Choosing a childcare provider When choosing a childcare provider there are a number things you can do to put your mind at ease and to make sure you find the best possible option for your children.
If you need guidance or advice regarding childcare your local Family Information Service is there to help and guide you towards suitable providers and answer any of your questions.
Direct.gov provides further information on researching childcare providers as well as registering concerns and complaints. This includes guidance on how to check that providers are Ofsted registered and how to access Ofsted visit reports online. Please visit the childcare section for further details.
Achieving work-life balance
In our 24-7, customer focused society, more and more people have to juggle responsibilities at home and in the workplace. Findings from CIPD* surveys show that three out of four people say they are working very hard; many say they are working as hard as they can and could not imagine being able to work any harder.
Recognising work-life balance problems
If you find it difficult to take holiday leave, regularly take work home and use the plethora of available technology to be continuously accessible then you are likely to put both yourself and your relationships under undue stress.
Also, if you are employing staff in your business, you might find it hard to judge whether you are supporting your employees' need to balance their commitments at work with those at home.
Tell-tale signs of poor work-life balance include:
- employees doing a lot of overtime<
- employees taking a lot of time off to deal with 'emergencies' involving children or other dependents
- high levels of employee stress
- high rates of absenteeism or staff sickness
- high levels of staff turnover
Adressing the issue
So what can you actually do to combat issues arising from lack of work-life balance?
Discover 10 easy steps towards greater work-life balance including how you can manage your time more effectively, become more organised and therefore feel less stressed .
Additionally, a number of resources is available to help you recognise and address any problems and to assist you on your path to greater work-life balance. Take a look at our work-life balance resource list to find out more.
What is the business case?
A better work-life balance will be good for you and your business. If you employ staff, introducing policies to promote a healthier work-life balance will also provide benefits. A better work-life balance has been shown to lead to:
- higher productivity and competitiveness
- increased flexibility and customer service, for example to cover for absence and holidays
- raised morale, motivation, commitment and engagement
- reduced absenteeism
- improved recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce
- a more balanced approach to your business
Further help and supportBusiness Link Northwest is your free to use, independent business support and information service, why not speak to one of our business advisers to find out what we can do for you? Call us now on 0845 00 66 888 or use our enquiry form.
*CIPD surveys. Recent titles include Living to work? and Work, parenting and careers.