One of the goals for each business is to maximize their employee’s productivity. Although it may sound selfish, having employees doing their best is not just in the companies’ best interest but also the employee. Productive employees are generally happier both when working and when off the clock.
Companies can take many different steps to increase employee productivity such as increase wages, providing meal and rest breaks, offering health and other benefits, and encouraging employees to take vacations. But, to maximize productivity, companies must be aware of the personal lives of each employee and be prepared to support each employee as they deal with personal challenges.
Death of a loved one
One of the most difficult experiences in life is losing a loved one. Such a loss understandably impacts an employee’s ability to focus on work as they are grieving. Giving employees enough time to get their feet back underneath them is not only the compassionate thing to do, but also in the company’s best interest. Not giving an employee enough time to recover will prolong the time it takes the employee to return to top productivity, it may create resentment that permanently negatively impacts the employee’s performance.
One of the best ways to support employees who have lost a lived one is to provide bereavement leave (also called grievance leave) benefits. Bereavement leave benefits allow employees to take paid or unpaid leave for a certain amount time to grieve the loss, attend the funeral, and address other issues related to their loved one’s death.
There are some states that require employers to provide employees to provide bereavement leave. In states that do not have bereavement leave requirements, employers can determine how close the relationship the employee must have with the deceased family member to be eligible for bereavement leave and how long the leave may last.
Employers may also consider offering employees funeral leave that allows leave for attending funerals. This benefit is meant to cover the death of loved ones who are more distantly related to the employee, such as aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews, and cousins.
Financial struggles
To anyone who has been listening to the news will know that many people in the United States are facing financial struggles. Moreover, these financial struggles are not necessarily the fault of the individuals dealing with them but negatively impact employees’ performance, nonetheless.
For example, with increased interest rates, many employees who had bought a home with variable interest rate mortgages may be struggling to pay the increased monthly payments. For some, it may require them to hire a Foreclosure defense lawyer so they don’t lose their home and any equity it may have.
These financial stresses distract employees and reduce their productivity. Being aware of and accommodating an employee dealing with financial difficulties will help strengthen the employee loyalty and improve performance long term. Accommodations may include allowing employees to take breaks to make necessary phone calls with banks, financial institutions, and support services they may be working with to improve their financial outcomes. It may also require allowing employees to take paid or unpaid leave to attend appointments they can only schedule on they should be working.
Health issues
Another issue that negatively impacts employees’ productivity are health issues that involve themselves or loved ones. Moreover, these health issues can be long-term or temporary.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides some protection for employees and their families who are dealing longer term health issues. The FMLA is a federal law that covers companies with 50 or more employees and provides eligible employees with unpaid leave to deal with their own or family members health issues. Many states have also enacted family and medical leave laws. Depending on the state, these family and medical leave laws may apply to employers with fewer than 50 employees and may require employees to pay the employees for the leave.
For employees who are disabled are protected by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) which requires employers to make reasonable accommodations for the disabled employee so they can perform the essential job duties. Most, as well, protect disabled employees from discrimination.
For shorter-term health issues, although the federal government does not have leave requirements, many states have adopted sick leave laws that require employers to provide paid sick leave to their employees. These laws typically require employers with a minimum number of employees to provide employees with a minimum number of hours each year that can be used for sick leave purposes.
For employers that are not required by law to provide family, medical, or sick leave, it is usually recommended that employers provide employees with some leave and accommodation benefits an employee can use in times of need. By doing so, an employer demonstrates their sympathy for an employee’s plight and helps build trust with the employee that should result in long-term productivity gains.
Conclusion
Every employee will face some personal struggles. Employers may be tempted to ignore these personal struggles because they are not directly work related. However, ignoring employees’ personal challenges may actually be hurting the company’s performance because the personal struggles will negatively impact the employee’s performance. By being aware of and provide support to employees who dealing with personal difficulties, business’ can minimize any short-term declines in performance and establish a stronger relationship with employees that will provide long-term productivity gains.
