Flextime Valued By Professionals

As pressures at the office mount, striking a balance between work and home life is becoming increasingly important to professionals, a survey by Accountemps on employee attitudes towards benefits found.

In a national poll of chief financial officers (CFOs), 30% of those surveyed rated flexible schedules as the benefit employees at their companies value most. Retirement savings, by contrast, was cited as a top priority by just 17%, and extra time off by 16%.

Health benefits were rated as most important by 13% of the CFOs surveyed, and spot bonuses by another 13%. Only 3% of respondents rated equity incentives as the most popular benefit among employees.

Commenting on the survey results, Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees For Dummies, said, "Lean staffing levels mean many employees are working longer hours. At the same time, a growing number of professionals must meet mounting personal obligations, including caring for children and elderly relatives. For this 'sandwich generation' of employees, increased control of their time enables them to balance competing demands."

Messmer added: "Not all companies are able to provide flexible schedules; it depends on the nature of the business and the number of people employed. However, firms that can offer this benefit may have an advantage when recruiting and retaining staff."

When considering whether to offer flextime, and to which employees, Messmer recommended that managers consider customer service requirements, the work ethic of individual employees, and the importance of teamwork in the organization.