Concierge Industry
67% would hire a personal assistant over a life coach to help complete your daily tasks, according to WD/AOL online Survey.Women's Day, August 2, 2005In 2000, 26 of Fortune Magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For" offered personal concierge services versus 15 companies in 1998.57% of businesses offer some type of on-site personal service, such as an ATM, dry cleaner or travel agency.Hewitt 2001"... because most companies have work schedules that typically do not give employees time to do routine personal tasks-such as picking up their laundry, waiting at home for a delivery man or a variety of other miscellaneous errands- emerging work/life program employers may want to consider a corporate concierge."The National Report on Work & Family (USA) *
Work, Life, and Family Balance
57% of the class of 1999 graduating business students in 11 countries said that attaining work/life balance is their top career goal. Pricewaterhouse Coopers survey, 2000 When asked what their number one concern was about their career in 2002, 32% of respondents said Work/Life balance. This was followed by job security at 22% and competitive salary at 18%. Office Team Specialized Administrative Staffing Survey, 2002 Despite a softening economy and corporate downsizing, seventy-five percent of employers named employee retention as their top benefits objective. And 58% of these employers find that developing a benefits program that helps employees balance work-life is the most important way to retain employees. Met Life Study of Employee Benefit Trends, November 2001 The leading factor in employees' commitment and loyalty to their employer is whether they believe that management recognizes the importance of their personal and family lives. 88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life. Companies that help employees juggle the demands of work and family will be the biggest winners in the competition for good employees. Aon Consulting's America@Work 2000 Study. Major employers increased work/family benefits in 2000, despite an economic downturn that started halfway through the year. Hewitt Associates, 2001. A 2002 survey of 501 adults showed employees spend an average 3.7 hours a week doing personal tasks online at the office. The number of employees who bring work home nights and weekends has risen to 20 million from 18 million in 2003; 51.2% of them have children under 18 at home, well above the 39% average for all U.S. households. Career Journal 42% of workers have responsibility for children under 18 years of age. Labor Project for Working Families, January 2000 Workers rate the ability to manage work and family as the most important aspect they look for in a job. Rutgers University and University of Connecticut Survey (2000) 87% of workers are seeking or have sought companies that were flexible, supportive and understanding of personal and family needs. CareerBuilder Online Survey (2000) A survey of college students and recent graduates finds 42% of college students and recent graduates said what they value most when making career decisions was work/life balance - more than money (26%), advancement potential (23%) or location (9%). Jobtrak.com (2000) Nearly 50% of all US workers feel overwhelmed by a growing number of job tasks and longer working hours. Families and Work Institute, 2001 40% of employees work overtime or bring home work with them at least once a week. Xylo Report, Shifts in Work and Home Life Boundaries 2000 75% of employees take care of personal responsibilities while on the job. 36% say that they take care of personal responsibilities at work daily. It takes an employee nearly two hours to take care of personal business on company time. Circles, 2001 59% of women and 38% of men report they have no flexibility in determining the start and end times of their workday. 52% of women and 39% of men report they "do not have any say" about decisions about their work. 8 out of 10 working mothers report they do far more of the household chores than their spouse or partner. Heymann, S. J., The Widening Gap: Why American Working Families are in Jeopardy and What Can Be Done About It , 2000 