Millennials make up approximately 50% of today’s workforce and are revolutionizing work culture. One of the major changes this generation of professionals has made in the workspace is a greater emphasis on work-life balance.
Instead of dividing their lives into boxes, Millennials want to integrate their personal and professional lives. This doesn’t mean they want to bring their work home or vice versa.
They want to find ways to reduce work-related stress, accomplish tasks efficiently, and align their personal and professional goals. No other generation has come this close to balancing their work and personal life so well.
1. Remote Work
Millennials are the standard-bearers for the remote work revolution. They realize that some jobs do not require physical presence in the workplace. Remote work is great for establishing a healthy work-life balance. It allows employees to spend more time at home without compromising their work commitments.
Today, Millennials prefer organizations that allow work-from-home or hybrid working hours so they don’t have to spend unnecessary time away from their families.
2. Time Management Apps
Time management and scheduling apps help Millennials stay on top of their work and personal commitments. These apps are a great way to ensure you don’t take your work home. Tools like after-hours notifications and designated communication channels help set communication boundaries.
Another way Millennials disconnect from work is to limit communication to certain digital channels and platforms. That way, they can just go offline on those platforms at the end of the day.
3. Work Boundaries
Flexible hours can sometimes be misconstrued as being available to take on work outside of the assigned work day. Millennials set healthy work boundaries to let their managers know how much work they are willing to take on and when.
Work boundaries reduce stress and ensure they can spend quality time with their family regardless of their work hours.
4. Focus on Mental Health
Millennials have revolutionized the way mental health is treated at work. Today, companies are more cognizant of their employees’ mental well-being. Wellness retreats, work yoga, and offsite meetings are just some of the steps companies take to ensure their employees remain stress-free.
By reducing their work stress, Millennials make certain they don’t take their work problems home with them, helping them be more present with their families.
5. Hybrid Work Schedules
Most Millennials have kids now, which means they have more responsibilities at home. Hybrid work schedules allow employees to come to the office (or work) some days a week and take others off so they can stay at home with their kids.
Hybrid work schedules are great for employees who must be physically present in the office for certain parts of their jobs.
6. Personalized Workspaces
Millennials personalize their workspaces by adding items that remind them of their family and home. This is how they bridge the gap between their professional and personal lives. Picture frames, cards, kids’ artwork, and other personal items help create a wholesome workspace.
Sterile workspaces are too restrictive for Millennials, who prefer a more relaxed, casual work environment where they can bring a part of their home.
7. Shared Vision
Millennials are driven by ideals more than just physical rewards. So, while money is still important for them, they prefer working for a company whose vision aligns with theirs. Open communication, transparency, and seeing the impact of their work help them feel more accomplished.
Millennials are unapologetic about their beliefs and don’t want to compromise on their values and vision at work.
8. Side Hustles
Contrary to popular belief, Millennials work harder than any other generation. No other generation has taken advantage of the gig economy as much as this one. Nearly every professional has a side hustle to pay the bills or let their creativity soar.
Having an extra source of income helps address financial concerns and reduces stress. There is also less pressure to conform to traditional work hours and more freedom to explore one’s talents.
9. Learning to Say “No”
This generation of professionals is comfortable saying “no” to work-related commitments when overwhelmed. This helps them prioritize their work and personal life and create healthy work boundaries.
These boundaries also extend to taking on extra work or working overtime. Millennials have normalized declining work that is outside of their work description.
10. Purpose Driven Work
Millennials realize that working more hours doesn’t translate to more work being done. In fact, most professionals prefer flexible working hours so they don’t have to spend more hours working than their job requires.
Purpose-driven work allows Millennials to get more work done in less time, which gives them more hours to spend with their families.
11. Continuous Learning
This generation of professionals believes in a culture of continuous learning and growth. They prefer jobs where they can see themselves progressing both personally and professionally.
The growth mindset means there is less emphasis on physical gains and more on intellectual feats. This helps bridge the gap between their personal and professional goals.
12. Family-Related Benefits
Millennials prefer working for companies that offer family-related benefits like childcare, paid parental leave, and educational assistance. Most professionals would like to take their family with them on business trips so they can spend an extra day or two exploring the place.
Companies like Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard realize the importance of family-related benefits in attracting and retaining a millennial workforce. They also offer benefits like pet insurance to ensure all family members are cared for.
13. Multitasking
Millennials grew up with technology and social media. They are used to handling multiple tasks simultaneously without missing a beat. Multitasking frees up more time to spend on themselves and with their families.
Their ability to multitask successfully also makes it possible for them to work from home without a hitch. Companies don’t have to worry about their employee’s personal lives taking over because they can handle both that and their work seamlessly.
14. Utilizing PTO
Millennials are in the habit of using all of their paid time off (PTO). Many companies make some paid time off mandatory for their employees, but even if it isn’t, Millennials prefer using up all of their PTO.
Many professionals use their PTO to go on family vacations or to relax with their families at home.
15. Work-Life Integration
In today’s “always on” world, separating work from personal life is impossible. Millennials realize that they can’t divide their life into boxes. They would rather use technical advancements to their advantage and integrate their work and personal lives.
Flexible work hours, remote work, multitasking, and personalizing their workplace are some of the ways Millennials ensure their work and personal lives are connected.
