Workers want work/life balance

What motivates Canadian employees at work ? An OfficeTeam poll identified work/life balance as the top contributor.

The survey of 210 Canadian employees shows that apart from salary, work/life balance is the criterion most tied to on-the-job satisfaction (38%), followed by opportunities to learn and grow (20%), camaraderie with coworkers (16%), a good working relationship with the boss (10%) and the ability to accomplish goals (9%). 6% of respondents said they didn’t know. Although the study highlights the importance of work/life balance, it also shows that expectations differ based on the employee. There is no unique formula, hence the interest of HR professionals in knowing what drives each employee.

Similar results in Europe

These results are further to a first survey published a few months ago in Europe on the same topic, which found similar expectations as regards work/life balance. This criterion topped the list in Austria (34%), Switzerland (33%) and France (25%). Other factors were also put forward, such as working with good colleagues in the Netherlands (37%) and in Belgium (22%), or working for a manager that one respects in Luxembourg (36%) and Italy (21%). The survey shows how important today’s employees consider it to work in a good climate with a strong team spirit.

For better satisfaction

Along with the results of the Canadian survey, OfficeTeam offers managers tips on helping their teams achieve better balance. These include better distributing the workload among employees, having more flexible schedules and providing the opportunity to work from home. Insofar as possible, avoid contacting staff outside of office hours. The firm also suggests that managers remind employees to take breaks and vacation and to ask for help if they feel overwhelmed.