Study: “Work/Life Balance Not a Priority for Many Organizations”
Monster Worldwide, Inc. has just released a study on work/life balance:
MAYNARD, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Despite a growing awareness of the importance of a healthy work/life balance, workers and employers are often at odds when it comes to the issue, according to survey results released today by Monster®, the leading global online careers and recruitment resource and flagship brand of Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: MNST). Among the findings of the 2007 Monster Work/Life Balance Survey, 89 percent of employees polled believe work/life balance programs, such as flextime and telecommuting, are important when evaluating a new job, yet only about half of HR professionals polled consider work/life balance to be an important initiative for their companies.
The survey findings revealed that only 29 percent of workers view their employer’s work/life balance initiatives as good or excellent; in fact, 58 percent say their employer encourages working too much. Furthermore, the long-term outlook does not look promising – 61 percent of HR pros believe there will be more employer-provided work/life balance initiatives in five years, and only 56 percent believe that general work/life balance will improve in the future.
“Developing and promoting a work/life balance program can be a key differentiator in today’s challenging recruitment market where there are ample opportunities for job seekers. Thus, employers should look to improve their employment brand by creating and promoting a flexible, balanced work atmosphere as an effective means of improving recruitment and retention,” said Jesse Harriott, vice president of research, Monster. “Moreover, we found that a healthy work/life balance is more valued by younger workers – Gen X and Gen Y – so, employers looking to cultivate those talent pools would be well-advised to promote related initiatives.”
The press release continues.
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