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Business 68 January | 2022 when creating a budget to present to a client, you build in a little something extra to take care of the efforts of your employees who are working overtime and/or on weekends. Yes, we know they get paid for those extra hours, but are you paying them time-and- a-half or double-pay for all their overtime hours? Everything is more expensive in this day and age; has your pricing adjusted for inflation? Has it also adjusted for employee work-life balance? While work hours may have to impinge a bit on your staff 's work-life balance, make sure you compensate them adequately for their time and effort. 13. Time Off in Lieu of Pay Another way to encourage employee goodwill while not costing your business is to offer employees time off—rather than overtime pay (unless the law requires it)—when they have to work extra-long hours or over a weekend on top of their regular weekday hours. It doesn't have to be written in blood or in a work contract, but it is something you can offer that an employee can access when your business isn't as busy. For example, perhaps your shop isn't as busy on a ursday morning; let an employee come in later on that day to make up for the extra hours he or she previously worked. Make sure, however, that such decisions are discussed and agreed upon beforehand. 14. Personal Days Off "Life" often intrudes on an employee's workday—having to have his or her car's brakes fixed, a doctor's appointment or even a last-minute child sickness. You need to be flexible enough to be able to cover these emergencies with other staff or simply make do yourself—and do not punish employees for such things! Because "life happens," create something called "personal days"— perhaps two or three fully-paid eight-hour days that an employee can access to take care of those sudden emergencies. It may seem strange to pay someone for not being at work, but this practice will build goodwill with your staff and help you retain them longer. 15. Show You Care— Really Yes, work is work, but bigger companies and corporations have discovered that the old adage "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" to be true. We know that making employees feel like work can be fun is important. Some companies have an annual winter holiday party. Others have multiple events throughout the years. Whatever you decide on, show that you appreciate the efforts of your employees in ways other than their regular paychecks. It could be you donning the apron and working a spatula over a hot grill flipping burgers or hot dogs for the employees. It could be you having a dine-in event catered; scheduling a dinner at a restaurant; taking everyone to a bowling alley and paying for a few games, some nachos and drinks; or, if affordable, providing a family-day at a theme park. Or, you may show your appreciation by offering a four-pack of tickets to a local or nearby sporting event (even a night out at a Single-A baseball game for an employee and his or her family can garner appreciation and gratitude). Just make sure you do the same or something similar for all your employees. It's nothing more than a goodwill gesture that shows you care. Just be mindful of bearing gifts that might end up costing an employee money for a babysitter, parking, etc. 16. Work More by Doing Less It's your business, so it's your duty to set a good example by working your butt off every single moment of the workday. Right? While it may sound counterintuitive, being on the go 100 percent of time can actually kill productivity and enthusiasm in the workplace—and this goes for both you and your employees. e Pomodoro Technique—a time management method—has been around since the late 1980s. Using an actual timer, you work for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break. Others take this a step further and allow employees to work four 25-minute shifts (100 minutes) and then take a 20-minute break. e technique's purpose is to stem burnout and to give the body and brain a chance to refresh themselves. However, make sure it is used by individual employees and yourself at differing times throughout a day. 17. Ignore the Inbox ( Just for a While) We are all, it seems, slaves to our email inboxes. Every workday, we come in and check it to see what life has thrown our way now. Instead, regardless of when you arrive at work, refrain from viewing your emails for 30 to 60 minutes.

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