Working for a startup company can be taxing (just like any company). There’s always a lot of pressure to get the next contract signed, keep the paychecks flowing, and consistently generate innovative ideas. Someone is always coming up with the next great idea and competition is always knocking on your door.
So how do you successfully integrate work-life balance in your company? Here at AMPT we have guidelines put in place to make sure that our team feels that maintaining a healthy balance is possible.
Here are the three best practices we’ve used to help our team keep that balance and I’ve shared them for you to try out, too.
1. Willingness to bring kids to work.
A few of the AMPT team members have young children. There are a lot of times, especially on those dreadful Mondays, where they’ll bring their kids to work with them. It’s not easy finding a nanny on short notice, nor is it easy to base your work schedule off of your children’s daycare schedule. One of the perks at AMPT is that we have established the willingness to bring kids to work without having to worry about them getting in the way. This has created a balance for those that don’t have families and those that do.
We have a big break room in our office. We have a sectional, table, T.V, arcade machine, and plenty of open area for kids to run around in. Not to mention the parents bring in coloring books and plenty of snacks. Most of the time we don’t even realize that the kids are in the office. Therefore, we can stay focused and get work done, while their parents don’t have to worry about watching the clock to make sure they aren’t late picking their kids up.
2. Schedule events during work hours.
The AMPT team will go out and do things as a team at least once a month. But, we make sure that we schedule those events or functions during the work day. When we plan these events, we try and plan them from 2-5 so it doesn’t interfere with life outside of work hours. Making sure that once our employees would generally be off the clock they’re actually off the clock. Giving them a chance to spend time with family, work out, or go out with friends.
Not only does this give them a life outside of the office but it also establishes a trust of time management. Scheduling events during average work hours might seem like your employees would fall behind on project timelines. One thing that we’ve noticed is that it gives them a goal to work towards, get everything done before 2 o’clock rolls around. This also gives us a taste of a 4-hour work day.
LEARN MORE: JOIN OUR WEBINAR ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Flexible office hours.
One of the perks of working for a technology company is that we can work remotely. All we need is our laptop and Wi-Fi. This allows us to create a work schedule that matches our lives. Whether we have back to back doctor appointments, an unexpected visit from a nasty illness, or we concentrate better in a coffee shop after lunch; we’re able to accommodate these needs.
This might sound tricky, especially when you throw meetings into the mix. One thing that AMPT has been able to do is find key times for meetings that fit into everyone’s schedule. Then mandating that everyone attends and outside factors get scheduled around those set meeting times. This has also given our employees the option to finish work from home if it’s necessary. They aren’t killing themselves to come into the office everyday if they aren’t feeling healthy enough. This gives them a choice, which rarely if ever gets taken for granted.
You’re probably thinking; how can I do all of this at MY place of work? Have no fear, there are ways and we’re here to help. However, you can start implementing any one of these practices today with a few tweaks to fit your team.
The best way to do that? Let your core values be your guide.
The best company practices are ones that flow from your core values. One of our core values is “Enjoy the Ride”. What kind of company would we be if one of our core values was to enjoy the ride and instead we chose to do the opposite?
We want to hear from you, too. Our best ideas come from leaders all across the country who are passionate about creating great places to work. If you have a work-life balance practice that your team loves, let us know. Share it on social and use the hashtag #AMPTmotivates and we might select you and your company to profile on our upcoming WEBINAR.