Work/Life Balance—A Survey
Source: Accounting Office Management & Administration Report
It may be more expensive to replace unsatisfied employees than to adopt work/life balance programs. IOMA surveyed 240 companies, including many professional firms. A majority reported favorable experience—better retention, higher morale, and improved productivity. But work/life balance programs are not without problems such as:
- Providing consistency among employees.
- Incurring resistance among supervisors.
- Accommodating everyone in smaller firms.
- Resentment when the program is not offered to all employees. For example, single employees may resent it when married people are offered work/life balance programs and they are not.
- Clients wanting their work done when they need it, not when someone on flex time can do it.
Here are some tips:
- Some firms require a core group—those with the most client contact—to work regular hours.
- A communication program is important—to get employees to understand that the program benefits the organization.
- Communications should emphasize that abuse of privileges harms everyone in the firm.
- Job descriptions can highlight what kind of work can be subject to flex time.
- Rewards for unused time can help assuage those who can’t take time off. A time bank can be created that allows a certain amount of vacation, sick, and personal time. Employees don’t have to feign illness.
- The firm must not lose focus on its mandate to serve clients and be productive.
The following table, summarizing the survey results is reprinted with permission from IOMA.
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Table 1. Work/Life Balance Programs Companies Offer Now and Will in Next 12 Months, by Number of Employees |
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Number of Employees |
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Overall |
1 to 350 |
351 to 1,000 |
More Than |
No |
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Flexible work hours (year-round) |
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Now offer |
57.0% |
53.0% |
61.5% |
56.5% |
66.7% |
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Will offer |
4.1 |
4.0 |
3.8 |
4.3 |
4.8 |
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Flexible work hours (seasonal) |
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Now offer |
35.1 |
32.0 |
38.5 |
37.7 |
33.3 |
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Will offer |
2.1 |
2.0 |
3.8 |
1.4 |
2.0 |
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Telecommuting (full-time) |
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Now offer |
20.7 |
8.0 |
15.4 |
40.6 |
28.6 |
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Will offer |
3.3 |
2.0 |
1.9 |
4.3 |
9.5 |
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Telecommuting (part-time) |
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Now offer |
35.5 |
32.0 |
38.5 |
34.8 |
47.6 |
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Will offer |
4.1 |
1.0 |
5.8 |
5.8 |
9.5 |
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Job sharing |
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Now offer |
21.5 |
14.0 |
19.2 |
31.9 |
28.6 |
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Will offer |
2.9 |
3.0 |
1.9 |
4.3 |
0.0 |
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Part-time opportunities |
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Now offer |
74.0 |
65.0 |
88.5 |
78.3 |
66.7 |
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Will offer |
5.0 |
3.0 |
9.6 |
1.4 |
14.3 |
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Leave in small increments1 |
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Now offer |
82.6 |
83.0 |
88.5 |
79.7 |
76.2 |
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Will offer |
4.5 |
3.0 |
9.6 |
2.9 |
4.8 |
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Paid-time-off policy2 |
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Now offer |
55.0 |
62.0 |
48.1 |
49.3 |
57.1 |
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Will offer |
6.6 |
4.0 |
7.7 |
8.7 |
9.5 |
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Banks of time3 |
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Now offer |
7.4 |
8.0 |
3.8 |
7.2 |
14.3 |
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Will offer |
2.5 |
1.0 |
1.9 |
4.3 |
4.8 |
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1for child’s dr. appointment, ball game, and the like. |
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2combines sick, vacation, and other time off. |
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3from busy periods to be ‘drawn on’ during slow periods. |
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(Source of tables: IOMA) |
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Table 2. Employee Types to Whom Companies Offer Work/Life Balance Programs, | ||||||
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by Number of Employees |
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Number of Employees |
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More Than |
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Overall |
1 to 350 |
351 to 1,000 |
1,000 |
No Response |
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All employees |
73.0% |
87.6% |
64.4% |
61.9% |
57.1% |
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Manager/executive level only |
2.4 |
1.1 |
0.0 |
4.8 |
7.1 |
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Only employees in certain departments or in certain types of jobs |
24.6 |
11.2 |
35.6 |
33.3 |
35.7 |
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From Accounting Office Management & Administration Report, November 2006, p. 1. For subscription information contact Institute of Management & Administration, Inc., 3 Park Avenue, 30th Floor, New York, NY 10016-5902. One-year subscription $349. 212-244-0360, [email protected]. To read the complete article, click here.