JAY – AWARD-WINNING CULTURE

Do you feel a constant tug-of-war between the competing demands of work and home? If so, you’re not alone. The struggle to achieve a comfortable work-life balance is a common trigger of workplace stress and anxiety.

As companies have shifted to remote work due to the pandemic, employees are experiencing blurred lines between work and home. Technology has always been a contributing factor, but the pandemic has changed the way millions of Americans do their jobs, raising questions about the future of work. A long-term shift toward remote work is expected to be the new normal, or at the very least a hybrid model moving forward. It’s important that leaders make sure their teams are getting the most out of it and that they have all the right tools and systems in place to be successful.

In a recent leaked email, Elon Musk demanded Tesla workers return to office: ‘If You Don’t Show Up, We Will Assume You Have Resigned’ has set off a social frenzy. Sure, it was never intended for the public eye, but the lack of sensitivity was visible. Here at JAY, flexibility stands out the most. Our Leadership understands the importance of the work-life balance far better than most companies do. Maybe that’s why the average tenure here is just shy of twelve years? Or why JAY has been named one of the best places to work in Greater Rochester!

Let’s not kid ourselves, JAY employs top talent, who are required to produce exceptional work for our clients. That’s why we hire them!  At times, it can be stressful but that’s just the nature of the business we’re in. Jaysters haven’t missed a beat since working remotely, overproducing time after time. And frankly, it starts at the top – providing the team with the tools to succeed, celebrating wins (small or BIG), empowering us, and championing our achievements both on a work and personal level.

Here are few thought-starters on how a healthy work-life balance can improve your physical, emotional, and mental health:

• Technology: Zoom, for instance, had 10 million daily meeting participants in December 2019, but by April 2020, that number had risen to over 300 million (Evans, 2020). Other video conferencing platforms, such as Google Meet™ and Microsoft Teams, have also experienced significant increases in daily participants (Peters, 2020; Thorp-Lancaster, 2020). Furthermore, it is likely that the use of videoconferencing will continue long after the pandemic ends, as Gartner predicts that only 25% of business meetings will take place in-person by 2024 (Standaert et al., 2021). It’s OK to turn off your camera on work calls. You shouldn’t feel you always have to be ON —

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

• Work-Life Balance: JAY encourages and promotes family time.  It’s a common theme if you haven’t got the hint yet. Whether it’s a wedding, birth of child, a kid’s graduation, a soccer game, or even a side business – JAY is here to celebrate YOU. Take the time, you deserve it!
• Tools & Resources: JAY cares about their employees and wellbeing. It’s not just about wellbeing, but their boundaries and working habits, and respecting their unique needs and motives to succeed. JAY sets each employee up with right tools and resources to succeed remotely. But not to worry, we still have a clubhouse to gather for in-person collaboration, meetings, and social events to boost morale even higher!!!