Only one in five U.K. families say they’re striking the right balance between earning enough and spending time together — and more than a third say they’d accept less money to work fewer hours, according to a new study.
Half of parents say work-life balance is a growing source of stress in their lives. However, although they identified flexible work schedules as a potential solution, nearly half aren’t comfortable bringing it up with their employer.
Fathers are considerably less likely to broach the subject. Twice as many men as women believe flexible workers are viewed as less committed.
Nearly half — 47 percent — of fathers say they’d downshift to a less stressful job if possible. Thirty-eight percent would accept less pay if it improved their sense of work-life balance.
Over time, work-life balance issues can affect employee engagement.
Thirty-seven percent of working parents said they felt resentful towards their employer due to work-life balance stress; conversely, 57 percent of parents said they’d be more loyal to an employer who provided a good work-life balance, and 55 percent said they’d be more productive.
Find out more about working parents’ feelings about the workplace in the Modern Families Index Report from Working Families and Bright Horizons Family Solutions.