Four in ten (40%) respondents want additional annual leave from their employer, according to research by recruitment firm Robert Half.
The study, which surveyed 1000 employees and 200 employers, also found that 28% of employee respondents want more flexible working hours.
The survey also found:
- 3% of employee respondents want additional corporate perks, such as ironing services or a subsidised gym.
- 12% of staff respondents would like the opportunity to work from home or telecommute.
- 5% of employer respondents believe their staff want additional corporate perks.
- Just over half (56%) of employer respondents think their employees would like more flexible working hours.
- Almost a quarter (23%) of employer respondents believe their workers would like more annual leave.
- 9% of employer respondents think their staff would like to be offered the opportunity to work from home or telecommute.
Phil Sheridan, managing director at Robert Half UK, said: “The focus on employee recruitment and retention sharpens in a robust economy and many executives may be undervaluing a perk their workforce wants most. Flexible working is slowly becoming an expectation for many employees, particularly those negotiating their job offer, while having additional paid time off is even more highly valued.
“It’s tempting in our ‘always-on’ economy to let the lines between home life and work become blurred, but it’s worth remembering that to maintain a productive and loyal workforce, employers need to give their staff the opportunity to switch off and recharge. Offering extra time off over the holidays will mean that employees return with higher levels of motivation and morale in January.”