We asked companies how they help employees balance work and life. Here’s what they learned about flexible schedules and wellness programs.
Flexible work schedules: Every employee has a life outside of work, and the best way to support them is to offer flexibility to accommodate this. Flexibility in scheduling allows employees to adjust their working hours to suit their personal commitments, including family obligations, educational opportunities, or other life priorities. Not only does this approach promote employee well-being, but it also encourages a more engaged and loyal workforce.
Employees can shift their start and end times or, in some instances, work “compressed weeks.” For example, an employee can choose to work longer hours for four days and take the fifth day off to attend to personal commitments or follow hobbies outside of work. Such autonomy allows them to improve time management, decrease stress, and boost the overall quality of their lives.
The value the concept has brought to our organization is also seen in the case of an employee who expressed interest in pursuing formal education. They were able to pursue a degree program because they adjusted their schedule to take classes in the evenings while working a 9 to 5 job. It allowed them to succeed academically and professionally. After finishing their program, they used their newfound skills and knowledge to climb the ranks within the company, ensuring they had opportunities for career growth without leaving the organization. This illustrates the way flexible working patterns can enable personal and professional development.
The benefits go beyond personal accomplishments. Flexible scheduling has improved team morale and productivity too. This makes employees feel like they’re being valued and supported, as the company recognizes they have their own lives to lead. This trust instills loyalty, decreases turnover, and creates a culture where people are inspired to give their best.
And I tell other companies that flexibility needs to be a pillar of your work-life balance initiatives. Allowing flexible hours reflects a true investment in employee satisfaction and establishes a culture in which personal and business developments succeed in tandem. The results—happier employees, better retention, higher performance—speak for themselves. Flexibility is not simply a policy but a potent weapon in the battle to shape a smarter, more resilient workforce.
Timothy Brooks
CEO, Synergy Houses
We support work-life balance by creating employee resource groups (ERGs) where staff can share challenges, exchange solutions, and advocate for changes that improve both their professional and personal lives. These groups provide a platform for employees with shared experiences or interests to connect, collaborate, and support one another. By empowering employees to voice their concerns and ideas, ERGs not only address specific needs but also foster a sense of belonging and community within the workplace.
One specific example of how ERGs have made a tangible impact is a group we created for working parents. This group became a valuable forum for parents to share the challenges they face, particularly during school vacations when balancing work and family responsibilities can be difficult. Through open discussions and collaborative brainstorming, the group proposed implementing flexible schedules during school vacations. Leadership embraced the idea, recognizing that it aligned with the company’s commitment to work-life balance.
As a result, employees who are parents now have the option to adjust their work hours during these periods to better accommodate their family needs. For example, some parents chose to start earlier in the day and finish mid-afternoon, while others shifted their hours to evenings to match their childcare arrangements. This flexibility significantly reduced the stress many employees previously felt during school breaks, allowing them to focus on their work without compromising their responsibilities at home.
The impact has been overwhelmingly positive. Employees reported feeling more supported and less overwhelmed, which led to increased productivity and morale. This initiative also reinforced trust between employees and leadership, as it demonstrated the company’s willingness to listen and act on feedback. Additionally, the ERG itself has grown into a lasting resource where working parents continue to share strategies, celebrate successes, and advocate for further improvements.
Creating ERGs like this not only helps address specific challenges but also strengthens the overall organizational culture by showing employees that their well-being is a priority. For any company looking to enhance work-life balance, establishing resource groups is a powerful way to engage employees, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful change. It’s a win-win approach that benefits both the workforce and the business.
Justin McLendon
Lcmhc, Lcas & CEO, New Waters Recovery
Our “Do Not Disturb” Wednesday afternoons have transformed how we approach work-life balance. Every Wednesday from 2 PM onwards, we block off time for focused work with no meetings, emails, or team chat notifications. Teams coordinate coverage for essential client needs, but the expectation is complete disconnection from internal communication. One of our project managers used this time to develop an improved inventory tracking system she’d been wanting to work on for months but couldn’t find the headspace for during regular hours.
The most surprising outcome? Weekly productivity actually increased because people stopped feeling the need to catch up on weekends—they knew they had dedicated time to tackle important tasks without interruption. It’s also reduced turnover since implementing it last year, with exit interviews specifically mentioning this policy as something they’ll miss.
Nick Simons
Owner, Storagehub
Our agency was founded and run by working parents with small kids, so we do everything we can to support people juggling both, which most companies still make it extremely difficult to do. For example, we only require employees to come into the office one day per week, so mornings and afternoons are less stressful. We gladly schedule meetings around school drop-offs and pick-up times.
And we offer unlimited PTO days (as long as the time off is pre-approved by the employee’s manager and work is covered by the team), so people don’t have to use their limited sick time when their kids get sick. As a result, we retain the top talent in the industry, brilliant people other companies miss out on. The effectiveness of our campaigns and the many industry awards we win prove it.
Talia Arnold
Managing Director, Exverus Media
We recognize that promoting work-life balance is not just a perk, but a strategic imperative in the high-stakes world of cybersecurity. Our approach is rooted in the understanding that well-rested, balanced employees are more productive, creative, and better equipped to handle the complex challenges of our industry.
One specific initiative we’ve implemented is our “Recharge and Refocus” program. This program allows employees to take a fully paid, month-long sabbatical every three years, in addition to their regular vacation time. During this period, employees are encouraged to completely disconnect from work, pursue personal interests, or engage in professional development unrelated to their day-to-day responsibilities.
In the cybersecurity field, mental fatigue is not just a personal issue—it’s a security risk. Our “Recharge and Refocus” program isn’t just about employee satisfaction; it’s about maintaining the highest levels of vigilance and innovation in our work.
This program has also had a ripple effect on our company culture. It’s fostered an environment where taking time off is not just accepted but encouraged. Managers are trained to support their team members in fully utilizing their time off, and we’ve implemented robust knowledge-sharing practices to ensure smooth transitions during absences.
The success of this initiative has taught us valuable lessons about the nature of productivity and innovation in our field. We’ve found that periods of disconnection often lead to breakthrough ideas and solutions. Sometimes, the best way to solve a complex cybersecurity challenge is to step away from it completely. Our sabbatical program gives our team the space to do just that.
This approach to work-life balance has positioned us as an employer of choice in the competitive cybersecurity talent market. It’s a testament to our belief that taking care of our employees is not just the right thing to do—it’s a critical component of our business strategy and our commitment to providing top-tier cybersecurity services to our clients.
Ayush Trivedi
CEO, Cyber Chief
As a CEO, I believe the best way to promote work-life balance in a company is by leading by example. I snooze notifications after business hours and don’t work on weekends, and the team knows this is how we operate.
You can invite the best well-being coaches to run bespoke training sessions for your company, but people won’t be able to switch off from work if their boss throws emails at them on a Sunday morning. Instead, I believe that the healthiest approach is to encourage engagement in both personal and professional aspects of life. Enthusiasm in one field has a positive impact on the other one.
To make sure business priorities don’t bleed into personal time, I created some routines. I separate the devices I use at work from personal gadgets. That makes it harder to check work emails, task boards, and Slack chats outside of business hours.
In case my work accounts are tied to a personal device, I just leave it in another room for a couple of hours before going to sleep. This way I can dedicate that time to reading, studying, and nurturing my well-being.
What also helps is snoozing all business-related notifications or turning on the “do not disturb” mode when the day is over. If something is a real emergency, I will find out anyway.
I strongly believe that leading by example creates the biggest impact on my team. The more I became involved in promoting work-life balance, the more I saw people becoming open to sharing their tips and tricks. Step by step, it’s become a part of our culture and helped us improve burnout prevention.
Daria Leshchenko
CEO and Managing Partner, SupportYourApp
I believe our programming that focuses on physical fitness can be as impactful in promoting work-life balance as programming around mental health or those with a clearer association with work-life balance. Many of our employees have a wellness allowance that they can use towards gym memberships, league fees, exercise equipment, and even athletic sneakers. Additionally, expert-led programs are created from scratch to provide interested employees with a deeper understanding and a strong support system for changing lifestyle habits, like starting a new fitness routine or training for a 5K for a beginner runner. Putting energy, effort, and resources into these types of initiatives shows that the company cares about well-being and can motivate the employees to prioritize their health by making time for physical activity. It tells them it’s okay to create work-life balance to practice self-care.
Julie Paris
Senior Manager, Global Wellness Program, Akamai Technologies, Inc.
Promoting work-life balance starts with fostering a culture of empathy and flexibility. At our company, we recognize that life is dynamic, and achieving balance often requires stepping back and prioritizing what matters most at the moment. One specific example of ensuring work-life balance is our flexible vacation policy, introduced during the post-pandemic period. This policy allows employees to choose three paid days off per quarter, independent of traditional holiday calendars. Every team member can choose when they want to have a day off and what holidays they’d like to celebrate.
This approach not only respects diverse preferences but also empowers our team to balance personal commitments with work, boosting morale and cultivating a more inclusive and motivated workplace. Employees have responded positively to this new policy, finding it helpful in achieving the work-life balance they need.
Michael Podolsky
Co-Founder and CEO, PissedConsumer.com
At our company, we take a common-sense approach to work-life balance by prioritizing our employees’ well-being. We offer a generous paid time off package and wellness-focused benefits that align with our commitment to making employees feel supported both professionally and personally.
A great example of this in action is how we respond to requests for flexibility, like when an employee asks to leave early to attend their child’s baseball game. If the employee has managed their workload effectively and completed their tasks, we encourage them to take the time for their family. This approach not only fosters a culture of trust and respect but also motivates employees to perform at their best, knowing their personal lives are valued. The result is a happier, more engaged workforce and a positive impact on productivity and morale.
John Riley
CHRO, UBank
We promote work-life balance by empowering small business owners to create and provide paid parental leave. Offering and honoring paid parental leave demonstrates a commitment to supporting employees through one of life’s most significant transitions. It helps foster balance by allowing new parents time to recover, bond with their child, and adjust to their new responsibilities without the added stress of financial insecurity. This support not only enhances employee well-being but also strengthens their connection and loyalty to the workplace. By prioritizing parental leave, businesses show they value their employees as whole people, which can lead to increased engagement, retention, and productivity in the long run.
Audrey Hutnick
Founder, Smallwave Consulting
We have found that employees feel valued when their personal life needs are taken into account. Each individual is encouraged to set their calendar and block time for important commitments, such as picking up children, attending doctor’s appointments, or even going to the gym (taking care of yourself directly impacts mental and physical well-being).
When employees can attend a fitness class or take their furry friend to a vet appointment, they feel less stressed and constrained by the traditional 9-to-5 schedule.
Our team understands why they chose to work for the company and what it takes to support our clients effectively. Balancing work and home life can be challenging, and we recognize that these aspects are interconnected. We believe that managing life commitments does not hinder one’s ability to excel as an employee or manage time effectively.
Melissa Blatt
Founder, indipop
With experience comes the understanding that work-life balance is not just a modern trend, but part of a healthy corporate culture. When a team feels supported by the company, it becomes more creative and effective. For us, one of the ways to do this was to offer a flexible work schedule. Since our team works remotely from different parts of the world, it is not possible to perfectly adjust the schedule for everyone. In our company, there is no clear need to work from 9 to 5, everyone can independently choose when to start and finish tasks. The main thing is to complete the set amount of tasks per day and to be proactive. We monitor the processes through Worksection.
In addition, it is important to understand that training is an integral part of work, so it is also important to perceive it as time spent by an employee. Our managers and specialists often attend various courses and training to improve their skills. Instead of forcing them to combine training with work, we respect their desire to develop and reduce their workload. The time they spend in training is then converted into resources for better and more efficient work. It also shows that the company values its employees and encourages their development. The result is a strong team with high morale, where everyone feels noticed. Work-life balance is real, and the journey can be long. But the payoff is much greater loyalty and productivity.
Evgen Kushnirchuk
Marketer, SEO Expert, and CEO of Hiredevelopers.Biz, Hire Developers Biz
Work/life balance can be tricky as projects have deadlines, programs need constant attention, and it’s all about the bottom line, so organizations tend to apply resource allocation to meet their needs, not yours.
I highly encourage you to add the PMA STAY Interview to your team agenda. This process focuses on retaining your top talent, gives your employees a voice, provides an inclusionary work environment, and lends key insights directly from each employee around their motivation, goals, needs, and challenges. With this knowledge, you can demonstrate specific career development paths and add to work/life balance within your company.
Mark Krajnik
Chief People Officer, Performance Mindset Associates LLC
