Today 69% of employees in the United States say working at home improves their mental health. And a whopping 90.4% of employees believe working flexible hours can help with their mental health. Almost half of employees (46%) say they don’t feel like they have enough support at work. That specifically applies to their mental health.
A separate study by FlexJobs, reiterates the benefits. Working at home has become critical for some employees. According to FlexJobs’ 8th annual survey, 73% of employees consider work-life balance a leading factor when looking for a new job.
Why Working at Home Improves Mental Health
Driving through high volumes of traffic uses a lot of mental energy, which can lead to increased employee exhaustion, stress and sleep disturbance. 41% of those surveyed said that the lack of “commute stress” is the main reason why they look for flexible work options like working from home.
The research confirms the importance of work-life balance and for employers to offer employees flexible, work from home opportunities to help improve mental health and create a contented workforce.
Today some employees prioritize work from home options when looking for a job. So consider the importance to employers and small businesses. Offer these opportunities in order to attract talent and retain it.
As Sara Sutton, founder and CEO of FlexJobs, advices:
“In a tight labor market, companies cannot afford to ignore the value employees place on having flexible work options, but leaders also can’t dismiss the very real bottom-line impact flexibility has on their employees’ productivity and retention rates.
Working from Home as A Recruitment Incentive
“The flexible job market is currently very robust, so flexible job seekers are also feeling empowered to seek jobs that are more compatible with their life. In fact, 80% of job seekers say they are confident in their flexible job prospects,” Sutton continues.
The survey also shows the importance of providing employers with supplemental health support. For example, 49% of respondents said they don’t feel they have enough support for their mental health in their place of work. And 91.7% of employees believe there should be more services offering mental health support.
Consider the key takeaways of research looking into the role working arrangements play in the mental wellbeing of employees. Employers who offer staff more freedom and flexibility in where and when they work, improve work-life balance among workers. So think about offering flexible work arrangements. Employers can help improve the mental health of staff by doing so. Subsequently, employers are more likely to attract talent to apply for jobs at their company. And this helps maintain a loyal and contented workforce.
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