Work-life balance key for employees

A new survey states that even in today's current economic environment employees are still looking for the right work-life balance. When times are bad we ask more of our employees but be careful not to push them to the point that you your quality employees.

By Kathleen Koster - May 7, 2009
Your employees are stressed, according to a Workplace Options poll. Seven out of ten workers feel this way, many due to pressures brought on by the recession. Anxieties over job retention and time lost with loved ones will affect morale and productivity, which may in turn drag down the company’s bottom line. Consequently, companies may want to rethink scaling back on benefits that promote a work-life balance because employers will risk losing those employees who are stretched too thin.

In fact, 41% of employees are not content with their organization’s work-life benefits and nearly half (49%) would consider defecting from their current company in favor of improved work-life benefits offered elsewhere, according to the survey.

“We were surprised to see that even in these challenging economic times where many workers are lucky to have a job, nearly half of the employees polled were still willing to leave their job for another company that would offer them better work-life balance,” explains Dean Debnam, CEO for Workplace Options. “In order to retain valuable workers, businesses must be attuned to the heightened challenges employees are facing at the intersection of work and life,” he adds.

Currently, work-life balance is one of the most significant facets of the workplace, second only to compensation, according to research by the Corporate Executive Board. Further, workers who feel that they have achieved a good balance work 21% harder than those who do not, Workplace Options found.

To help alleviate tension from the workspace, employers have a gamut of offerings at their fingertips to help cultivate relaxed and efficient personnel. Examples include helping an employee find child or elder care, back-up care for unforeseen circumstances, wellness counseling and financial and legal consultation.