Employees who experience a reasonable balance between their personal and professional lives have pride in their companies; are willing to recommend their employers to others, and are engagement in their jobs, according to research completed by Sirota Survey Intelligence, a company that specializes in attitude research.
Highlights from the research of than 300,000 employees surveyed in 2007 include:
- 73% percent of employees overall are positive about their work-life balance
Among those who are positive about their work-life balance:
- 89% rate their satisfaction with their companies favorably (vs. only 58% of those who are negative about their work-life balance)
- 91% are proud to work for their employers (vs. only 68% of those who are negative about their work-life balance)
- 88% would recommend their employers as a place to work (vs. only 64% of those who are negative about their work-life balance)
"Work-life balance is almost an afterthought to people who feel their employers are meeting their end of the deal by being fair, providing interesting and meaningful work, and recognition or rewards for a job well-done," said Douglas Klein, President of Sirota Survey Intelligence. "Work-life balance becomes a real issue when employees feel that their employers aren't holding up to their part of the partnership."
In high performance companies, there is a basic trust in place, recognizing that the success of one party depends on the success of the other, both professionally and personally, according to Klein. "Employers should take a long-term perspective toward work-life balance. If a manager goes out of his or her way to accommodate a personal crisis, most employees will redouble their work efforts later on," Klein said.
Work-life balance does not mean complete freedom with respect to work, however.
- Interestingly, employees who report that they have "too little work" to do are 25% less satisfied with the job itself (the kind of work they do) than those who have 'too much work to do.'
- 69% of employees who say they have "too much work" are satisfied with their jobs vs. just 44% who say they have "too little work"
- Of course, employees who say they have "the right amount of work" are the most satisfied of all -- 81%
Most people come to work enthusiastic, ready to work hard, and make a real contribution, according to Klein. "The key, then, is to balance company and personal demands within a partnership culture and a spirit of 'win-win,'" Klein said.
