JUST THIS WEEK one of my assistants admitted that she found her true calling, and it did not involve working long hours in a public relations firm. What she really wanted was to go back to school and become a teacher in her Catholic mission. "I'll have to quit," she stated emphatically, and in one fell swoop I was faced with the prospect of losing an amazing employee.

Naturally, I made a counteroffer. "Are your classes in the afternoon or morning?" I asked. They were afternoon classes and Laura and I worked out
a compromise where she could still be employed at my consulting practice 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. before heading off to her classes.

Overwork and stress

The story ended well, but not all stories do. Many entrepreneurs hijack their employees' other interests by encouraging a culture of overwork and stress. Employees are encouraged to put in 60-plus hours on the job per week and wear that as a badge of honour.

One entrepreneur sheepishly told me that she even resented her employees taking vacation because she never did. In fact, she encouraged her staff to put in late nights and long weekends. She never quite saw that what she gained in exchange were not just workaholics but tired, depressed, mistake-prone, resentful and burnt-out staff.

Accommodate each situation

The smarter way, I've learnt – albeit the hard way, is to make your firm adaptable enough to accommodate each employee's situation, especially the terrific ones. That realisation allowed me to come up with a flexi-plan that would accommodate Laura and her dreams, and hold on to an exceptional employee at least for one more year.

Don't get me wrong, though. When it is time to put one's nose to the grindstone and work overtime in order to meet a client's deadline, I am the first to lead the charge but as a business owner I also know that it is important to place your employee's contributions into context.

The urge to equate long hours with commitment should not be a one-size-fits-all employee template. At best, you should consider your employees' relationship with work in the same terms as any other relationship, and have a candid conversation with them about work/life balance
and how they can recharge their batteries if necessary.

The best employees I have found do not find work to be their only source of self-esteem; they set boundaries, have lives outside work and are connected to their families and friends. They are the ones I am interested in as employees – the ones who often step up to the plate when needed.