According to the results of a FlexJobs Work-Life-Relationship survey, 84% of the 2,100 respondents who have mental illnesses, such as anxiety or depression, said they thought that having a flexible job would help them better manage their mental illnesses. In addition, 35% of the overall pool of 3,900 respondents said they have had to take a break from work because of difficult personal circumstances such as serious physical or mental illness of themselves or a loved one. Of those, 88% said that if their job had offered flexibility during those circumstances, they would have been able to remain in the workforce.
“As our survey findings confirm, flexible work can play a very positive role in supporting employees who have mental health issues or who are going through difficult life circumstances,” said Sara Sutton, Founder, and CEO of FlexJobs. “According to Mental Health America, more than half of employees are afraid to take a day off to attend to their mental health. Allowing employees to work flexibly reduces the conflict that we all experience between our personal and professional lives, and equips everyone to better meet their mental, emotional, and physical needs. I believe flexible work can help improve the health and happiness of our nation’s workforce and our communities, which is one of the reasons I am such a passionate advocate for it,” Sutton concluded.
83% said that work has conflicted with their efforts to take care of their overall health. However, the results of FlexJobs’ survey suggest that flexible work arrangements can have a positive impact not only on managing mental health, but also improving work-life balance, physical health, romantic relationships, and overall well-being.
Flexible jobs and work-life balance:
Work-life balance tops the reasons people seek flexible jobs (67%). 54% of respondents with flexible work options said their work-life balance was either great or very good, compared to only 29% of respondents without flexible work options who reported the same thing.
Flexible jobs and personal health:
- 95% of respondents reported that a flexible job would likely make them a happier person in general
- 89% thought it would help them take better care of themselves
- 86% believed it would decrease their levels of stress
- 67% thought it would increase the frequency they exercised
Flexible jobs and relationships:
- 88% of respondents said having a flexible job would create more time to spend with family
- 78% thought it would help them be more available for friendships in their life
- 85% of those with pets said it would help them be a better pet owner
- 64% of respondents said having a flexible job would likely benefit their romantic relationship overall
- 80% thought that having a job with work flexibility would help them be a more attentive spouse/partner/significant other
Among other findings, 100% remote work remains the most popular choice for flexible work (80%) for the fifth year in a row, with flexible schedules a second preference (55%), followed by remote work some of the time (4%), part-time schedules (34%), and freelance work (32%).
About FlexJobs
FlexJobs is a premium online job service for professionals seeking flexible work, specializing in full-time and part-time remote jobs, employee and freelance jobs, and on-site jobs with flexible, part-time, and alternative schedules. Since its start in 2007, FlexJobs has helped more than 4 million people in their job searches and has created the largest vetted database of legitimate flexible job opportunities in over 50 career categories. In addition, FlexJobs provides robust career support, including curated expert resources and career coaching services, to partner with job seekers in all phases of their journey. A trusted source in the media, FlexJobs has been cited in top national outlets such as CNN, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, CNBC, Forbes, and many others.