Culture + Mentorship = Work/Life Balance

As we have researched this topic, we have surprisingly concluded that PTO does not equal work/life balance. Offering PTO and various types?of leave is not enough. A company's owner and/or leadership must nurture a culture that supports work/life balance through their own actions and mentorship. Additionally, they must embrace policies that focus on productivity, convenience benefits(child care, flexible start time, etc.), perks, and flexibility.??

"What helped us come to this conclusion? Some of these themes have shown up in recent research. However, most of these deductions have been made clear as day through our experiences leading and listening to CEOs and employees as we have helped them move toward a healthy multi-generational workplace. Let's break this equation down by generation."

Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers:

Typically, they take their PTO frugally, saving it for a needed time. They might prefer flexibility to manage their workload and value greater physical and psychological space. After years of commuting to an office daily, many Gen-Xers adapted well to remote work during the pandemic. They value family time and experiences. Flexible schedules are preferred to attend their children's activities/appointments, care for their aging parents, or take care of daily/seasonal errands.

Millennials and Z Gens Value Flexible Hours During the Week:

Z-Gen favors working when it is convenient,?as long as the workload and tasks get done. This is the most important aspect of how they order their work and life balance. Z-Gen's are partial to working no more and no less than is necessary. This allows them to have more free time when they want it and gives them the ability to prioritize taking vacations.

Millennials take one or two days off and spread out their vacations throughout the year. Similar to Z-Gens, they like to spend time on personal development, retreats, festivals, volunteering, and participating in social causes.??

35% of Gen-Zers feel guilty about not working on vacations.

So, with this equation in mind: Culture + Mentorship of Leaders = Work/Life Balance. What is the ideal number of PTO days to offer your employees? What else will you do to nurture a culture that supports a thriving work/life balance???

For an immediate plan, send a LinkedIn message to the?GBS team to schedule an initial consultation.? Or, stay tuned next week for our series of questions to delve further into our equation.?

Resources:

Visit our website: Generational Business Strategies (genbizstrategies.com)

Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.dhirubhai.net/company/gen-biz-strategies/

Works Cited:

Anders, G. (2023, August 13). Why vacation is boomers’ joy, but a real struggle for Gen Z. https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/why-vacation-boomers-joy-real-struggle-gen-z-george-anders#:~:text=Some%2035%25%20of%20Gen%20Zers,with%20hardly%20any%20such%20worries.%20(Aug%202023)

How to make the most of unlimited paid time off | MetLife. (n.d.). https://www.metlife.com/stories/work-family/how-to-make-the-most-of-unlimited-paid-time-off/

The time off report - CalendarLabs. (n.d.). https://www.calendarlabs.com/time-off-report

Watts, S., & Watts, S. (2024, March 19). PTO vs Vacation Time vs Sick Time: What’s the Difference? Homebase. https://joinhomebase.com/blog/sick-vs-vacation-time/

What is average PTO in 2022? (n.d.). https://www.trinet.com/insights/average-pto-in-2022