Saving Time Doesn’t Mean You Own Your Employees’ Time

Working faster and smarter to save time is not a novel idea. Businesses have constantly been looking at tools and solutions to shave unnecessary time loss in their operations. 

As a result, buzzwords such as AI-based automation and smart collaborative solutions have grown in popularity over recent years. Doing more in less time is a bonus that no company would want to miss. 

Yet, the desire to save time can have a dramatic impact on your team when it makes you forget that their time, too, is precious. Indeed, too many companies fall into the trap of overtime and long working hours in an effort to encourage better time usage. In reality, quality time management in the team begins with respecting your employees’ spare time. 

Here are essential tips to make sure becoming time-effective doesn’t come at the cost of your employees’ free time. 

Change the lunch break attitude

Almost two-thirds of the American workforce stay at their desk for lunch. More and more people choose to stay at the desk and replace the traditional lunch break with a sandwich in front of the screen. It goes without saying, remote work routines have also encouraged the desk lunch ritual as more and more professionals do not take a lunch break when they work from home.

Businesses can take measures to re-introduce free time for lunch and encourage employees to take the time off to recharge their batteries. It can be a good idea in offices to spruce up the communal area with cozy cafeteria tables and decor. As a general rule of thumb, employees and managers must also make an effort to avoid planning meetings during the lunch break. 

Stop contact outside work hours

At an age where everyone is connected 24/7, it’s hard to stop employees from working overtime. Unfortunately, receiving emails on your phone means that you are constantly connected to the workplace. As a result, it becomes almost natural for employees to be expected to check their emails outside of work hours. According to a study, 70% of remote employees work during the weekends.

Even employees who work in the office find it hard to maintain work/life balance on their devices. Checking your emails outside of office time is, contrary to common belief, not just a matter of a few minutes. It interrupts essential resting time, affects family life, and contributes to increased stress levels. When workers clock out for the day, it’s important to respect their free time. As a result, the business must consider communication time for all employees, including remote teams. 

It’s never okay to give 110%

While it can be tempting to work a little longer to finish an urgent project, workers can rapidly get into the habit of clocking in more time than they should to keep up with a fast-paced environment. This could create dangerous expectations where workers are expected to stay late to handle extra work. In reality, overtime should never become the answer to heavy workloads or lack of resources. 

Saving time in the business should start with employees’ time. As the average person tends to work through lunch and add extra time at the end of the day, it’s no surprise that American workers suffer from high stress. Companies have a responsibility to preserve their team’s free time.