National Work-Life Week 2018 is taking place from 1st – 5th October 2018. The week is an opportunity for both employers and employees to focus on well-being at work and work-life balance
Schools and academies must recognise the importance of ensuring that all staff enjoy a reasonable balance between their working life and the demands of home, family and other interests and commitments. An acceptable work-life balance will be different for each employee and will be different at different times in careers. It is not in the interest of either the school or the individual member of staff to work to the detriment of his/her health. Excessive work without rest and recreation is not conducive to efficient or effective working.
Here are our top tips to help schools and academies do this:-
- Ensure demands are reasonable at all levels including senior management.
- Ensure appropriate policies are in place for time off and flexible working requests
- Discuss emerging priorities and consider the implications on staff workload
- Hold meetings when required that are purposeful, relevant for the audience, clear and concise
- Review the value of systems and tasks regularly, do they benefit the school?
- Keep an eye on staff welfare and offer support routes for employees to raise concerns and access help
- Consult with employees about ideas for improvement and promote healthy initiatives
In July 2018, the DfE published a work reduction toolkit designed by school leaders, teachers and other experts to provide schools with help to assess and workload address issues. You can access the guide here.
Fusion also offer documents and templates to support your wellbeing needs including model policy, risk assessments and questionnaires.
If you need any guidance or help, please get in touch with one of our team on 01924 827869.
