When it comes to the employee benefits that workers take advantage of in order to improve their personal lives, health insurance is typically what's thought of, as employer-provided insurance is the most common way in which Americans are covered.
But having the finances to pay for treatment at the doctor's or for a prescription refill isn't the only way that employees utilize employee benefits to achieve a greater work-life balance. Furthermore, contrary to popular belief, men tend to be the people who use them the most often, based on a recent poll conducted by the American Psychological Association's Center for Organizational Excellence.
From childcare benefits to personal time off, flexible schedules to paid leave, men are more likely than women to report using these employee benefits, according to a newly released survey from the Washington, D.C.-based APA. Specifically, 9 percent of men indicated they "frequently used" childcare benefits, which for purposes of the study was defined as once a week or more. Meanwhile, only 2 percent of women reported the same. The ratio was slightly closer for personal time off, with 9 percent of men taking advantage of PTO frequently versus 4 percent of women.
Roughly 900 men and women, divided equally, took part in the APA survey, which was conducted by Harris Interactive from July 14-16.
Men more apt to work on private time
Though employee benefits are used, in part, to provide a greater balance to one's work life versus personal responsibilities, men are more likely to intermix the two. At 30 percent, men are more inclined to bring their work home with them, the APA poll found, with approximately 23 percent of women indicating they frequently performed work-related tasks outside of the office. Nearly one-third of men also said that they worked on vacation to women's 19 percent, and slightly more than 1 in 4 men said that they bring work materials on family outings. Just 12 percent of women said this was also something they did.
David Ballard, Psy.D., director of APA's Center for Organizational Excellence, indicated that employers can learn from these telling findings.
"The lesson for employers here is that while many men and women say that they struggle to balance their work and personal lives, having access to flexible work arrangements and control over how they manage those boundaries is key to a good work-life fit," Ballard explained. "Employees whose jobs fit well with the rest of their lives are more engaged and motivated, report higher levels of job satisfaction, have better work relationships and are less likely to say they intend to leave the organization in the next year."
Job satisfaction bounces back
Perhaps stemming from employers making the delicate balance between work life and home life easier, job satisfaction levels are the highest they've been since 2008. Last year, more than 48 percent of Americans indicated they were pleased with where they were in their careers, according to a separate poll conducted by commissioned by nonprofit research group The Conference Board. In, 2010, less than 43 percent were content, an all-time low. Satisfaction in 2014 was highest among employees between the ages of 35 and 44 at 50.3 percent. Meanwhile, younger workers – i.e. the millennial generation, specifically those 25 years old and under – were the least likely to report being satisfied with their current position at 34 percent.
Rebecca Ray, executive vice president of The Conference Board's human capital division, noted that how workers feel about their jobs moving forward will largely be contingent on wage growth and employees feeling engaged.
