Balance over bucks: Recent study finds many workers would take a pay cut for better work-life balance

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Have you been able to find that elusive work-life balance?

For many workers, it’s becoming almost as important as the paycheck, and in an effort to make life better for its employees, The Ford Motor Company surveyed its workers across the world, while there were plenty of answers – one specifically jumped out.

The pandemic opened up a divide between workers and employers.

“It’s a tug of war, but I think it’s a tug of war that certain managers are winning,” explained employment attorney Zack Bombatch.

Bombatch said employees are pulling toward flexibility while employers are trying to pull them back to their desks.

“At least a three-to-four-day return to the office,” Bombatch said.

According to Bombatch, some workers are gaming the system.

“They might swipe in with a keycard, get a coffee, say hello, and then go back to wherever they were working,” he explained.

However, employers are not giving up.

“I know that a number of executives surveyed said that they expect us to be back to pre-pandemic office attendance levels by 2025, and maybe the latest 2026,” Bombatch said. “I think we’re going to see employees pushing for more mobility and they might have more leverage to change positions.”

In the Ford survey, a surprising number of workers said they were willing to take a 20 percent pay cut if it meant a better work-life balance. That answer wasn’t just among younger workers, it spanned all generations.

“I really think this is a function of people saying we want the freedom from commuting,” he explained. “We want the freedom from having to buy new office attire and we’d like to start our workday in the same place that we ended: in our home.”

While the biggest number of those willing to sacrifice salary were Gen Z and Millennials, it was still across the board and that could become a bargaining issue.

The compromise, according to Bombatch, that some may explore is a four-day workweek. That comes as studies have shown that four days can be just as productive or more than five.

If you add in flexibility, employees are happier.