Flexible work schedules is one of the most valued job perks among managers and employees in Canadian companies, and many feel that they are able balance personal and professional priorities.

In a recent OfficeTeam survey, more than 300 senior managers at Canadian companies with 20 or more employees, and more than 300 Canadian workers 18 years of age or older, specifically in office environments, answered the question: “How supportive is your company of its employees’ efforts to achieve work-life balance?”

More than one-third of senior managers (34 per cent) said their company is “very supportive” of its employees’ efforts to achieve work-life balance, and 30 per cent of staff agree. Still, 62 per cent of managers and 49 per cent of workers feel their companies are “somewhat supportive.”

“Standards of work-life balance and health benefits are evolving, and companies need to recognize the changing expectations of their employees,” notes Koula Vasilopoulos, district president for OfficeTeam. “Balancing personal and professional demands are a challenge and have increasingly become a priority for today’s workforce.”

Besides flexible work schedules, which topped the list of valued job perks at 42 per cent, generous vacation time or sabbaticals was also highly favoured among 21 per cent of respondents. Among the most common work-life benefits, 46 per cent of respondents said their company offers paid parental leave, while 37 per cent reported having options for flexible schedules.

On the health and wellbeing front, employees said they most value ergonomic evaluations and equipment, such as standing desks (26 per cent), and access to fitness facilities or programs (25 per cent). Yet, while seven per cent of employees said they want more wellness tools, only 32 per cent of the companies said they offer such resources.

Vasilopoulos adds that providing such tools to enhance wellbeing in and out of the office, “positively impacts productivity, loyalty and overall happiness at work.”