WORK-LIFE BALANCE 2007 RESEARCH REPORT

Transcription

1 WORK-LIFE BALANCE 7 RESEARCH REPORT conducted & compiled by Dr Alma McCarthy Department of Management J.E. Cairnes Graduate School of Business & Public Policy National University of Ireland, Galway Galway alma.mccarthy@nuigalway.ie Geraldine Grady Centre for Innovation & Structural Change J.E. Cairnes Graduate School of Business & Public Policy National University of Ireland, Galway Galway geraldine.grady@nuigalway.ie in association with Prof Jan Cleveland The Pennsylvania State University PA 1682, USA Dr Colette Darcy National College of Ireland Dublin 1 Dr Melrona Kirrane DCU Business School Dublin 9

2 If organisations have employees who are motivated and happy with a balance in their life, and not feeling stressed, they are going to get more positive employees and more productive output. Manager, Medical Devices (Study Participant) This evaluation would not have been possible without the co-operation of the 15 organisations and HR Managers/Directors, 133 Middle/Line Managers, and 729 employees who participated in the research. Their assistance and participation in this study is greatly acknowledged. We also acknowledge the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences who provided financial assistance to undertake this study. 1

3 Report Contents Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 4 INTRODUCTION 7 SECTION A: FINDINGS FROM HR DIRECTOR/MANAGER INTERVIEWS HR Director/Manager Attitude towards WLB/Flexible Practices 11 Organisational Consequences of Flexible/Work-life Balance Initiatives Benefits of Work-life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/ Managers Challenges of Work-life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/ Managers Impact of Work-life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/ Managers Working Hours & Rewards Working Hours as reported by HR Directors/Managers Reasons for Working Additional Hours Rewards for Working Additional Hours WLB/Flexible Working Policy & Practice Reported availability & uptake of WLB/flexible practices by HR Directors/Managers Staff Eligibility & Practicality of Engaging in WLB/flexible practices Senior and Middle/Line Manager Involvement in Work-Life Balance Policy Decision-Making SECTION B: FINDINGS FROM MIDDLE/LINE MANAGER INTERVIEWS 26 Middle/Line Manager Attitude and Awareness of WLB/Flexible Practices Middle/Line Manager attitude towards WLB practices and initiatives Staff Eligibility & Practicality of Engaging in WLB/flexible practices Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers to be available in their organisation Organisational Consequences of Work-life Balance Initiatives Benefits of Work-life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers Challenges of Work-life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers Impact of Work-life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers

4 Middle/Line Manager Involvement and Consultation in WLB Policy & Practice Middle/Line Manager Input into Work-life Balance policy formation Middle/Line Manager Input into employee participation in WLB practices Middle/Line Manager Personal Work-Life Balance Middle/Line Manager personal overall satisfaction with WLB Middle/Line Manager Uptake of Work-life Balance Initiatives Most often cited reasons for engaging in WLB/flexible practices Most often cited reasons for not engaging in WLB/flexible practices SECTION C: FINDINGS FROM EMPLOYEE QUESTIONNAIRES 44 Employee Demographic Profile 45 Employee Satisfaction with Work-life Balance (WLB) Overall satisfaction with WLB reported by employees Employee attitudes towards WLB Responses to work-life imbalance issues Improving WLB employee suggestions Work and Life Domains: Hours and Satisfaction 56 Work-Life Balance/Flexible Working Arrangements Reported availability & uptake of WLB/flexible practices Most often cited reasons for engaging in WLB/flexible practices Most often cited reasons for not engaging in WLB/flexible practices Work-Life Balance Culture Perceived managerial support for work-life balance Perceived organisational support for work-life balance Work-Life Balance Outcomes Perceived career consequences of engaging in WLB practices Perceived organisational demands on time Turnover intentions Perceived impact of WLB/flexible working practices SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS 77 APPENDIX A: Rating Scale used in Study APPENDIX B: Item Response Means: Private and Public Sectors

5 Executive Summary Work-life balance (WLB) is an increasingly important human resource issue facing employees and management in Irish workplaces. A recent study on work-life balance in Ireland was undertaken at NUI, Galway by Dr Alma McCarthy and Geraldine Grady in collaboration with the National College of Ireland, Dublin City University, and Penn State University USA. The study was funded by the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) and the research was carried out in both the private and public sectors in Ireland. Work-life balance data was collected at three organisational levels from 15 HR Directors/Managers, 133 Middle/Line managers and 729 employee surveys. The findings from the study reveal that 75% of employees indicated that they were either slightly satisfied, satisfied, or very satisfied with their work-life balance in general. Employees in the public sector reported higher levels of work-life balance satisfaction when compared with those working in the private sector. Employees tend to work more than their contracted or official weekly hours and this is more pronounced in the private sector. The study also explored the amount of time respondents spend in the other domains of life, including family/childcare, recreation, and community activities. There were significant differences reported for men and women: men, on average, spend more time in paid employment per week compared with women (42 versus 36 hours) and women spend more time engaging in family/household activities compared with men (24 hours versus 15 hours per week). The average time given to community activities is two hours per week for both men and women. Given the increasing focus at a government level on citizenship, the fact that 48% of respondents report spending no time engaged in community activities is a worrying trend. There is a wide range of work-life balance arrangements, programmes and policies available in organisations. The public sector tends to offer more programmes geared towards reduction of hours compared with the private sector. On the other hand, the private sector tends to offer more WLB support initiatives (e.g. on-site medical facilities), compared with the public sector, but these policies do not have a direct effect on working time and the number of hours worked. 4

6 The provision of various WLB arrangements, policies and practices by an organisation does not necessarily indicate higher levels of uptake or usage by employees. Some of the key factors that affect employee usage of WLB programmes include: lack of awareness of the options and opportunities that are available; inconsistent access to WLB programmes for employees, particularly those in management; and lack of support from management to use WLB programmes. The most commonly used WLB/flexible arrangements in the public sector are: flexitime; time off in lieu; work-sharing; term-time; and part-time working. In the private sector, the most commonly used programmes/arrangements are: membership discounts; time off in lieu; informal flexibility; onsite medical facilities; and education schemes. Important questions to ask are: i) how effective are WLB programmes and ii) which programmes in particular are most effective. Statistical analyses of the data indicate overall satisfaction with WLB tends to be higher for employees who: use temporal WLB programmes (i.e. reduced working hours through job/work-sharing, term-time, or part-time working) have better managerial/supervisor and organisational support for work-life balance spend more time in community activities. The employees were asked what their organisation could do to improve their work-life balance. Employees in both the private and public sectors suggest that their organisations could either introduce flexitime systems or improve them where they are in operation by extending the core hours and increasing availability to more staff. Employees also suggest that there should be more opportunity to work from home (teleworking) and that this should be supported financially (e.g. covering phone and broadband costs). Managers report that WLB programmes foster good employee relations in the organisation and help to retain employees (in particular, experienced employees with specialised skills). They also report that WLB/flexible practices improve the well-being of employees, can increase productivity and help lower absenteeism. Managers/supervisors in the private and public sectors report little or no involvement in formulating policies on WLB in their organisation, which can have a negative impact on the implementation of such programmes, but tend to report much higher levels of involvement in determining who avails of these programmes. 5

7 Some work-life balance programmes are more complex to manage than others and this is particularly true for programmes that alter working hours such as part-time working, job/worksharing and term-time since adequate staffing and cover need to be in place. Managing the workload in a dynamic, competitive and demanding environment, while also trying to address employee requests for greater flexibility, is the biggest challenge cited by management in operating WLB programmes. The second key challenge of managing work-life balance programmes is ensuring equity and fairness in implementation, availability and access to all staff. The challenge of resourcing the programmes fully to ensure that employees working full-time are not carrying the workload for the employees on flexible practices was also cited by managers as a significant challenge in managing the work-life balance agenda. In summary, work-life balance is reported to be an important issue in the workplace at management and employee levels. The majority of employees report being satisfied, to some extent, with their work-life balance and employees in the public sector report higher levels of WLB satisfaction compared with employees in the private sector. This can be linked to hours worked since hours worked are significantly higher in the private sector compared with the public sector. Employees who use temporal working arrangements that reduce their working hours and have more managerial and organisational support for work-life balance also tend to report higher WLB satisfaction levels. Working long hours and commuting long distances can have negative effects on work-life balance. Employers and employees need to work together to find a strategy that can help to improve work-life balance for employees in addition to managing the workload and meeting the organisation s objectives. 6

8 Introduction 7

9 Introduction Work-life balance is an increasingly important human resource issue facing employees and management in the workplace. Under the direction of Dr Alma McCarthy and Geraldine Grady, the National University of Ireland, Galway received funding from the Irish Research Council for the Humanities and Social Sciences (IRCHSS) in 6 to conduct a two-year national research study on work-life balance in Ireland. A total of 15 large organisations participated in the study ten from the private sector and five from the public sector. Research & Study Method A number of organisations were contacted to establish their willingness to participate in the study in Spring 7. A three-strand approach was used to gather the data in each organisation: (i) a sample of employees from each organisation was chosen to participate in the study and an electronic or paper-based questionnaire sent to them; (ii) telephone or face-to-face interviews were conducted with a sample of Middle/Line Managers in each participating organisation; and (iii) a face-to-face interview was conducted with the HR Director/Manager. In total, 729 employees completed and returned questionnaires from 1, questionnaires distributed (representing a 56% response rate). 133 Middle/Line Managers and 15 HR Directors/Managers were interviewed in the 15 organisations. Report Objectives & Structure This aim of this report is to summarise the findings from the study on work-life balance. The report is divided into three sections. Section A will report the findings from interviews conducted with the HR Directors/ Managers responsible for work-life balance in each of the participating organisations. This section reports on HR Director/Manager attitudes towards work-life balance in the workplace. HR Directors/Managers perceptions of the organisational consequences of WLB policy and practice as well as the perceived impact of WLB arrangements on the business will be presented. HR Directors/Managers were asked to report on the working hours in their business for various staff as well as the reasons for various staff grades working more than their contracted 8

10 hours per week and the rewards for working these additional hours, if any. Finally, section A presents the reported eligibility and practicality of various staff cohorts engaging in WLB/flexible working practices. The responsibility and involvement of various stakeholders in WLB/flexible working policy and practice is also explored. Section B will report the findings from the Middle/Line Manager interviews in relation to Middle/Line Managers attitude and awareness of the work-life balance initiatives in their organisation. It will also detail the perceived benefits and the challenges in operating work-life balance initiatives and the impact these initiatives have on the organisation from the perspective of Middle/Line Managers. Furthermore, it will report the Middle/Line Managers involvement and consultation in work-life balance policy and practice. Finally, the findings on the Middle/Line Managers personal satisfaction with work-life balance, the work-life balance initiatives they have availed or not availed of, and reasons why/why not will be presented. Section C presents findings from the employee questionnaires in relation to employee satisfaction with their work-life balance and the hours they spend in work and life (i.e. family, community and recreation) domains. In addition, section C will detail the availability of flexible working arrangements in the organisations surveyed and the reported uptake of these practices from the perspective of the employees. The section then presents the perceived managerial and organisational support for work-life balance from the employee perspective. Finally, work-life balance outcomes, from the employee perspective, will be reported such as perceived career consequences of engaging in work-life balance practices, organisational demands on time, turnover intentions, and the perceived impact of flexible working practices. Appendix A presents the rating scale used to capture the level of agreement/disagreement with the various work-life balance statements and issues explored in the study questionnaires. Appendix B presents the item mean scores for the various statements and issues presented in Sections A and B for private and public sector organisations. 9

11 Section A Findings from HR Director/Manager Interviews

12 HR Director/ Manager Attitude Towards WLB practices and Initiatives HR Directors/Managers were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with a series of statements about work-life balance. The scale used ranged from 1 to 7, using the value 1 if respondents strongly disagreed with the statement up to 7 if respondents strongly agreed with the statement (see Appendix A for an outline of the full rating scale). The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. Everyone should be able to balance their work and home lives in the way they want

13 The employer's first responsibility has to be to ensure that the organisation achieves its goals Employees must not expect to be able to change their working pattern, if to do so would disrupt the business

14 It is not our responsibility to help people balance their work with other aspects of their lives People work best when they can balance their work and the other aspects of their lives

15 Policies that help staff balance work and other interests are often unfair to some employees From the findings presented above, HR Directors/Managers tend to report that achievement of the business goals and objectives takes priority over employee work-life balance issues. Notwithstanding, all HR Directors/Managers believe that the organisation does have some responsibility to help employees balance their work and personal lives. Furthermore, HR Directors/Managers report that employees work best when they can achieve an effective worklife balance. 73% of HR Directors/Managers do not believe that some work-life balance/ flexible programmes can be perceived to be unfair to some employees. 14

16 Organisational Consequences of Flexible/WLB Initiatives The HR Director/Manager interviews included questions relating to the benefits and challenges of managing and operating work-life balance practices in their organisations. The following are the benefits and challenges cited by HR Directors/Managers in operating WLB/flexible practices in rank order of most often cited: Benefits of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/Managers 1. Retention of employees o In particular, WLB initiatives can help retain employees with specialised skills ensuring that investment in training and expertise is retained o Supports gender balance at managerial level female employees are more likely to stay with the company if there are suitable WLB programmes in place and thus can be promoted into management positions. 2. Improves well-being of employees o Employees are happier, more contented and less stressed when they can access suitable WLB arrangements. 3. Increases effectiveness and engagement from employees employees who have a satisfactory worklife balance tend to be better performers than those who do not and also can be more engaged with the organisation. 4. Differentiates the organisation and improves the brand image in terms of attracting and recruiting employees, which can give the organisation a competitive advantage. 5. Creates a positive culture in the organisation when employees feel valued they are more loyal and committed to the organisation. Challenges of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/Managers 1. Managing the workload in a competitive and demanding environment versus managing the needs of the employees for greater flexibility 2. Equity and fairness the implementation of WLB/flexible practices must be fair and consistent in terms of employee access to various programmes. o Resourcing the programmes fully to ensure that employees working full-time are not carrying the workload for the employees on flexible practices is a challenge. o It can be difficult to manage the demands of the business in different organisational sections or units versus allowing employees to avail of flexible practices. 15

17 3. Managing the difficulties of replacing staff since it can be difficult to match the skill-sets required for staff engaging in job-sharing, term-time and part-time working. 4. Managing the expectations of employees can be difficult as the needs of the business or unit/section sometimes render certain WLB arrangements inappropriate. 5. Communicating day-to-day information and transfer of knowledge to employees on flexible working practices, in particular job-sharing, can be a challenge due to their absence from the workplace at certain times. 6. Organising, administering and managing the programmes inevitably, offering various atypical work arrangements and various WLB practices increases administrative and management burden. This is particularly true for home working/teleworking and work/job-sharing, and term-time. Impact of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by HR Directors/Managers HR Directors/Managers were asked to indicate if they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements relating to the impact that work-life balance practices have on their organisation. The scale used ranges from 1 to 7, using the value 1 if respondents strongly disagreed with the statements up to 7 if respondents strongly agreed. The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. WLB policies & programmes foster good employee relations in the organisation Neither 16

18 WLB policies & programmes help increase productivity WLB policies & programmes help to reduce absenteeism

19 WLB policies & programmes help to lower labour turnover WLB policies & programmes have a positive impact on recruitment and retention

20 WLB policies & programmes have led to shortages of staff at key times WLB policies & programmes improve staff motivation and commitment

21 WLB policies & programmes increase managerial workloads WLB policies & programmes increase overall costs of the business Neither The HR Directors/Managers believe, in the majority of cases, that work-life balance policies and programmes have positive effects on the organisation. 8% agreed to some extent that WLB programmes foster good employee relations, 87% believe WLB programmes can help increase productivity, and over 9% of HR Directors/Managers report that WLB programmes

22 help reduce absenteeism, lower staff turnover and have a positive impact on recruitment and retention. All HR Directors/Managers report, to some extent, that WLB policies and programmes improve staff motivation and commitment. The impact of WLB programmes on staff shortages is less clear with % of HR Directors/Managers agreeing that these work arrangements lead to shortages while 6% disagreed with this statement. HR Directors/Managers believe that WLB programmes increase managerial workloads and % of the HR Directors/Managers believe the operation of WLB policies and programmes increase overall costs to the business. While the benefits of WLB programmes, as reported by HR Directors/Managers are numerous, there are also some possible negative effects for organisations. The challenge is to design and implement WLB policies and programmes which accrue more benefits than difficulties or costs for the organisation. Working Hours & Rewards Working Hours as reported by HR Directors/Managers The HR Directors/Managers were asked about the working patterns of staff within their organisation to establish the working hours of employees in various jobs. Most organisations operate a seven-day week including shift-work for some staff (67%). 33% of the organisations work Monday to Friday. The HR Directors/Managers report that, on average, all grades of staff work more than their contracted working hours per week in their organisation. The average additional hours worked per week for Senior Managers are reported to be 9.9 hours (ranging from 3 to 15 hours extra). The average additional hours worked per week for Middle/Line managers are reported to be 8.1 hours (ranging from 2 to 15 hours extra). Other professional staff are reported to work an average of 6.7 additional hours per week (ranging from 1 to 15), clerical/administrative staff are reported to work an average of 4 additional hours per week (ranging from to 12) and manual/technical staff are reported to work an additional 8.1 hours above their contracted hours per week (ranging from to ). 21

23 Reasons for Working Additional Hours The HR Directors/Managers were asked why employees work more than their contacted hours, where this is the case. The following are the reasons cited in rank order from most often cited: 1. Temporary increase in the workload of the business 2. Employees own desire to get the job done 3. Backlog of work 4. The necessity to cover staff shortages. Rewards for Working Additional Hours The HR Directors/Managers were asked how employees are rewarded for working above and beyond their contracted hours. The majority of HR Directors/Managers (8%) report that Senior Managers are not rewarded for working additional hours and % report that senior managers get time off in lieu of additional hours worked. 27% of HR Directors/Managers report that Middle/Line Managers are not rewarded for additional hours worked while 63% of HR Directors/Managers report that Middle/Line Managers either receive additional payment for extra hours worked or time off in lieu. The HR Directors/Managers report that 5% of other professional staff who work additional hours above their contracted hours are not rewarded for these hours while 5% report they either get time off in lieu or payment for additional hours worked. All HR Directors/Managers report that clerical/administrative staff and manual/technical staff receive payment for working additional hours. 22

24 Work-Life Balance/Flexible Working Arrangements Reported availability & uptake of WLB/flexible practices by HR Directors/Managers HR Directors/Managers were asked if a variety of work-life balance practices and arrangements are available to staff in their organisation. The percentage of HR Directors/Managers indicating the availability of each practice is presented in the table below. It should be noted that the availability of a practice within the organisation does not necessarily mean this practice/ arrangement is available to all staff in different management grades and functions. Practice/Arrangement % of HR Directors/Managers reporting availability in their organisation Job-sharing 93 Part-time working 93 Flexitime 67 Term-time Home working /teleworking 73 Time off in lieu 93 Annualised hours 13 Paternity Leave 73 Informal flexibility/emergency leave Compressed working week Employee counselling and support 93 Career breaks 73 Education schemes On/off side medical facilities doctor/nurse 6 Membership/discounts (e.g. gym, shops) 8 On-site crèche 13 Subsidised nursery places outside work 7 Financial Advisors 47 The most popular work-life balance policies and programmes available in organisations, as reported by HR Managers/Directors are: informal flexibility, education schemes, employee 23

25 counselling and support, time off in lieu of extra hours worked, part-time working, and jobsharing. The least common WLB/flexible programmes on offer reported by HR Directors/Managers in their organisations are: on-site or subsidised childcare facilities, compressed working week, financial advisors, and term-time. Staff Eligibility & Practicality of Engaging in WLB/flexible practices HR Directors/Managers were asked if various staff grades are eligible to use work-life balance/flexible working practices in their organisation. All HR Directors/Managers report that some or all senior managers, middle/line managers, professional staff, clerical/administrative staff, and manual staff are eligible to use work-life balance practices. However, when asked it is was practical for different staff levels and grades to use work-life balance practices, 73% of HR Directors/Managers report that it is not practical for all staff to be able to use flexible working practices without due consideration for the nature of their job or the nature of the work in their section/unit. The following are the most often cited reasons why various staff grades do not always have access to work-life balance programmes or flexible working arrangements: 1. WLB/flexible working arrangements are not compatible/feasible with the nature of some jobs (in particular, for senior and middle management positions) 2. Difficult to operate work-life balance programmes for certain staff (in particular, professional staff with specialised skills) 3. Senior management resistance. Senior and Middle/Line Manager Involvement in Work-Life Balance Policy Decision- Making HR Directors/Managers were asked who was involved in key decisions regarding the formation and implementation of work-life balance policies and practices in their organisation. In all organisations, HR takes the lead role in forming work-life balance policy. 26% of HR Directors/Managers report that senior management has little or no involvement in work-life balance formation while HR Directors/Managers report that % of Middle/Line Managers 24

26 either play no role or a very small role in forming work-life balance policy. However, despite these relatively low participation levels in work-life balance/flexible working practices policy formation, senior and middle/line managers are expected to play a more central role in managing and implementing these policies and practices. 25

27 Section B Findings from Middle/Line Manager Interviews 26

28 Section B of this report presents the key findings from the interviews conducted with 133 Middle/Line Managers in the 15 participating organisations in the private and public sectors. Middle/Line Manager Attitude Towards WLB/Flexible Practices Middle/Line Manager Attitude Towards WLB Practices and Initiatives Middle/Line Managers were asked to indicate their agreement or disagreement with a series of statements about work-life balance. The scale used ranged from 1 to 7, using the value 1 if respondents strongly disagreed with the statement up to 7 if respondents strongly agreed with the statement. The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. Everyone should be able to balance their work and home lives in the way they want Neither 27

29 The employer's first responsibility has to be to ensure that the organisation achieves its goals Employees must not expect to be able to change their working pattern, if to do so would disrupt the business Neither 28

30 It is not our responsibility to help people balance their work with other aspects of their lives People work best when they can balance their work and the other aspects of their lives

31 Policies that help staff balance work and other interests are often unfair to some employees Neither 5.3 Not unlike the HR Directors/Managers responses to the statements above, Middle/Line Managers believe that achievement of the business goals and objectives is the key priority. Work-life balance programmes should not disrupt the business. However, the majority of Middle/Line Managers (81%) believe they have a responsibility to help employees balance their work and personal lives and 99% of Middle/Line Managers believe that employees work best when they can achieve a good balance between work and life. 58% of Middle/Line Managers believe that some WLB/flexible policies and practices can be unfair to some employees. Staff Eligibility & Practicality of Engaging in WLB/flexible practices Middle/Line Managers were asked if it was practical/feasible that all employees should have the opportunity to avail of WLB/flexible working practices. Significantly more Middle/Line Managers in the public sector reported that it is feasible for all employees to avail of WLB practices (76%) compared with private sector Middle/Line Managers (41%). Overall Public Private No Yes No Yes No Yes Is it practical for all groups of employees to avail of WLB programmes? 47% 54% 24% 76% 59% 41%

32 Middle/Line Managers reported the following are the top three reasons why it is not feasible/practical for all employees to be able to avail of work-life balance/flexible working practices: 1. Not feasible/not compatible with nature of work in this organisation 2. Too difficult and costly to operate 3. Managerial resistance/senior staff reluctance. Work-Life Balance/Flexible Working Arrangements Reported availability of WLB/flexible practices by Middle/Line Managers Middle/Line Managers were asked if a variety of work-life balance practices and arrangements are available in their organisation. The percentage of respondents indicating the availability of each practice is presented in the second column in the table below. Middle/Line Managers were also asked if staff engage in or use these various practices column three sets out the percentage of Middle/Line Managers who report that staff engage in or use the various WLB initiatives and practices. Practice/Arrangement % of Line Managers reporting it is available in their organisation Job-sharing 81 Part-time working 84 Flexitime 79 Term-time 46 Home working /teleworking 56 Time off in lieu 85 Annualised hours 5 Paternity Leave 9 Informal flexibility/emergency leave Compressed working week 27 Employee counselling and support 93 Career breaks 78 Education schemes 98 31

33 Practice/Arrangement % of Line Managers reporting it is available in their organisation On/off side medical facilities doctor/nurse 66 Membership/discounts (e.g. gym, shops) 62 On-site crèche 8 Subsidised nursery places outside work 2 Financial Advisors 29 The most popular work-life balance policies and programmes available in organisations, as reported by Middle/Line Managers are: informal flexibility, education schemes, employee counselling and support, paternity leave, time off in lieu of extra hours worked, part-time working, job-sharing, flexi-time, and career breaks. The least common WLB/flexible programmes on offer reported by Middle/Line Managers in their organisations are: on-site or subsidised childcare facilities, compressed working week, financial advisors, and term-time. These findings very closely correspond with the responses from the HR Directors/Managers in the organisations indicating agreement at management level about which programmes are and are not available in their organisations. Organisational Consequences of Flexible/WLB Initiatives Middle/Line Managers were asked to indicate the main benefits and challenges in operating WLB initiatives. The following are the benefits and challenges cited by Middle/Line Managers in operating WLB/flexible practices in rank order of most often cited: Benefits of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers 1. Improves well-being of employees employees are happier, more contented and less stressed when they can avail of appropriate WLB/flexible working options. 2. Retention of employees. In particular, WLB/flexible programmes can assist in retaining employees with specialised skills. 3. Creates a positive culture in the organisation when employees feel their own personal constraints are understood, they feel valued when the organisation is seen to be more caring towards them. 32

34 4. Increases productivity there can be a better quality of work if employees are operating to their optimum and not feeling stressed or under pressure. 5. An advantage in attracting and recruiting staff WLB/flexible working policies and programmes can assist in the staff recruitment process. 6. Increases motivation and commitment among employees. 7. Reduces Absenteeism Challenges of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers 1. Managing the workload versus managing the needs of the employees for greater flexibility and ensuring there are sufficient staff resources to service the customers. 2. Equity and fairness it can be challenging to implement WLB programmes and arrangements in a fair manner ensuring that employees who do not avail of WLB options are not left to carry the ongoing workload, which can sometimes cause resentment among full-time staff. 3. Managing the difficulties of replacing staff, matching the required skill-sets, subsequent training and the related costs. 4. Increases managerial workload time consuming when trying to co-ordinate key resources to meet the targets of the business. 5. Ensuring continuity of the workload is maintained when employees are availing of WLB options, in particular work-sharing and term-time. 6. Communicating day-to-day information and changes to employees on flexible working practices can be challenging due to their absence from the business at particular times. The benefits and challenges associated with implementing and managing work-life balance/flexible working practices highlighted by Middle/Line Managers are similar to those presented by HR Directors/Managers. Middle/Line Managers pointed to the increase in managerial workload, in particular, as being a key challenge in managing WLB/flexible working practices. This findings is not surprising given that Middle/Line Managers tend to be more involved in the day-to-day management issues relating to planning and organising work. 33

35 Impact of Work-Life Balance Practices reported by Middle/Line Managers Middle/Line Managers were asked to indicate if they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements relating to the impact that work-life balance practices might have on their organisation. The scale used ranges from 1 to 7, using the value 1 if respondents strongly disagreed with the statements up to 7 if respondents strongly agreed. The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. WLB policies & programmes foster good employee relations in the organisation Neither 6 34

36 WLB policies & programmes help increase productivity Neither WLB policies & programmes help to reduce absenteeism Neither 35

37 WLB policies & programmes help to lower labour turnover WLB policies & programmes have a positive impact on recruitment and retention

38 WLB policies & programmes have led to shortages of staff at key times Neither.5 WLB policies & programmes improve staff motivation and commitment

39 WLB policies & programmes increase managerial workloads WLB policies & programmes increase overall costs of the business Neither 6.8 The Middle/Line Managers believe, in the majority of cases, that work-life balance policies and programmes have very positive effects on the organisation. 96% agreed to some extent that WLB programmes foster good employee relations, 81% believe WLB programmes can help increase productivity, 89% of Middle/Line Managers report that WLB programmes help reduce absenteeism, 94% agree that WLB programmes help lower staff turnover and 96% believe these 38

40 programmes have a positive impact on recruitment and retention. 9% of Middle/Line Managers believe WLB policies and programmes improve staff motivation and commitment. The impact of WLB programmes on staff shortages is seen to be a challenge with 62% of Middle/Line Managers agreeing to some extent that these work arrangements lead to shortages. 72% of Middle/Line Managers believe that WLB programmes increase managerial workloads and 47% of the Middle/Line Managers believe the operation of WLB policies and programmes increase overall costs to the business. While the benefits of WLB programmes, as reported by Middle/Line Managers are numerous, there are also some possible negative effects for organisations. The key benefits and challenges as reported by the corresponding HR Director/Manager in each of the organisations surveyed largely match the findings reported for Middle/Line Managers. The impact of WLB /flexible working arrangements on staff shortages and increased managerial workload is reported to be more problematic by Middle/Line Managers compared with HR Directors/Managers. Again, it is Middle/Line Managers who usually have to deal with the immediate impact of staff shortages as they plan and organise work in their sections. Thus, if staff availability is reduced because of WLB/flexible practices, it is the Middle/Line Managers who are most affected by staff shortages which can increase their workloads as they try to meet business needs. 39

41 Middle/Line Manager Involvement and Consultation in WLB Policy & Practice Middle/Line Managers were asked two questions regarding their involvement in WLB decisionmaking: a) how much discretion they have over the types of working arrangements made available to employees (policy formation) and b) how much discretion they have over which employees participate in these working arrangements in their organisations. The results show that 6% of Middle/Line Managers report they have no discretion and only 18% report they have a fair amount or a great deal of discretion over the types of work-life balance policies and programmes introduced in their organisations. In contrast, Middle/Line Managers tend to report they have a great deal of discretion (57%) or a fair amount of discretion (29%) over which employees participate in these programmes. Middle/Line Manager Input into Work-life Balance Policy Formation none at all a little 12.8 a fair amount 5.3 a great deal

42 Middle/Line Manager Input into employee participation in WLB practices none at all.5 a little a fair amount a great deal It can be difficult for Middle/Line Managers to implement, manage and monitor WLB/flexible working arrangements for which they have had no significant input in terms of design. The HR Directors/Managers also reported that Middle/Line Manager involvement in WLB policy design was almost non-existent in their organisations. However, the findings here indicate that Middle/Line Managers have a significant say in who participates in programmes. Organisations should ensure that Middle/Line Managers, who will ultimately be at the forefront of the implementation and management of WLB/flexible practices, are involved in the critical stage of WLB policy and practice choice, formation and design. 41

43 Middle/Line Manager Personal Work-Life Balance Middle/Line Manager personal overall satisfaction with WLB Middle/Line Managers were asked to indicate the level of satisfaction they had with their own work-life balance. Almost three-quarters of Middle/Line Managers report that they are somewhat satisfied, satisfied or very satisfied with their own work-life balance. However, one-quarter of Middle/Line Managers report dissatisfaction to some extent with their own work-life balance. Overall satisfaction with your OWN WLB Very dissatisfied 5.3 Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied.8 Neither Somewhat satisfied Satisfied Very satisfied Middle/Line Manager Uptake of Work-life Balance Initiatives Middle/Line Managers were asked if they engaged in flexible working practices or used worklife balance initiatives as Middle/Line Managers. The results show that 66% of Middle/Line Managers have not used or do not engage in WLB/flexible working practices and 34% have engaged or use some form of flexible working/wlb, (i.e. home working/teleworking or flexitime). 42

44 Have you ever engaged in WLB/flexible working? no yes Most often cited reasons for why Middle/Line Managers do engage in WLB/Flexible practices Where Middle/Line Managers have engaged in flexible/wlb practices, the following are the reasons cited by them for engaging in WLB/flexible practices in rank order of most often cited: 1. Commuting/traffic 2. Childcare 3. Need/want more personal time Most often cited reasons for why Middle/Line Managers do NOT engage in WLB/Flexible practices Where Middle/Line Managers have not engaged in flexible/wlb practices, the following are the reasons cited by them for not engaging in WLB/flexible practices in rank order of most often cited: 1. Job does not lend itself to flexible practices 2. WLB/flexible practices are not available to them 3. Negative career consequences of using WLB/flexible working practices 4. Financial considerations unable to afford reduced working time options. 43

45 Section C Findings from Employee Questionnaires 44

46 Section C of this report presents the key findings from the surveys completed and returned from the 729 employees who participated in the research. Employee Demographic Profile 48% of the respondents were male and 52% were female. Gender male female The majority of respondents were married (48%) and 12% living with a partner. 35% were single. Marital status Single Married Living with partner 3.5 Separated/divorc ed 1 Widowed 45

47 The majority of employees (59%) reported they had no dependent children (representing children in childcare through to third level education). 14% had one dependent child and 18% had two dependent children. No. of dependent children The majority of respondents (29%) report their highest educational qualification to be a bachelor s degree with 24% reporting secondary level education as their highest educational attainment. Highest education qualification primary secondary certificate diploma bachelors degree masters 3.2 other 46

48 Employee Satisfaction with Work-Life Balance (WLB) Overall satisfaction with WLB (reported by Employees) Employees were asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with their own work-life balance. The majority of employees (75%) were somewhat satisfied, satisfied or very satisfied with their own work-life balance. However, 24% of employees reported dissatisfaction, to some extent, with their work-life balance. Overall satisfaction with WLB Very Dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied dissatisfied 1.4 Neither Somewhat satisfied Satisfied 9.7 Very satisfied Employees in the public sector reported higher levels of work-life balance satisfaction when compared with those working in the private sector. Using independent samples t-tests, these differences in means for public and private sector employee satisfaction with WLB are significant (t (716) = 3.99, p <.1). Thus, employees in the public sector are reporting significantly higher levels of overall work-life balance satisfaction compared with the private sector. TOTAL PUBLIC PRIVATE MEAN SD MEAN SD MEAN SD Overall satisfaction with work-life balance

49 Marital status accounted for significant differences in reported levels of work-life balance. Employees who were married reported highest level of WLB satisfaction and the lowest level of satisfaction were among those employees who were co-habiting with partners. Employee Attitudes towards WLB A series of statements were presented to explore the attitudes employees have towards WLB in general and the roles and responsibilities of management and employees. The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. Everyone should be able to balance their work and personal/non-work lives in the way they want Neither 48

50 Employees must not expect to be able to change their working pattern if to do so would disrupt the business Neither 49

51 5

52 91% of employees believe that everyone should be able to balance their work and personal lives in the way they want. Unsurprisingly, HR and Middle/Line management disagree significantly more with this statement compared with employees. Not unlike the HR Directors/Managers and Middle/Line Managers responses, employees believe that achievement of the business goals and objectives is the key priority for their organisation. However, employees tend to disagree significantly more than management that employees must not expect to be able to change their working pattern if doing so disrupts the business (53% of employees disagreed with this statement in comparison to only % of HR Directors/Managers and 26% of Middle/Line Managers). The majority of employees (71%) believe their organisation has a responsibility to help them balance their work and personal lives and the responses from management are similarly high in this regard. 97% of employees believe they work best when they can achieve a good balance between work and life, and this is corroborated by management responses to this question. 48% of employees believe that some WLB/flexible policies and practices can be unfair to some employees. The corresponding figures for HR Directors/Managers and Middle/Line Managers are 27% and 58% respectively. Thus, there is less agreement, from management to employee level, about the perceived fairness of some WLB/flexible working practices. 51

53 Responses to Work-Life Imbalance Issues A series of statements were presented to explore the challenges employees experience in relation to their work-life balance/imbalance. The following graphs present the percentage of respondents who agreed or disagreed to various extents with these statements. The various attitude statements being rated are presented in the title of each graph. My job keeps me away too much from the people and activities that are important to me Neither I feel I have more to do that I can handle comfortably Neither 52

54 I wish I had more time to do things for myself Neither I feel physically drained when I get home from work Neither 53