Employers need to help their finance staff balance their work and home lives following a promotion or risk losing them to another company, according to research released today.
The survey of 1,100 finance professionals by recruitment consultancy Robert Half, carried out with Accountancy Age magazine, reveals that nearly two in five (39%) find balancing their work and home lives the most challenging part of gaining a promotion.
Those in the 36 to 55 age bracket appear to find balancing their work and home lives the biggest challenge (44%) compared to just 28% of those aged 25 or under.
The results of the survey suggest finance professionals may not be achieving a satisfactory work-life balance due to the hours that they work. One in three (31%) claim to work a 46-hour week or more, and of those, 5% work more than 55 hours per week.
The survey goes on to reveal that finance professionals are not afraid to leave companies to get a better job (52% having done so in the past) and 58% are not satisfied with their current career progression.
Dave Jones, UK managing director of Robert Half, said: “Our survey reveals a very serious message for employers – that finance professionals are not afraid to move companies to further their careers.
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“Achieving a healthy work-life balance is one of the most difficult challenge employees face so they need some help from their bosses. Companies need to encourage their staff to work reasonable hours, and those in charge need to lead by example.”