An insurance agent's career is a balancing act between work, family, and caring for yourself and your community. When you're creating your insurance agency or changing its policies, consider adding more work-life balance into the mix. These strategies allow your employees to have a thriving insurance agent career and satisfying personal life.
1. Encourage Exercise
While larger offices may offer workplace exercise programs or fitness rooms, you don't need to be big to help your employees stay healthy. Partner with a local gym to get an employee discount. Set an example by going for a walk at lunch and encouraging others to take their full lunch breaks as well – away from their desk.
2. Offer Flexible Hours
Flex time is a huge benefit for all employees, and you can arrange it in any number of ways. For example, employees might choose to work four longer days instead of five shorter ones, or they could choose to have a shorter lunch and take a day off every few weeks. These flexible hours allow employees to work full time but have a few discretionary days when they can go on vacation, enjoy time with their family, or do tasks that otherwise would take up their weekend. If you're working in an insurance agency that reaches across several time zones, having employees with flexible hours can be a bonus, since you can offer earlier or later hours of business.
3. Create Telecommuting Opportunities
For parents, for those who care for the elderly, and for those with a long commute, telecommuting can mean the difference between being able to work and having to quit a job. Retain your employees by allowing them to apply for telecommuting opportunities. Focus on employees and areas of work that are ideal for working alone or collaborating online. If you create a telecommuting program, make sure that all of your employees still feel connected by creating opportunities for them to work together in person or online.
4. Consider Paid Time Off
More and more offices are moving away from traditional sick days and vacation pay to paid time off. A PTO bank allows employees to merge their sick and vacation time and create a bank of days that they can use without having anyone ask questions. They no longer have to call in sick when a child is sick or when they have a doctor's appointment – they can just use one of their banked days. Employees feel less stressed about taking a day off when they're feeling tired, and you benefit from more engaged and healthy employees.
5. Help With Healthy Eating
At the end of a long work day, it's hard to go home and cook a meal. Yet eating healthy, home-cooked meals is one of the best investments your employees can make in their long term health. If you're moving offices, choose an office space that has grocery stores and other amenities nearby to make it simpler for employees to pick up food after work. Bring in healthy snacks for workplace lunches and meetings. Sign up for a food purchasing program at your office, such as a farm share from a local farm. While your employees' nutrition isn't the focus of your business, well-nourished employees feel better and can focus well at work, feeding your business growth.
As an independent insurance agency, you need to support your employees so that you can retain the wonderful people you've hired over the years. When you're looking for hiring and retention strategies, talk to American Agents Alliance. Look at our membership benefits to see how you can improve your agency and your programs and benefits for your employees. 
