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Press release

New research reveals employees happier with hours despite working longer

Data from 185,000 private sector workers at medium and large companies

London, 12 May, 2011 - New statistics reveal a rise in workers’ happiness with working hours and work-life balance. The employee engagement research was conducted by leading HR consultancy ETS. Such increases are particularly surprising given that the latest Office for National Statistics data shows the average working week is getting longer1.

The study found that 85% of employees are happy with their working hours and 77% their work-life balance – increases of four percent year-on-year1. Companies appear to have improved their processes and management of people, as the following statistics illustrate:

  • 79% of workers say that senior management communicates well with them (up from 70%)
  • 85% of workers know what the company wants to achieve (up from 77%)
  • 88%of workers fully understand how their role fits in to company objectives (up from 80%)

Hannah Stratford, head of business psychology at ETS, agrees saying:

Despite the average hours worked creeping up for many employees, the increased happiness with their hours worked and work-life balance suggests companies are communicating better with staff, setting objectives more effectively and recognising and rewarding employees who have taken on additional responsibilities.

The trends can also be partly attributed to the higher profile of employee engagement, which has become a top business priority since the launch of the MacLeod Review in 2009.

There’s also an argument that employees are more empowered and have greater autonomy to make decisions, which has mitigated any potential dissatisfaction with slightly longer working hours. The idea that employees are working smarter rather than harder is leant weight by statistics from the ETS research. ETS found that 80% of employees report being encouraged by their company to find new ways of working and be innovative (up from 73% in 2010). A further 74% of employees claim that companies are quicker in adopting new ideas (up from 70% last year).

The likelihood is that a combination of factors, rather than any single one, has influenced employee’s increased satisfaction with their working hours and work-life balance.