Fifty-two per cent of workers surveyed by leading recruitment website, IrishJobs.ie, claim that they do not have enough free time for themselves, family, or hobbies and interests during the summer months.

The survey also reveals that two-thirds of working parents claim flexitime would make the summer months easier, with 46 per cent saying increased workload reduces the benefit of taking holidays.

Ireland fairs badly with other European countries on combined annual leave and public holidays, with our 29 days falling well short of Sweden's 42 days, Germany's 40 days and the 39 days offered to Italians, while in countries such as Spain, the work practice of 'summer hours' means shorter working weeks to enjoy the summer months.

The two-thirds of working parents calling for an increase in flexi-time also claimed it is difficult to occupy children during the summer holidays, with a startling 52 per cent spending an additional €100 to €500 per month to provide for their children.

Valerie Sorohan, Marketing Manager of IrishJobs.ie believes these parents should be listened to. "The call amongst working parents for flexitime must be taken on board by small, medium and large sized companies in Ireland, with benefits to all.

"Family friendly work policies serve a key segment of our diverse workforce, increasing time and freedom and thereby reducing pressure on an important group of workers.

"Flexible working practices are a key tool for the innovative company that expects employees to work smart at high levels of productivity. Additional benefits to an organisation of family friendly policies can include increased levels of motivation, a decrease in absenteeism and the retention of highly skilled workers."

Seventeen per cent of working parents surveyed by IrishJobs.ie take unpaid leave over the school holidays in order to spend more time with their children, while the key factors preventing parents from taking unpaid leave were financial constraints (64 per cent) and workload (32 per cent).

Forty-six per cent of all workers surveyed by IrishJobs.ie experienced an increased workload on taking a holiday, thus reducing the benefit of annual leave.

"There is no doubt that the average workload of employees across the globe has intensified significantly due to factors including technology, competitiveness and restructuring. To balance this in terms of employee well-being, and in turn make a positive impact on productivity, the adoption of flexible working practices is crucial," Valerie Sorohan concluded.

Comments (0) »

Show/Hide comment form

Name

Email

Title

Comment

Write the displayed characters

Add Comment