Let us love! Pinoy employees spill on what an ideal work-life balance looks like

Nowadays, success is being attributed to how busy you are. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the Filipino market now see salary and compensation as the top key driver for work. The hustle mentality has taken over the country, across all generations.

On the other hand, salary and compensation are generally not enough to keep a Filipino worker. When employees have the chance to take a step back, they realize that hustling hard is not everything.

“I feel the need to destress myself every now and then,” shares Chastine, a 23-year old freelance English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. “I don’t believe in #WorkIsLife. For me, work is only part of life.”

Chastine chose to become a freelancer because she wants to have control over her time. Her work set-up, which lets her work from home, allows her more time for her loved ones because she does not need to brave the Philippine traffic daily. “I like being able to pamper myself, enjoy my hobbies, and spend time with my family and friends.”

Mark, a 26-year old business analyst, shares the same sentiments. “I would quit my job if it didn’t let me have a work-life balance.”

Although Mark has a regular 9-to-5 job, he confides that he would quit his job if it didn’t let him balance work and life. “For me, work-life balance means spending time with the most important people in my life.”

Based on data from JobStreet’s Law of Attraction, work-life balance is extremely important for Filipinos. In fact, it is found to be even more necessary than job security.

Laws of Attraction’s Data Lab exploration tool gives a glimpse of what Filipino workers mean by work-life balance. On the chart below, you will see that talents consider compensation for overtime as the biggest factor for work-life balance. After that, companies that follow public holidays are also deemed attractive by the market.

The least important factors for Filipino talents under work-life balance are: shift work, freelance type of work arrangements, and regular working hours. In other words, most employees don’t find overnight shifts appealing.

Among all generations, the millennials are most attracted to work-life balance.

How can employers help employees achieve work-life balance?

It is important that an employer sees eye-to-eye with an employee. Communicate your work standards with your talents, but manage your expectations rationally. Don’t expect or demand employees to work overtime. If they do, appreciate their efforts. As shown in Laws of Attraction’s Data Lab exploration tool, Filipino talents are attracted to overtime compensation, public holiday observation, and cash out of unused leaves.

While many employees are willing to work overtime, encourage your talents to take breaks whenever possible. Aside from overtime compensation, employees also appreciate five-day work weeks. Allow your employees to spend their weekends with their friends and families. Avoid contacting them over break time. Refrain from handing homework. This way, your employees will truly find rest over the weekend.

More and more employees are seeking flexible work hours. Especially for the younger generation, having control over personal time is quite the dream for Filipino talents. If possible, offer flexible alternatives for your employees. Allow them to work at their own pace, setting deadlines and standards instead of strict work hours.

This month of love, give your employees the freedom to spend time with their loved ones. Encourage them to seek work-life balance by trying out these tips.

If you want to delve deeper into a certain industry’s desire for work-life balance, check out the Laws of Attraction’s Data Lab exploration tool by JobStreet. Different industries have different priorities, and it is important for you to understand what specific needs the industry you are in has.