The recession has upset the balance between work and life for many people. Higher stress, longer hours, lower pay and redundancies have all increased the scarcity of leisure time.
Importantly, there is still a desire for a greater work-life balance. According to YouGov, half of workers are after more flexible working with only 17% rejecting the possibility. Britain leads the way across Europe in terms of priorities for work-life balance, with work-life balance being the prime motivation for employees leaving their company.
Because of these pressures, companies have acknowledged the value of time for their customers. For example, contactless payment is no longer to be limited to Barclaycard with the partnerships between Visa with Vodafone and Samsung. Food delivered to your door or desk has also seen an unexpected increase in the last few years.
The wider trend is that consumers will actively seek out and pay extra for convenience when purchasing. The BBC reported on the increase in pre-prepared vegetables with Waitrose experiencing a 17% rise in sales, despite being more expensive than un-prepared products. Productive technology at a premium, such as tablets, also favours a decent work-life balance by making it easier to achieve flexible working.
Rex Camposagrado at Gather.com notes that despite the economy being weak “Consumers aren’t only pressed for cash, they’re also pressed for time”. The work-life balance isn’t easy to achieve but it is certain a priority considered for every purchasing decision.
Interesting Work-Life Balance Infographic
Paul Barnes
Media Analyst
I'm wondering whether contact-less parenting may help achieve better work-life balance? If I can parent without going home, could I add more value to my workplace?
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