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Work Life Week 2019 & How Branded Items Can Help Strike The Balance

Fact! The victories, both large and small, that your company has scored over the last year would undeniably have been impossible without the team you have around you.

Good businesses rely on great people to keep them growing and everyone - from the receptionist who greets visitors at the front desk all the way through to your best-selling sales rep - will have an essential role to play in the day-to-day running of your organisation. 

With Work-Life Week (7-11 October 2019) approaching, there's no better time to give some thought to your staff and consider how much, exactly, you appreciate their work. 

What Is National Work Life Week 2019?

National Work Life Week is a seven-day awareness event that has the goal of helping both employers and their teams to focus on wellbeing at work, as well as assisting them with nailing that all-important work/life balance. 

Businesses are encouraged to arrange topical events and activities for staff, as well as give extra consideration to how flexible their policies and procedures are.

Of course, one way to help your colleagues feel more comfortable with their work/life balance is to make it clear to them that their work is valued, appreciated and noticed. 

Appreciating Your Colleagues Makes A Difference To Value... And Output

Fact: the little things really can make a difference. Almost half (48%) of British employees quizzed in a recent study about what makes people feel valued in the workplace admitted a simple 'thank you' was recognition enough for their hard work. 

In the same study, almost three-quarters (71%) of employees said they 'valued recognition and rewards'. Interestingly, the numbers also suggest employees from London and the south are 15 times more likely to receive recognition for their hard work than their counterparts across the rest of the country. 

From a business perspective, appreciating the work of your staff can also reap endless benefits for your brand. Increased productivity, employee satisfaction and higher loyalty are just some of the perks cited by research shared by a Harvard Business Review article; interestingly, negatives listed include time taken to recognise achievements, as well as the monetary cost of teaching others how to give recognition.

It's also worth noting that Employee Appreciation Day is another event your UK business could consider getting involved in. Typically taking place on the first Friday of every March, it pretty much is what it says on the tin: an opportunity to demonstrate to your workforce exactly how much you appreciate them. Whether you organise specific activities or simply order-in pizza for everyone at lunchtime, it's a great way to show your team you value them. 

Of course, appreciating your employees needn't be confined to a single day of the year, and encouraging the work/life balance shouldn't be limited to just a week. Nurturing an environment of recognition for good work will help increase employee worth, as well as reduce the likelihood of them taking home worries or fears about work. 

Use Promotional Products To Get The Work/Life Balance Right

Total Merchandise stocks thousands of promotional products, all of which are ready and waiting to be branded with your logo! Whether you're after stationery, clothing, edible goods or something else, we have the perfect branded items to take your marketing campaign to the next step.

Naturally, we're not saying that these items will strike the perfect balance between the pressures of work and life. However, they might go some way to helping make things that bit easier for your colleagues to deal with. 

Read on for a few of our favourite ideas to help your team mates manage their work/life balance!

Branded Diaries Will Help Colleagues Stay On Top Of Things

Diaries are essential for helping your employees keep on top of what's going on. Whether it's used for work, home or both, it will make staying on top of meetings, appointments and occasions a whole lot easier. 

We have a wide range of promotional diaries available, which can be printed, embossed or debossed with your logo for a little extra brand awareness with every outing. 

Printed Water Bottles Make Staying Hydrated Even Easier

Helping your colleagues look after themselves in even the most basic of ways might sound irrelevant but it can actually make a huge difference. Scientific research has found staying adequately hydrated can actually help us tackle stress, so ensuring your colleagues always have a water bottle to-hand means they have no excuse to not stay adequately topped up! 

Two litres is the recommended amount of water we're told we should drink each day. With that in mind, you could consider our 2 Litre Water Bottle Jugs for your next giveaway - these brilliant branded bottles are ideal for helping the user keep track of how close they are to that all-important two litres.

So with that in mind, why not give your staff branded water bottles, printed with your company logo? We have a huge range of promotional water bottles available in a huge range of styles and colours, and all ideal for flashing your logo!

Tackle Stress With Our Range Of Squeezy Stress Toys

Our huge range of promotional stress toys are ideal for making sure your colleagues have an instant means to help them alleviate the pressures of the workplace, with the goal of - hopefully - reducing the worry they bring home with them. 

Encourage Colleagues To Get Active At Lunchtime

Prising your staff away from their computer screens and giving them a push to do something during their lunch hour can prove invaluable! Taking a break is proven to boost productivity, as well as helping to give your colleagues a defined break from their workload. 

If you have space outside your office or workspace, why not set up an area where staff can relax or do light exercise? Alternatively, giving everyone branded pedometers and starting a staff step-counting competition can make for a light-hearted way to keep things interesting. 

Top image via Pexels.

Written by

Michelle Rae Stoddart | Co-Founder and Former Finance Director

After establishing a successful career in finance, Michelle co-founded Total Merchandise in 2004. Prior to her retirement in January 2024, she was Finance Director, working closely with the Accounts and Sales teams to ensure the smooth running of the fiscal side of the business. In her spare time, Michelle enjoys gardening, films and cooking.

Connect with Michelle Rae Stoddart on LinkedIn Connect with Michelle Rae Stoddart on LinkedIn

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