Image by Aymanejed from Pixabay
After nearly two years of the Pandemic, American workers have realized something very important: We don’t really have a lot of flexibility.
A recent study of 2,000 American workers show that 70 percent say their job is pretty rigid from a schedule standpoint. Two in five would even give up their benefits if it meant working 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. instead of the normal 9-to-5 gig or even being able to reconfigure their work-week to be Thursday to Monday.
I’m all for having some flexibility, but I’m also not crazy enough to give up my health insurance or vacation time. Let’s not go crazy here, people.
“Whether you work in a suit or an apron, these survey results indicate that the vast majority of working Americans simply want more flexibility,” Jamie Baxter, CEO of Qwick, who commissioned the study, said in a statement. “Flexibility has been at the forefront of our business from the very beginning, and by prioritizing this, professionals are not only able to work the type of role they want (line cook, bartender, waiter, etc), but they have the ability to choose where, when and how much they want to work.”
While flexibility is an issue for the American worker, the bigger concern is their paycheck. Forty-four percent of respondents say their employer needs to step it up on how much their pay is. Better benefits is right behind that with 42 percent, and then the flexibility issue.
Work-life balance is also, a big concern.
“Especially in hospitality, the pandemic has completely reimagined what the term ‘work-life balance’ means and what professionals expect in the workplace,” Baxter said. “Instead of long, demanding hours and little pay, the gig economy is bringing a variety of platforms and resources available to anyone seeking more flexibility or looking to make extra cash outside of their 9 to 5 job. It’s amazing to witness the difference made in professionals’ lives when they’re paid adequately and given the agency to create their own hours.”
