Member Article

Survey shows Leeds office workers striking a balance

Office workers in Leeds are more satisfied with the balance between their work and home lives than those in Manchester, Birmingham and London, according to a report published by Regus, the flexible workspace provider.

Nearly seven out of ten Leeds workers are happy with the amount of time they spend with their families and three quarters believe they achieve more at work than last year.

The Index combines information from a business poll on overall work-life balance and job satisfaction with real-life data on various practices such as working hours and commuting.

Nearly half of the respondents believed that the necessity for them to commute every day had diminished, pointing to the increasing acceptance of remote working and its role in improving work-life balance.

Business owners are shown to be the happiest of the workforce, closely followed by staff employed by small businesses.

This chimes with recent research commissioned by Regus showing that seven out of ten Leeds entrepreneurs are pleased with their decision to start a business and would ‘do it all over again’.

John Spencer, UK CEO of Regus comments: “Our report confirms that Leeds boasts a unique culture that promotes a ‘work to live’ attitude that helps business people thrive. Mild improvements in the economy over the last year have probably fuelled workers’ sense of wellbeing, but other factors have also contributed, such as the way the city’s employers are offering staff a greater range of flexible working options.

“For most people, work-life balance relies on having a degree of control over where, when and how we work. Innovative employers are offering alternative places to work, closer to home – in fact the fastest growing area of our business in Leeds is part-time, drop-in workspace for remote and flexible workers.

“The benefits of multi-location working should not be underestimated, in terms of physical wellbeing but also productivity. This is one of the reasons why business owners are the happiest – they have the greatest independence and choice of work style.”

The results of the survey come from a Regus poll of over 26,000 business professionals in more than 90 countries.

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