Gruelling, long shifts on your feet for over eight hours straight aren’t uncommon when working in the food industry. And not only are the hours long but they’re usually on weekends too, which is generally the time that everybody else has their days off to relax.
This can be pretty annoying as your friends may be gearing up for a night out, yet you’re stuck in work. Or maybe you want to spend time with your little ones after school but you have to stay at work till the early hours because you’re on a close. It sucks.
In a recent survey, 38 percent of employees have missed life events because of bad work-life balance. That’s why you need to establish a work-life balance that works for you. Here’s how you can improve yours.
How Can I Improve My Work-Life Balance?
Schedule Consecutive Days Off
In a restaurant environment, it’s rare that you get the chance to have two days off in a row, like you would with a normal working week. With the majority of restaurants opening six or seven days a week, it can prove to be tricky trying to get two days in a row off.
However, you need two full days off, whether it’s to recharge, run errands or to see your family and friends. Some of the busier weeks, like Christmas or Easter, will require you to work six or even seven days a week, but it’s not impossible for you to attain scheduled consecutive days off during the normal weeks.
The One-Hour Break
Sure it’s far from ideal and you’d rather be able to go out on an evening and not worry about time, but you’re unfortunately limited. So why not make the most of it? Whether it’s meeting up with a friend for lunch, seeing your partner for a coffee or just getting lost in a book in the nearby park, you’re entitled to a long break. Go on and use it!
Holiday Days
They’re there for a reason so don’t let them go to waste. The average worker still has six days of annual leave left at the end of the year. You don’t have to save them up in case of a special occasion or emergency. Using your holidays just to spend time with your friends and family isn’t a waste. Even if you need a day off just for life admin (we all need them), don’t be afraid to put a holiday request in to take the time to rejuvenate.
Team Bonding
Company outings and team building situations are a great way to promote a healthy work-life balance. It doesn’t have to be anything special, it could just be a night out after a long-hard shift or on a day-off. This promotes a positive vibe throughout the restaurant which in turn makes going to work not seem too much of a chore. Plus, it gets everybody out of the restaurant and takes their mind off work matters.
We can’t promise that the day after the night out will be too productive though so it’s probably best to save that one for a day off.
Communication is Key
It’s important that your line manager has a good understanding of what you and your colleagues are thinking. Communicate with your managers; they’ll be able to weigh up whether your work-life balance is taking its toll on you. Or they’ll be able to spot that you’re particularly stressed because you haven’t had enough time away from the job one week. One-to-one chats are a brilliant way of doing this.
What are the Effects of a Poor Work-Life Balance?
Finding the correct balance is tricky and it’s so easy to fall into a bad routine with your work-life balance. And not only is the employee affected, the business is too. This can have a knock-on effect on a variety of situations. These include:
- Becoming more stressed inside and outside of work.
- Potential risk of burnout from overloading.
- Family conflicts.
- Personal relationship problems.
- Mental health issues.
- Drop in productivity and increase in staff turnover.
Why We Care
It’s important you maintain a good work-life balance in order to maintain a healthy mind and body. The more stressed you are, the more likely safety standards might be compromised and the more hazards you will be exposed to.
Keep yourself and the rest of your team working safely, productively and happily by investing in high quality, slip-resistant shoes. Sure, the high street alternative may be cheaper, but are they suitable? Absolutely not.
Comfort, ventilation and slip-resistance are all qualities of the perfect shoe for the food industry. You need a sturdy shoe that is going to keep you comfortable and protected from hazards so you can stand upright when you’re on your feet all day.
You have enough on your plate with work-related stress so the last thing you want to be worried about is ending up on the floor after a nasty slip, trip or fall that could’ve been easily avoided.
Download our free Ultimate Guide to Buying Slip-Resistant Shoes today and find the shoes that are just right for you.