Flexibility Ranks High for North Carolina’s Working Parents According to Survey
Posted: 08-27-2007 : RALEIGH, N.C.

Raleigh, Durham, NC – Flexibility ranked as a top benefit in making a workplace “a great place to work while raising kids” according to a recent survey sponsored by Carolina Parent magazine and Balancing Professionals, LLC. Over 1,000 parents participated in the online, non-scientific survey from April through July of 2007.

While traditional benefits such as medical plans and vacation/sick time ranked as “must have” or “important” for working parents (98.7% and 97.9% respectively), having a supportive boss (97.6%) and the ability to work a flexible schedule (93.5%) ranked close behind, far ahead of more expensive benefits such as childcare facilities (43.8%), on-site gyms (30.7%) and adoption services(13.6%).

Other low cost benefits that were rated as must have or important benefits for working parents included the ability to work in a part-time or job-share arrangement (63.2%) and the ability to telecommute (47.6%).

Flexibility again topped the list when it came to retaining existing employees, especially for the highly educated worker. When asked what likely reasons would cause them to leave their current job, 59.9% of the respondents with a college degree or higher said that they would likely leave for a position that offered more flexibility.

Other reasons that highly educated workers were likely to leave included better compensation (59.3%) and need for a more supportive work environment (48.9%). For highly educated professionals not currently in the workforce, flexibility was a high priority for returning to work (71.2%), followed by compensation (57.6%), a supportive work environment (47.5%) and finding a part-time schedule (37.3%).

“The Industrial Age’s time and location-based model of work no longer makes sense for today’s workforce,” says Maryanne Perrin, co-founder of Balancing Professionals. “Working parents are one of many demographic groups who are seeking flexibility and varied work schedules.” A recent survey by the Pew Research Center indicated that 60% of all working mothers viewed part-time as the ideal work schedule, up from 48% only ten years ago.

“Benefits like flexibility, a supportive culture, part-time schedules, and telecommuting are very low cost benefits for employers to offer,” says Robin Hutchison, Director of Marketing for Carolina Parent. “Employers who don’t include these important benefits in their workplace will find they lose valued employees to companies that do.”

Full results of the Family-Friendly Workplace survey can be viewed at http://carolinaparent.com/Resources/FamilyFriendly40/FamilyFriendlySurveyResults.pdf.

About Carolina Parent Magazine
Carolina Parent magazine repeatedly wins Gold Awards from the Parenting Publications of America for its content, design and Web site (www.carolinaparent.com), and is the most influential parenting resource in the Triangle. As the primary source of information for area families with children ages newborn through teens, Carolina Parent draws an audited readership of more than 120,000 each month. Popular special publications include Carolina Parent’s Baby Guide, Ultimate Family Resource Guide and the Parents' Guide to North Carolina Colleges.

About Balancing Professionals
Balancing Professionals, a niche staffing and advisory firm, connects employers to an under-tapped pool of high-caliber professionals seeking part-time or job-share opportunities. Operating in the Triangle area of North Carolina, the firm was founded in 2004 by Kella Hatcher and Maryanne Perrin, respectively an attorney and an engineer/MBA who had navigated careers as part-time professionals prior to joining efforts to promote part-time opportunities for others. Balancing Professionals provides businesses with new strategies and ground-breaking workforce data to help them cut costs and increase productivity by tapping this unique pool of talent. For more information visit www.balancingprofessionals.com

Media Contacts: Robin Hutchison, Carolina Parent Magazine, 919.956.2430, rhutchison@carolinaparent.com OR Maryanne Perrin, Balancing Professionals, 919.602.3759, maryanne@balancingprofessionals.com.