More people prefer flexible hours to cash

WORK-LIFE BALANCE

More people prefer flexible hours to cash

Flexible working hours are more important than money for nearly a third of people looking for a new job, according to a government survey.

The online poll, carried out by recruitment website www.reed.co.uk with the Department of Trade and Industry's work-life balance campaign, surveyed over 4,000 jobseekers.

Almost half of the respondents (46%) chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in their next job, with only 7% choosing gym membership and 10% opting for a company car.

A third of them would prefer the opportunity to work flexible hours rather than receive an extra £1,000 in pay a year.

Trade and industry secretary Patricia Hewitt said: "Increasingly people want more from work than the usual package. The best businesses are already switched on to this and are using flexible working policies to attract and retain the people they need."

"This poll shows that getting a better work-life balance is becoming much more important for all employees - men as much as women - and the competitive advantages business gains from offering flexible working are now well established."

How is work-life balance good for business?

A growing number of companies have come to realise that they need to develop practices and policies that facilitate a work-life balance. Companies are increasingly keen to accommodate requirements arising from their employees' domestic responsibilities

A growing body of research suggests that enlightened organisations which extend work-life balance practices to their whole workforce reap serious business benefits including:

• increased productivity
• reduced absenteeism and better relations with staff
• improved staff morale, commitment and loyalty
• lower turnover of staff and an improved reputation as an employer of choice.

Key survey findings

68% of jobseekers would like the chance to work more flexibly when necessary

77% of parents with children under six say that work-life balance is an important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job

six out of ten workers view work-life balance as an important factor in assessing a potential new job

18% of jobseekers would happily work much longer hours for more money

43% of men chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in a new job, compared with just 13% who would look for company car and only 7% who would look for gym membership

45% of undergraduates or recent graduates would prefer flexibility in hours to a company car (14%) or gym membership (4%)

24% of managers/directors said that work-life balance was an extremely important factor in deciding whether to apply for a new job

37% of women chose flexible working over £1,000 more pay a year, compared to 27% men.

Want to know more?

Methodology: The research was conducted via an online poll. The poll was carried out between 25 and 30 November 2002.

Survey sample: In total, 4,813 jobseekers completed the questionnaire.

Availability: The results of the survey are available online. To view the results click here.

The DTI work-life balance campaign was launched in March 2000. The aim of the campaign is to persuade employers to introduce ways of working which meet the needs of the business and customers while simultaneously improving the work-life balance of their employees.

More information on the campaign can be found at www.dti.gov.uk/work-lifebalance. For details on organisations which have implemented work-life balance policies, tel: 020 7839 4321 (contact Sarah Schofield, Harry Hussain, Melissa Morris or Fiona Campbell).

Posted 17 January 2003