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The work / life balance

Date wise, Spring is just around the corner. If not already, phones and emails will start going mad. However for us over the last few years, Winter work has been as busy & profitable as Summer work.

What measures do you take to ensure a suitable work/ life balance is maintained ?

Do you go flat out ?

Do you 'regulate' working hours ?

Do you work the weekend as a matter of course ?

Would / could you do anything diffetent , better ?

Just got me thinking as I sat planning some time off last night.

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  • Fit in as much work during working hours during the 'better weather'

    I try and avoid being on our regular maintenance work after 5:30pm weekdays. 

    Any projects/regular work off site by 4 on a Saturday.

    Family commitments may alter my weekend works, but generally its only project works carried out on a weekend! 

    Holidays and planned time off is 6 months in advance. So I know not to book anything extra in during the 10days prior to time off.

  • PRO
    I go flat out but don't work Sundays and avoid Saturday afternoons. I work on average 6 weeks then take a few days off to recover, then repeat. Once my day is over physically then I allocated 1 hour per night to do paperwork. Seems to work but there are exceptions to everything.
  • PRO
    I keep it as steady as possible between Christmas and March working half days if possible.
    Then all day Monday to Friday and half day Saturday for any overflow from the week during spring, summer and Autumn.
    • PRO
      Pretty much the same as Richard here, the older I get the less inclined I am to work stupid hours, add a young family to that and there is more important things to be doing with my time. My company is mainly based around maintenance and has been going along time so pretty much takes care of itself, so when I've finished for the day or weekend, my phone goes off and will not be switched back on until the next working day to ensure my family gets quality time...
  • I have worked hard over the last 6 years from I started up, regularly working into the evenings Saturdays but now with 2 small boys, one 2 and the other 9 months, im making a change to spend more time with them. We bought a touring caravan last August and we have 11 weekends booked away starting over Easter. Hoping they enjoy it.
  • This year I am not going flat out. But I cannot be too laid back either as I need to save up enough dosh to last me over the next winter.

  • same here. winter is as busy as summer on the landscaping side. I reguylate my working hours as i have been forced to with my health. I also avoid weekend working, but do teh odd very profitabe job. Luckily i have a group of young guys who are keen to earn extra money with overtime, so that works well. 

    I ignore the phone over the weekend and the office phone is strictly a no no out of hours.

    i have worked in an extra weeks holiday with the family the last two years and it works well. Having staff you can rely on makes it easier and i have found it is actually better to phone them once a day to get all the things off my mind rather than wondering if they have done something whilst i am away.

    i think its a matter of being steadfast with what you do and if you have staff getting them organised so you can actually step back a little. But if you run your own business it ever goes away does it!

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