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Deloitte LLP is the U.S. member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, an organization of member firms around the world that provides services in four areas: audit, tax, consulting and financial advice. It serves more than 80% of the world's largest companies. The Deloitte LLP Ethics & Workplace Survey is designed to measure workplace behavior and the impact leadership has on the workplace environment. The balancing act between work and life is growing ever more harrowing. Now it appears that workplaces that can engender a top-down, "we're all in this together" attitude about both are happier and more productive. That's the bottom line of the 2008 Ethics & Workplace Survey by the consulting firm Deloitte LLP, which explores how well and how fairly workplaces deal with flexible work hours and informal leave. In an era in which it is becoming increasingly difficult to attract and retain skilled workers, the survey offers valuable insights into what matters to your workers.
"As corporations grapple with the challenges of keeping a workforce that is constantly connected -- yet dispersed -- productive, engaged and loyal, one strategy that appears to work in creating a positive workplace environment is the demise of the traditional 9-5 workplace," Deloitte says. "Eighty-one percent of respondents said they are engaged in some kind of a customized/flex work arrangement."
Three-quarters of those surveyed said, "If I could better balance my work schedule and personal priorities I would be more productive and engaged at work." Just over half said they work for companies where people take time off during the day despite company rules. "The findings for this question may indicate a great need for more flexibility without having to feel like you are breaking the rules," Deloitte says.
Just over half also said that their bosses set different rules for themselves than their employees -- a statistic that has broad implications for morale and for setting values at a company. "An overwhelming majority of the respondents agree that if the boss was more open about their needs, it would result in a positive development in the workplace. The most important development (72%) is a more engaging and productive work environment; second (70%), a more ethical workplace culture," the survey says.
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