Today, there is no debate left around the importance of a healthy work-life balance. We live in an age where we better understand physical and mental health. We know their influence on our working ability and vice versa.
Having a fulfilling life outside of work—quality time with family and friends—is crucial for our wellbeing. We at Eficode strive to act in a responsible way towards our employees (Eficodeans) and find solutions that support them. It also benefits us in terms of employee retention and performance.
Here are four practices we have implemented at Eficode, Finland, to make our employees’ lives less stressful. Feedback tells us it’s already making it easier for them to strike a balance between work and family life.
1. Employer-paid nanny service
We’ve partnered with a local childcare company that offers a nanny to help in cases where an employee has a sick child. This allows the parent to get into work mode and easily travel to the office or even work from home effortlessly while their child is entertained and looked after. Here’s what our staff have to say:
“This service has been a lifesaver! Of course usually children get sick right on time when you have urgent deadlines to meet. My kid is happy at home with the nanny, and I get to finish my work without panicking. Even more so, it is a benefit to my husband because although he is not working at Eficode, he can work calmly as well.”
“All of the nannies are good, but most nannies are great! They are motivated to be there—they play, bring toys, books, handicraft material, and basically make the child’s day. They take allergies seriously and understand the special needs well. For us parents, it is a really important factor in lowering the stress levels when you know you can rely on professionalism in child care.”
2. Paid leave to take care of the older generation
Of course, we have also thought about our older family members. At Eficode in Finland, all employees can take paid leave for their parents in cases of sudden injury or illness.
When life throws challenging situations like this at us, it's important to be able to shift our focus to what truly matters. We wanted to make sure that our employees can be where they are needed the most, having an opportunity to be off the clock without worrying about work obligations.
3. Longer parental leave for non-birthing parents
Even though Eficode in Finland isn't part of the official Union and thus doesn’t follow the industry collective agreement, but rather our own policy of working conditions, we offer four weeks' worth of paid leave to non-birthing parents to allow more flexibility and time for a family with a newborn.
It is new in the industry, but we strongly believe that this solution supports overall family well-being when welcoming a new member. It also promotes a new outlook on societal and economic traditions and beliefs, challenging expectations towards parenting and offering grounds for equality.
4. Flexible working arrangements
Of course, another commonly adopted and important practice is flexible working arrangements. Here at Eficode, we offer flexible working hours, as well as part-time and remote work opportunities. Solutions like this help our employees shape their time in a way that works best for their lives and values outside of the office.
We strongly believe in small gestures and keeping warm relationships with Eficodeans. For example, sending flowers to our employees to celebrate a newborn, or inviting their kids to the office for a family day.
We organize a “bring your kids to work" day in our office annually, where Eficodeans come up with fun and educational activities for each other and older children (we also have nannies to play with the younger crowd). It’s always warm, fun, and definitely one of the most active days in the office each year!
Read about how we use OfficeVibe to help understand the health and happiness of our teams.
Published: Nov 27, 2023
