Most NZers think work/life balance attainable

File photo / NZH

More than four out of five New Zealanders think work/life balance is attainable, an online survey to which 618 people responded has found.

But 44 per cent said it was up to them to make it work, while 37.22 per cent thought a flexible employer was the key, according to a survey by recruiting experts Hays.

Only 18.77 per cent felt work/life balance was unattainable.

"Most New Zealanders now believe work/life balance is achievable, provided they either find the right employer or they take matters into their own hands," Hays New Zealand managing director Jason Walker said today.

"This is good news for job seekers because the recent conversations we've had with them shows that work/life balance has shot up their priority list and is starting to replace job security, now that we're seeing the job market start to improve.

"The most common work/life balance approaches we see are compressed working weeks and part-time work while job sharing and working from home are also becoming more common."

Employees wanted flexible working options to gain more personal time or to cope with care arrangements for children or elderly relatives -- a trend only set to increase given future demographic changes.

Employers with practical and flexible working options in place often said productivity had increased and staff retention and loyalty had improved because their employees' work/life balance was better.

- NZPA