More Free Time Sought By Workers in Ireland

IrishJobs.ie survey reveals:

52% of workers do not have enough free time during summer months

Two-thirds of working parents claim flexitime would make the summer months easier

46% say increased workload reduces benefit of taking holidays

Fifty-two per cent of workers surveyed by IrishJobs.ie, claim that they do not have enough free time for themselves, family, or hobbies and interests during the summer months. Ireland falls well behind other European countries on combined annual leave and public holidays with just 29 days in total compared with Sweden (42 days), Germany (40 days) and Italy (39 days); and in countries such as Spain, the work practice of ësummer hoursí means shorter working weeks to enjoy the summer months.

The IrishJobs.ie survey also revealed that for two-thirds of working parents, flexitime during the summer months would greatly enhance quality of life and ëmake things easierí. The same number of working parents agreed that it is difficult to occupy children during the school summer holidays with a startling 52 per cent spending an additional Ä100-Ä500 per month to provide for their children.

Valerie Sorohan, Marketing Manager, IrishJobs.ie commented: ìThe 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.î

She continued: ìFlexible 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.î

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. The key factors preventing parents from taking unpaid leave over the summer 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 claiming that this reduced the benefit of annual leave. Those who do not take holidays at the same time each year cited difficulty finding time (33 per cent) and annual leave clashing with a colleague (30 per cent).

Sorohan said: ìThere 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.î

She concluded: ìAn IrishJobs.ie survey carried out last year revealed that across two generations of workers, only 3% of Generation X (born 1965-1981) and 6% of Generation Y (born 1982-2000) cited money as the main priority in their job. Other benefits such as flexibility and time are becoming a priority.î

One group of workers has no problems taking annual leave: 10 per cent of Irelandís workers can take holiday leave whenever it suits them.

Of all workers surveyed, 60 per cent have 20-21 days annual leave and 25 per cent have 21-25 days annual leave.