Employers and work-life balance


 
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Work-life balance - Recruitment & retention

There is intense pressure on employers to retain their most productive employees and to attract new talent from the widest possible pool. In 2002, 69% of organisations experienced recruitment difficulties.

Companies who develop work-life balance policies taking these factors into account are likely to have the competitive edge:

  • Graduates are interested in CSR track records:

  • All employees are interested in good work-life policies:

    • A DTI poll of 4,000 job seekers revealed that 33% would prefer to work flexible hours rather than receive an extra £1,000 a year.

    • 70% of job seekers want to work more flexibly.

    • 46% chose flexible working as the benefit they would most look for in their next job.

  • Labour turnover costs are prohibitive:

    • The average cost of labour turnover in 2001 was £3,462 per leaver.

    • Turnover among managers cost an average of £5,699 per leaver.

    • 66% of organisations feel that turnover has a negative impact on their organisation.

    • BT’s work-life balance policy created a £3m saving in recruitment costs in the year to March 2003 since 98% of women returned after maternity leave. More…
  • ·Women with children want to maintain their careers:

    • One in 3 women say they have had to downgrade their career expectations as a result of having children.

  • Eldercarers want recognition for their responsibilities:

    • One in 10 employees care for older people in an informal capacity.

    • Lack of openness exists about eldercare in comparison with childcare.

    • Eldercarers use policies that do not publicly identify them as carers, such as annual leave entitlement.

  • Women want flexibility to help with their dual responsibilities:

    • Even when employed full-time, women still bear the overall responsibility for running the home and looking after children.

    • 92% of non-working mothers said that flexible working arrangements would be essential or important in helping them back to work.

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© Work-Life balance part of The Work Foundation 2005