Survey Says Bad Bosses are the Leading Cause of Bad Work-Life Balance

Finding the balance between a demanding career and home life is an ongoing struggle for many professionals. According to a survey from project-management systems maker Workfront, two in five employees believe that bad work/life balance ruins their time spent with families. Of the 2,016 participants surveyed, 60 percent of them said they believe a bad boss can have the most negative impact on their balance between home and career.

With today’s workforce consisting of millennials, generation X-ers and baby boomers, finding a balance that is suitable to all parties is not an easy task for employers or employees. Results from the survey, which also broke down responses by gender and age, show that more millennials feel it is okay to answer an urgent work email while at family dinner compared to their colleagues of previous generations. Yet, over half of all the participants between the ages of 18 and 64 said technology has ruined their family time due to the demand to respond to email, text, etc. at any hour. Aside from generational differences, the survey also revealed that women are more likely than men to say they have a good work/life balance. Yet, the majority of both sexes agree that a bad work boss has the biggest impact on how productive they are at home and at work.

While responses in regards to the factors that affect work/life balance may have varied slightly amongst generations and genders, the survey showed a few similarities when it came to providing solutions for employers. Nearly 70 percent of participants said offering a flexible work schedule would help to improve their work and home life balance, followed by the ability to work remotely and then the benefit of unlimited paid time off.

Do you agree with the survey that a bad boss can be the No. 1 behind having a bad work/life balance? What solutions do you have to offer to help fix the problem? Sound off with your opinions in the comment section below.