Before the COVID-19 pandemic began to ravage the United States, millions of Americans worked in offices and might have had round trip commutes that stretched into hours a day. That meant less time with family, less leisure time and even less time to sleep. The pandemic has changed that for much of the country. People who can work from home potentially have larger blocks of non-work-related time. In fact, this has caused a tug-of-war between many employers and their employees. As the economy opens up, businesses increasingly want their workers back in the office.
A recently released nTask report, “America Struggles to Seek Control Over Work-Life Balance in 2021,” immediately acknowledges the heart of the problem. Among the factors considered: “the average number of employees’ work hours, work-life balance rating according to online trends, and the overall risk of experiencing burnout at an early onset.”
The study found that the “work from home” culture has become immensely popular. About 90% of Americans have a “positive” opinion about remote work. Over 80% have relocated to locations far from their offices. Worker retention tends to rise along with morale when people are allowed to have “on-site” offices.
The study concludes with this:
Employees are beginning to realize the importance of working smart through productivity apps, project management tools, and automated solutions despite circumstances where slightly fewer work hours are logged.
These are the 20 states with the best work-life balance ranked:
- New York
- Virginia
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Utah
- New Jersey
- Connecticut
- Tennessee
- Texas
- California
- Kentucky
- Minnesota
- Arizona
- Wisconsin
- Nevada
- Massachusetts
- Illinois
- Florida
- Alabama
- North Carolina
Click here to see the industries with the most job openings.
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