Member Article

Leeds study shows culture detrimental to home life

A new global study by workplace provider Regus highlights that office culture in Leeds is detrimental to the health and home lives of many workers and that too few employers are backing up rhetoric on flexible working with real action.

Almost a third of the city’s office workers (31%) report that they have to sacrifice sleep to fit in personal and work commitments, either by waking up too early or by burning the midnight oil.

Over a quarter (27%) of working parents say they have missed an important occasion such as their child’s birthday party, school play or parents evening. This is significantly higher than the UK average of 20%.

These are the key findings of a global poll by Regus, the world’s largest provider of flexible workplaces, based on interviews with more than 3000 business people in the UK.

Leeds-based workers highlight a shorter commute (19%) and greater flexibility in work location (19%) as ways to help them spend more time spend with their families and get enough sleep.

The study shows that over three quarters of office workers (76%) now believe that flexible working makes them more productive. 88% believe that giving staff a choice of work location and hours improves loyalty to their employer and, ultimately, staff retention.

Steve Purdy, UK managing director at Regus, commented: “Lack of sleep is clearly detrimental to worker health and happiness, and it is recognised that long working hours are closely linked to heart disease.

“With all the talk about flexible working, it is surprising that so many company cultures seem out of kilter with the rhetoric. They don’t seem to realise the win-win benefits that flexible working can bring on both the employee and company side.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Mark Lane .