Voices

More than three in four professionals strike successful work-life balance, study finds

According to new research from a Robert Half Management Resources survey, 77 percent of workers considered their work-life balance as "good" or "very good." Additionally, nearly half of the respondents (45 percent) reported they have greater balance than three years ago.

In a separate survey, 82 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) rated their work-life balance as "good" or "very good."

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However, about one in five of all workers (22 percent) and 17 percent of CFOs consider their work-life balance to be "fair" or "poor." In the survey of workers, 14 percent of respondents said they have less balance now compared to three years ago.

Respondents were asked how they would rate their work-life balance. Their responses were thusly:

 

All Workers

CFOs

Very good – It's right where I want it to be

30%

28%

Good – It's close to where I want it to be

47%

54%

Fair – It needs improvement

20%

14%

Poor – I don't have balance

2%

3%

 

99%

99%

In the survey of all workers, respondents also were asked how their work-life balance has changed compared to three years ago. Their responses were thusly*:

Getting better

45%

No change

42%

Getting worse

14%

 

101%

 

* Totals do not equal 100 percent due to rounding.

"Work-life balance can have different meanings for different people -- for some, leaving at 5 o'clock every night is the ideal, and for others, scheduling flexibility and remote work options offer the greatest benefit," stated Paul McDonald, senior executive director for Robert Half. "Employers today are introducing more flexibility in how, when and where work is performed, and employees are reaping the rewards. At the same time, businesses can enjoy enhanced retention efforts. There's no doubt technology allows for added flexibility, but it's easy to succumb to the temptation of constantly staying connected and tapping into on-demand access to information."

McDonald offers tips on achieving more work-life balance on the Robert Half Management Resources blog. For more on Robert Half, head to their site here.

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