Employers, Employees Don’t See Eye-to-Eye on Work-Life Balance

More than six in 10 senior managers (63%) interviewed said their company is very supportive of its employees’ efforts to achieve work-life balance, yet only 34% of staff agree, new research from staffing firm OfficeTeam shows.

Flexible work schedules (44%) and generous vacation time or sabbaticals (33%) topped the list of perks valued most by employees. Telecommuting or work from home options was selected by 12%, health and wellness tools and programs was chosen by 8% of employees, 2% chose on-site services (e.g., daycare, food, dry cleaning, gym), and 1% selected paid parental leave.

Thirty-seven percent of employees noted their company offers flexible schedules, and 42% reported having ample vacation days or sabbatical options. 

When asked about health and wellness benefits, employees cited access to fitness facilities or programs (27%) and wellness incentives, such as offering prizes for weight loss or smoking cessation (26%), as the most valuable.

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.