Is Work-Life Balance a Myth?

A worker satisfaction survey from Deloitte presents a mixed bag of sentiments: While today's professionals express high satisfaction levels about their co-workers and bosses, they're less enthusiastic about their organization's overall culture and corporate leadership. Findings convey that employers are generally allowing flexibility with regard to work schedules in light of personal issues or commitments. However, a notable number of employees say they're constantly forced to prioritize work demands over family and personal needs. And most do not feel that their company values them, or their life outside of work. "These findings should serve as a wakeup call to organizations looking to retain and attract talent," said Mike Preston, chief talent officer for Deloitte. "Organizations are investing in more and more benefits and perks associated with well-being, like flexible work options and unlimited vacation days, aimed at winning the war for talent. But … businesses can do more to create a culture of well-being, which goes beyond offering generous programs and focuses on everyday behaviors. Well-being is not mutually exclusive to delivering value to clients, in fact it's important in any high performance culture." More than 1,015 U.S. workers took part in the research.