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According to FlexJobs’ 2019 annual survey of more than 7,300 respondents, 30% of workers have left a job because it did not offer flexible work options, and 16% are currently looking for a new job specifically because of work flexibility issues. Given these stats, it’s not surprising that 80% of respondents said they would be more loyal to their employers if they had more work flexibility. More than half (52%) of workers have tried to negotiate flexible work arrangements with their employer.
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“In a tight labor market, companies cannot afford to ignore the value employees place on having flexible work options, but leaders also can’t dismiss the very real bottom-line impact offering flexibility has on their employees’ productivity and retention rates,” said Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs. “The flexible job market is currently very robust, so flexible job seekers are also feeling empowered to seek jobs that are more compatible with their life. In fact, 80% of job seekers say they are confident in their flexible job prospects,” Sutton concluded.
Other key findings, conducted in July 2019:
- 65% think they would be more productive working from home than working in a traditional office environment.
- Wanting to travel is the primary reason for working, after paying for basic necessities and saving for retirement.
- 71% have telecommuted in a job before.
- Since 2013, work-life balance, family, time savings, and commute stress have been the top four reasons people seek flexible work.
- Flexible job seekers are educated, with 69% having at least a bachelor’s degree and 28% having a graduate degree.
Key Findings Regarding Employee Productivity:
65% of workers think they would be more productive working from home than working in a traditional office environment. Fewer distractions (74%), fewer interruptions from colleagues (72%), reduced stress from commuting (70%), and minimal office politics (64%) are the top reasons people prefer their home office.
Interest in Remote Work is High:
71% of survey respondents have telecommuted in a job before. Of those who telecommuted in 2018, 19% telecommuted more this year than last year. 100% telecommuting is the most in-demand type of flexible work arrangement (76%), followed by flexible schedules (72%), part-time (46%), and freelance (39%). Less than 5% of survey takers worry that a flexible work arrangement will hurt their careers.
About Today’s Flexible Job Seeker:
Wanting to travel (54%) is a primary reason for working, after paying for basic necessities (75%) and saving for retirement (60%). Work-life balance and salary (73%) tied as the top two factors people consider when evaluating job prospects. Since 2013, work-life balance (75%), family (45%), time savings (42%), and commute stress (41%) have been the top four reasons people seek flexible jobs.
Health and Happiness:
44% said a job with flexibility would have a huge improvement on their overall quality of life. In addition, 78% said having a flexible job would allow them to be healthier (eat better, exercise more, etc.). And 86% said they’d be less stressed if they had a flexible job.
More data below in the release and here: https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/survey-flexible-work-job-choices/
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