Graduates from the millennial generation – those born between 1981 and 1992 – often put a good work-life balance at the top of their agenda.
With the right to request flexible working recently extended to all employees, new recruits may be set to revolutionise their working patterns, taking them beyond the traditional 9 to 5, in-office set up.
Now a new ranking compiled by Indeed.com has revealed the Top 10 employers by work-life balance – with tech companies and charities dominating the list. The top ten listing is as follows:
1. Google
2. SAP
3. British Heart Foundation
4. Vale
5. Johnson & Johnson
6. British Red Cross
7. Oxfam
8. Volvo
9. Roche
10. Sony Electronics
“Jobs are no longer just about the 9-5; they play an essential role in people’s lives, so it’s crucial that they are right for an individual across a broad range of criteria,” says David Rudick, Indeed.com’s Vice President, International Markets.
A deeper insight into working practices of the top companies for work-life balance
Search engine and computing giant Google is well known for the focus it places on work-life balance, having long promoted flexible working schedules.
The firm is also conducting a century-long research study of over 4,000 staff to gain a deeper insight into work-life balance.
As well as its quirky offices complete with comfort-inducing video games, pool tables and pianos, cafes and a whole lot more – Google has also started an experiment in its Ireland offices that see employees leaving their tech devices behind at the end of the working day.
“Googlers reported blissful, stressless evenings,” says the company’s Senior VP of People Operations Laszlo Bock.
The British Heart Foundation also outlined that it “encourage[s] sensible and healthy work patterns”, while Oxfam too offers flexible working. Here, employees are required to spend the core hours of 10 to 4 in the office, while others can vary by mutual agreement.
“It is becoming increasingly clear to employers that job seekers are looking beyond financial benefits to find the one job that truly provides the right fit for them,” says Rudick. “It’s great to see that the companies on our list are already making moves to support these needs and hopefully the new legislation will encourage other employers to follow suit.”
