New research indicates that employees are placing a higher priority on flexibility in the workplace than they are on unlimited time off.
Findings from small-business benefits platform Justworks and commercial real estate leasing marketplace SquareFoot revealed that employees placed flexible work hours and remote capabilities in the workplace higher on their "critical factors" list than they did unlimited paid time off.
Increasingly, employees seek to control their own work schedule, as well as to choose their work location — both of which are major factors in creating a positive work environment. As a result, job searchers place higher weight on those factors when looking for a new position, with 70 percent of employee respondents saying flexible work hours are very important and 68 percent saying they have a positive impact on their teams.
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In addition, 57 percent feel remote capabilities are very important, while 60 percent believe they have a positive impact on their teams. In fact, close to half of respondents — 42 percent — when asked to rank work benefits and perks against salary, would actually take a lower-paying job if it offered a greater degree of workplace flexibility. And 63 percent of employees surveyed work at companies that offer flexible work hours, while 59 percent are at companies with remote work capabilities.
And it's not just employees who think these things are important; 76 percent of employer respondents believe they have a big impact on their ability to hire; as a result, they're becoming a "must-have perk for businesses competing for talent."
While 74 percent of respondent business owners offer remote work capabilities, that doesn't mean they all like it; 64 percent believe it's something employees desire, but 44 percent of employers feel that employees are most likely to abuse remote work policies.
Employees also believe paid parental leave is important, although they don't seem to be clear on what the standard is for such policies. Just 35.5 percent of employees surveyed, a majority of whom are not parents, work at companies that offer paid parental leave, the study said, but nearly half (49 percent) believe it's very important.
And while states are beginning to mandate paid parental leave, U.S. business owners are the ones in the end to determine whether to offer leave, and if so, what their policies will be. However, workers seeking flexibility and work-life balance may drive those owners to adopt or improve such policies as they compete for talent.
Unlimited paid time off was important to 44 percent of respondents, but only 21 percent believe it has a positive impact on their team's performance. With or without unlimited PTO, the study said, employees are often inclined to take time off in short bursts, rather than extended breaks. And Justworks' customer data — largely representing small businesses — indicates that workers are far more likely to take long weekends, as indicated by the average PTO request of one to two days at a time, than they are to take longer trips.
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