder for me but not necessarily longer hours.

My top paid employee actually worked the least hours.

I had another employee who just didn't have the abilities of the top employee and so they compensated by wanting to work 12 hour days as much as possible. I very soon saw that their performance deteriorated even more and so did their personal life. So, I would not allow more than 8 hours overtime in any week.

Other than that, I didn't get involved with my employees personal life or how they balance it. I kept my attention on their performance and results.

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

Ed O'Gee — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:05:37 GMT

Test

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

CareerCoach — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 21:17:06 GMT

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Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

GBIntel — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:39:37 GMT

Dear CorpCons08:

You Indicated
"For business owners that have employees what are some things you do OR do not do to ensure that your employees have an appropriate work/life balance?"

My Response
Your employees would be more than happy to discuss this. Why not call a meeting, so that your answers come from "the horses mouths".
Note that this step is the beginning of work/life balance, which is participative decision making. There are listings of employment options that enhance work/life balance, but they are peculiar to employee needs, wants and aspirations --- such as

flex time
telecommuting
profit sharing
absorption of expenses for babysitting, parking, commuting, etc.

GBIntel
Global Business Intelligence
http://globalbusinessintelligence.googlepages.com/home

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

sdenman — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 19:46:13 GMT

Great question

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

CorpCons08 — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 10:02:22 GMT

That is a very good point LUCKIEST. In fact, it is something that happens too often in the workplace. I don't know about other business owners, but I offer my employees special time arrangements for family illnesses.

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

LUCKIEST — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:52:09 GMT

Work / Life balances. It is an old joke. A visitor asked "how many people work here"??
The punch line. "About half" It turns out that estimate maybe over optimistic.
Here is something to ponder. When asked why they go to work when they are sick??
Respondents said "they saved their days to use when their children were sick"

LUCKIEST

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

teacup — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 02:25:10 GMT

All great feedback. Thank you.

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

Lighthouse24 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:22:43 GMT

I'd say the main thing I do is ensure that WORK and LIFE are not perceived by employees as "opposites" that somehow have to be balanced like children on a see-saw (my metaphor would be two children on the same merry-go-round where both can ride, both can push, or one can ride and one can push, depending on their goals and capabilities -- but they're in it together).

I passed your question to my employees whenit was posted, and these excerpts pretty much reflect the essence of what I got back: "You set a goal and make I know what you expect, and then . . . you let me decide how and when I do it." "Unlike other places I worked, you give me the flexibility to take care what I need to as long as the work gets done and is up to standard." "You treat us like adults and trust us." "You don't put up with or make us put up with anybody who doesn't care about this or doesn't do their part." (I think that last comment is one blessing I have compared to other businesses -- my employees share my sense of purpose, so this not just a job or a paycheck to any of them. They are genuinely committed to what we do.)

I have worked in many other countries, and American employees spend more time at work, with less time off, than almost any industrialized nation in the world. And yet, we're not all that productive by comparison. So clearly this is an issue for most large U.S. employers. Interesting to see if it is for smaller companies, as well. Thanks for posting the question, teacup!

Re: Work/Life balance for your employees

LUCKIEST — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:56:31 GMT

teacup, Read Thursday Wall Street Journal, Personal Journal Section:
Good News For Professionals Who Want to Work at Home.

Again, LUCKIEST