We did a survey to see what matters most to people when deciding what is most important after salary.
And the winner is Work-Life Balance.
Here are all the results of our poll:
For what reason would you take a new job if money was not in play?
- Better work-life balance 46%
- Remote work 29%
- Compatibility with life values 11%
- Ideas valued by management 14%
Interestingly, in our poll Remote Work came in second, so with no commute time, potentially greater flexibility, and many workers reporting they are working more when they work remotely and/or from home, it is essentially a subset work life balance.
Those two reasons make work-life balance 75% of what matters to the workforce SC Staffing & Consulting sampled.
A Rescuetime Survey in May 2020 showed that 92% of the surveyed workers regularly worked on weekends and evenings, before the pandemic, which matches the concerns of our followers today, during COVID.
According to a report from ADP “… those working remotely are more likely to say they have longer days due to COVID (39%) compared to on-site workers (21%).”
Working remotely offers flexibility but employees need to learn how to make the most of that flexibility by managing it effectively.
What is balance anyway?
The balance is an ongoing concern, not a one and done. It is a part of the cycle of life. It should be tuned regularly.
We need to earn money, so we want to work. To earn enough money most of us need to work about 40 hours a week, it seems. Add in 49 hours of sleep per week, 5 hours commute per week, that leaves 74 hours of free time. 74 hours to eat, watch a movie, read, do laundry, socialize, drive the kids around, TikTok, and have a hobby. It does seem as if those hours could create a good balance.
Perception of balance
A reality check is important. What factors contribute to good work-life balance?
- If you love your job, thoroughly and completely -hours, commute, tasks- it may not be something you ponder.
- If you are somewhere in the middle -some days you love your job, some days not- you may feel that there is a good balance most of the time.
- If your job doesn’t suit you well, you may feel you don’t have a good work-life balance regardless of actual hours in the job remote, at home, hybrid, or on-site.
Balancing Act
How much you like your job and time spent equals your job satisfaction.
Overall job satisfaction in 2020 was 56.9 percent according to The Conference Board’s latest Job Satisfaction Report.
If you are a hiring manager or an HR professional those things we think of as employee perks like flexibility can be priceless, and the thing that keeps your employees as happy as can be in their job. Some things you might want to consider, employees can’t check their emails after 5:00 or weekends. Employees must take a week vacation, meaning five days out of the office. (This would be good for audit purposes also).
As an employee, if you’re struggling with work-life balance think about these things.
- Engage a mentor, hire a coach – Outside objective advice can shine a light on things you weren’t focusing on.
- Set strict boundaries – When you are working from home a lot, don’t let the workday bleed into your off hours.
- Consider a new career – It’s The Great Resignation, right? However, consider what exactly you want to change about your role. Would working from home actually more balance in your life? Or do you need to change your career trajectory? Balance can’t happen if you aren’t positively engaged in your job.