A third of SA workers say employers undervalue work-life balance

© Andriy Popov – 123RF.com

The Targus NoMoreExcuses Survey - which quizzed consumers in seven countries in the company’s Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region - was conducted by OnePoll and revealed significant work-life balance challenges for employers. The study included respondents from the United Kingdom, Spain, France, the Netherlands, South Africa, Sweden and Finland.

“The working world is changing and employees across all sectors expect a more flexible and fulfilling working experience, with the focus no longer on the Monday to Friday, nine-to-five working model,” says Mohamed El Aougri, sales director at Targus South Africa. “However, workplaces don’t seem to be set up for this change and cultures are struggling to adapt to the flexibility employees now value.”

According to the survey, 30% of South African consumers feel their work-life balance is “not very” or “not at all” valued by the organisations they work for. As a result, only 30% of South Africans say they exercise two to three times a week and over half of the South African respondents (55%) say they don’t exercise more often as they don’t have the time.

In contrast, 43% of Swedish consumers feel their work-life balance is “very valued” by the organisations they work for, and only 16% say their work-life balance is “not very” or “not at all” valued. Spanish organisations appear to be leading the flexible working charge, with 56% of employers encouraging flexible work, and 28% providing smart devices. This resulted in 47% of Spanish workers reporting that they exercise two to three times a week and 36% saying they exercise four times or more. On the other end of the spectrum, both UK-based and French workers admitted to feeling a lack of support from their organisations, with 38% and 39% respectively reporting feeling that their work-life balance is “not very” or “not at all” valued by their employers.

Despite changing legislation being implemented across many European countries, around a third (31%) of workers surveyed state their organisation still does not permit flexible working and 18% claim it is permitted, but not encouraged. “There appears to be an inconsistency regarding the facilities provided for working on site,” El Aougri said. “Two out of five workers (40%) across the region claimed their organisations didn’t provide a comfortable and user-friendly workspace with facilities such as standing desks, tailored seating and adjustable screens, for example.”

This overall lack of balance has resulted in 52% of respondents admitting they struggle to fit exercise around their working lives, 43% saying they ‘don’t have time’ to exercise more and 9% citing stress as they reason they aren’t more active. “As consumers across all ages and generations become more health-conscious, active lifestyles are playing a more important role in our daily lives,” El Aougri said. “Yet, there is clearly more work for organisations to do to encourage a healthier, more flexible way of life, as it will certainly play a key role for their business efficiency.

“If leaders want to attract and maintain a pool of talented employees, it is important they regularly evaluate their workspaces to ensure they’re fit for today’s changing workstyles,” El Aougri concluded.