PEOPLE
Workers want a new deal and there ’ s a danger that businesses that don ’ t get on board won ’ t be able to compete for the best and brightest minds
Steve Collinson Head of HR at Zurich
Life-work balance is the goal post pandemic The roll-out of such summer work perks comes as pressure mounts for employees to return to the office post-pandemic .
In the UK , Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted people are more productive in the office , while leading businessman Alan Sugar has derided shorter summer working hours a joke . In the US , New York City Mayor Eric Adams has been on a dogged mission to bring office workers back to the city , and Wall Street giants JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley continue to take hard-line stances on bringing employees back to the offices .
But workers , it seems , are playing hard ball . Having enjoyed flexibility for the last two years , they are not only putting their health and happiness first – with 53 % of global workers more likely to prioritise wellbeing over work than before the pandemic , reports Microsoft ’ s 2022 Work Trend Index – but they are reaping the benefits of a better work-life balance .
For the first time in seven years , work-life balance trumped salary as the main thing prospective employees look for in a job , with 65 % ranking it as most important , Randstad research reveals . In Singapore , from July to December 2021 , 64 % of employees who switched employers or careers cited worklife balance as the main driver in searching for new jobs .
58 July 2022