Why Work-Life Harmony Matters in Workplace

Ever since Work from Home became the norm, the line between ‘work’ and ‘home’ have blurred. Singaporeans are working longer hours— and feeling more stressed¹ — than ever before². Instead of clinging on to preconceived notions of work-life balance, companies should consider a new form of workplace wellness and wellbeing: work-life harmony.

What is work-life harmony?

Work-life balance

When 'work' and 'life' exist and thrive independent of each other

Employees devote a fixed amount of time to each component

Work-life harmony

When 'work' and 'life' intersect and co-exist in harmony

Employees tackle work and life related tasks as and when time allows³

Why does work-life harmony matter?

Being able to integrate work as a part of life helps employees shift their perspective – instead of viewing work and home as two separate entities, they can now approach them more holistically.

Benefits of work-life harmony include³:

Higher productivity amongst employees, as they are able to approach work and home in their own time
Improved overall health and wellbeing
Improved engagement and satisfaction among employees

How should employers approach work-life harmony?

There are many approaches to work-life harmony at the workplace. To begin, consider initiatives that will help employees maximize their time and achieve their work and personal goals. Here are some ideas:

Introduce personal hour during work

Allow employees to set aside time each week for personal errands, such as grocery runs, childcare responsibilities or even simple household chores. The idea is to normalize the integration of ‘work’ and ‘life’ instead of prioritizing one over the other.
Introduce meeting free days or hours

Dedicating time for no meetings allow employees to focus on tasks that require zero interruption⁴. The higher productivity leaves time for personal tasks to be completed.
Support mental health

Nespresso has set up an Employee Assistance Program that allows colleagues and their families to access professional psychologists for help.

According to Nespresso’s Future of Workplace 2020 report in Singapore, 66% of the respondents agreed that a component for strengthening office relations is coffee. Taking a breather in the form of coffee breaks may seem like a small act, but nothing refreshes and recharges quite like a hot cup of Nespresso coffee. This can be done through scheduled coffee breaks with co-workers and managers throughout the work week. This allows disparate team members to connect and collaborate — even if it’s done virtually.

As we continue to navigate hybrid work, discover how Nespresso Professional coffee solutions can help enrich workplace coffee moments and complement Work-Life Harmony initiatives, especially with the Nespresso Momento Coffee machine range which allows employees to recreate their favourite coffees such as lattes or espressos at the touch of the button.