Flexible work options improve relationships, self-care, workers say

Dive Brief:

Nearly 100% of respondents said flexible work options could help them with their mental health issues, according to a new survey from FlexJobs on how flexible work options impact workers' lives and relationships.
The survey revealed most people believe flexible work to yield improvements to their personal lives; 81% of respondents thought a flexible job would help them be a better spouse, partner, or significant other; 87% said it would give them more time to spend with family or friends; and 61% of those with children, or who plan to have children, thought a job with work flexibility would make them a better parent.
A little less than three-quarters of respondents said their work has conflicted with their efforts to tend to their health. An overwhelming majority said they thought flexible work could decrease their stress levels and increase the amount of exercise they do. Eighty-nine percent believed a flexible job would help them take better care of themselves.

Dive Insight:

Employees spend more hours at work, including commuting to and from the office, than they do at home. So it's not surprising that flexibility at work is becoming a staple among workplace perks and benefits. In fact, some employment specialists think work flexibility could soon become a default benefits option.

The Flexjob survey aligns with other studies on workplace flexibility. Employees in a 2018 study by the University of Michigan and California State University Channel Islands were found to be less happy and more likely to quit their jobs if they don't have work flexibility as an option.

Employment experts point to the gig economy as one reason more employees are amenable to flexible work schedules, including work-from-home options, remote-work arrangements and adjustable schedules. Gig or contingent workers have helped make the 9-to-5 workdays nearly obsolete in some work environments.

Flexibility is even driving the way recruiting works; flexible work options are so much in demand that Google for Jobs will be making it easier for users to find jobs that are 100% remote on its platform.