Human Resources: What Employees Are Looking For in Work/Life Balance Programs

Call it "Quality of Life" or "Work/Life Balance" - but either way, it´s clear American workers are clamoring for flexible work schedules and a greater degree of balance between work life and personal life.

Let´s face it, the era of dot-com craziness, 18-hour workdays and perks like "Bring Your Dog to Work Day" is gone. In fact, a recent poll we asked of human resource professionals found that 66 percent indicated they had seen an increase in requests for flexible work schedules during the past 12 months. In addition, the same study showed "flexible work schedule" and "vacation time" as two of the top five ways to motivate employees in today´s market.

Tough economy aside, work/life balance is a priority in the workplace. Why are workers looking for more of a divide between personal and professional priorities? We found the top three reasons to be:

General work/life balance issues (76 percent ranked as primary reason)

Working mothers looking to spend more time with their children (13 percent ranked as second reason)

The September 11th effect (eight percent ranked as third reason)

Why should companies implement more structured and substantial work/life balance programs in the workplace? The most obvious reasons are morale and retention. In fact, we found that 85 percent of human resource professionals noted that morale has been more of a challenge in the past year.

Although the slow economy has forced workforce reductions on many U.S. companies, retention is still a high priority in order to keep and continue to motivate high-performing employees. According to some recent studies, by boosting retention rates, organizations reduce the cost of attrition by 150 percent of every departing employee´s annual salary.

The types of programs organizations can implement to speak to work/life balance issues in the workforce vary, depending on the employee and the organization. However, some programs that have proven helpful in the constant fight for balance include:

Flexible work hours - Workers can decide to spread the eight-hour work day between convenient hours (for instance, some workers find it helpful to work 8AM to 4PM or 10 AM to 6PM, depending on family/personal commitments)

Job sharing - Two or more employees share the responsibilities of one job, varying working hours or working days to fit each other´s schedule

Part-time work schedules - Cutting a 40 hour work week to 20 or 25 hours could mean a cut in salary, but an increase in personal satisfaction

Telecommuting - Still a viable option for workers to eitherwork full- or part-time from a home environment

Some organizations find one or a mixture of these options helpful in providing employees with the work/life balance they need. What should you do to find the best fit for your organization? The first step in providing flexible work options is to find out what the employees are looking for in a work/life balance program and what your company can afford to provide.

There are no sure answers to make a work environment perfect for every employee, however, by talking to your workforce and showing an interest in their priorities, your organization can retain high performers and boost morale and productivity in the workplace.

About the Author
Tom Silveri is President of DBM. DBM (www.dbm.com) is the world´s leading provider of strategic human resource solutions that help organizations align their workforces to meet changing business needs. Known for over 35 years for its innovative and effective career transition services, DBM offers in-depth capabilities in employee transition, retention, development, and selection. Founded in 1967, the company has more than 225 locations in 47 countries.