Poll: Executives losing grip on healthy work-life balance

In April 2010, BlueSteps.com, the executive career management service of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), surveyed more than 800 senior executives worldwide to discover the latest attitudes to work-life balance. The Economist Intelligence Unit assisted with the development of survey questions. Of those surveyed, more than half reported that they currently do not have a satisfactory work-life balance – the highest dissatisfaction figure recorded since the survey began in 2006.

Employers missing a work-life balance trick
Eighty per cent of BlueSteps executives say that work-life balance is critical in their decision whether to join or remain with an employer, yet 82 percent report that their company does not have a program in place to improve work-life balance. The results show a clear disconnect between the way organizations view work-life balance as compared to the value placed upon it by executives.

AESC president Peter Felix commented, “The success of any organization is dependent on those running the show, so healthy and satisfied executives are vital to overall performance. The latest BlueSteps.com results indicate that many organizations are overlooking the fundamental link between a healthy company and “healthy” executives.”

In with the Blackberry, out with leisure time
The large majority of respondents (70 percent) feel that a modern lifestyle, defined by new technology and globalization, has decreased their leisure time.

Almost all executives rate their career as more important, or as important as personal leisure or hobbies, while only 35 percent take full advantage of their allotted paid time off each year.

Promotion not always the road to happiness
Despite many executives giving up a good work-life balance to meet the requirements of modern professional life, 21 percent would refuse a promotion if it negatively affected their work-life balance and 50 percent “might” refuse a promotion.

Access the BlueSteps 2010 Work-Life Balance Report Here