Uneven Views On Work-Life Balance
Research Reveals Most Common, Favorite Perks for Managing Personal Lives, Careers and Wellness
MENLO PARK, Calif., Nov. 17, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Employers and workers aren't on the same page about juggling personal and professional priorities, new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam shows. More than six in 10 senior managers (63 percent) interviewed said their company is very supportive of its employees' efforts to achieve work-life balance, yet only 34 percent of staff agree. This compares to 45 percent of executives and 53 percent of workers who felt that way in a similar survey conducted 10 years ago.
View an infographic of the survey findings.
Managers and workers were asked, "How supportive is your company of its employees' efforts to achieve work-life balance?" Their responses*:
| Managers |
Workers |
|
| Very supportive |
63% |
34% |
| Somewhat supportive |
34% |
52% |
| Somewhat unsupportive |
2% |
9% |
| Not supportive at all |
2% |
4% |
| 101% |
99% |
|
| *Responses do not total 100 percent due to rounding. |
||
Which Perks Do Employees Value Most?
Flexible work schedules (44 percent) and generous vacation time or sabbaticals (33 percent) topped the list. These correspond to what staff said are the most common work-life benefits at their organizations: 37 percent noted their company offers flexible schedules and 42 percent reported having ample vacation days or sabbatical options.
| What Helps |
What's |
|
| Flexible work schedules |
44% |
37% |
| Generous vacation time or sabbaticals |
33% |
42% |
| Telecommuting or work from home options |
12% |
14% |
| Health and wellness tools or programs |
8% |
29% |
| On-site services (e.g., daycare, food, dry cleaning, gym) |
2% |
5% |
| Paid parental leave |
1% |
25% |
| Subsidized transportation or carpools/shuttles |
0% |
4% |
| *Multiple responses permitted. Top responses shown. |
||
What Helps Workers Stay Healthy
When asked about health and wellness benefits, employees cited access to fitness facilities or programs (27 percent) and wellness incentives, such as offering prizes for weight loss or smoking cessation (26 percent), as the most valuable.
"Companies can't stick to providing the same work-life balance and health options as they did a decade ago," said Brandi Britton, a district president for OfficeTeam. "Today's workers are increasingly focused on effectively juggling personal and professional priorities. They have higher expectations when it comes to employers promoting their wellbeing in and out of the office."
Britton added that offering attractive perks is a win-win situation. "When staff are given tools to maximize their time, balance home and work demands, and stay healthy, companies benefit from employees that are more happy, productive and loyal."
To learn more about the secrets of the happiest employees and companies, visit roberthalf.com/its-time-we-all-work-happy.
About the Research
The surveys of senior managers and workers were developed by OfficeTeam. They were conducted by independent research firms and include responses from more than 300 senior managers at U.S. companies with 20 or more employees, and more than 500 U.S. workers 18 years of age or older and employed in office environments.
About OfficeTeam
OfficeTeam, a Robert Half company, is the nation's leading staffing service specializing in the temporary placement of highly skilled office and administrative support professionals. The company has 300 locations worldwide. For additional information, visit roberthalf.com/officeteam. Follow the OfficeTeam Take Note® blog at roberthalf.com/officeteam/blog for career and management advice.
Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161116/440367-INFO
SOURCE OfficeTeam
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