Survey: Work/Life Balance in IT Achieved Through Flexibility, PTO

There are significant disparities in work-life balance across the IT industry, with just 40% of large tech firms offering what employees rate as a good or very good work-life balance. 

An analysis of 257,000 Glassdoor reviews from the 100 most prominent US tech companies, conducted by Fullstack Academy, highlighted a series of concerning trends. 

The prevalence of negative terms like “burnout,” appeared 73% more frequently in the cons sections of reviews compared to positive wellness terms like “well-being” in the pros sections. 

Firms like NetApp, Cisco, and Spotify, however, were praised for their employee-friendly policies, with “flexible schedules,” “work from home” options, and generous “time off” frequently noted in the pros sections of reviews. 

One unexpected finding is that there seems to be no correlation between company profit and good or poor work-life balance. The most profitable Fortune 500 tech company, Microsoft, had a good balance, but the second most profitable, Qualcomm, had a poor balance. 

Broad Dissatisfaction With Work-Life Balance 

More than a quarter of Meta’s reviews highlight dissatisfaction with work-life balance, while Adobe, Oracle, and Microsoft appear to maintain a healthier work-life balance, as evidenced by frequent mentions of “PTO,” “flexible hours,” and “hybrid” in the Glassdoor reviews pros section. 

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“This is interesting because it suggests that some big tech companies rely on prestige to attract and retain tech talent, while others proactively invest in employee satisfaction,” Mark Moran, chief marketing officer at Fullstack Academy, explains in an email interview. 

The same is true from one Fortune 500 company to the next, according to the study. 

Moran says that companies seeking to strike a balance could start by investing more resources into the tangible positive keywords that appear in the study. In addition to “well-being,” words like “remote” “flexible” and “work from home” are most listed in the pros section of Glassdoor reviews, for example. 

“This reveals a common thread of workers valuing autonomy in their roles,” he explains.  

Prateek Kansal, head of India operations and engineering at Komprise, explains via email that a persistent stressful environment and long hours can negatively affect the productivity and efficiency of employees as well as their motivation and engagement. “The uncertainty that comes with economic downturns further adds to the anxiety,” he says.  

Moran points out the top 30 work-life balance keywords for negative Glassdoor reviews may prove just as valuable as the top 30 for positive reviews. Words like “overworked” and “overwhelming” denote a need for sustainable workloads, which can be a particular challenge for tech leaders due to the speed and complexity of development inherent in the industry itself. 

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“However, increased transparency between leadership and their teams could go a long way when combined with the efforts to increase personal wellness,” he says.  

Internal Surveys Help Craft Policy  

Sam Fleder, chief operating officer at PSPDFKit, says via email he thinks it’s a “huge mistake” for management to unilaterally dictate the benefits that shall make employees happy and assume one size fits all. “Great employees are constantly interested in making their organization better, regardless of their particular job title,” he says. 

He notes internal personnel surveys are free and can provide invaluable insights and specific recommendations on actions the company can take to make its people both happier and more productive. “Don’t hesitate to survey your personnel base, and to do so frequently,” Fleder says. “There is only upside to these exercises.” 

Flexibility, Hybrid Work Options   

Flexible working arrangements and the ability to offer fully remote or hybrid work options help employees better manage their personal responsibilities in a demanding work schedule, helping build a healthier workplace culture. “Giving people the opportunity to learn and develop their careers is another way to help reduce stress and improve satisfaction,” Kansal says.  

Related:Retaining High-Performers, Millennials as Return to Office Policies Evolve

In his experience, when employees can take care of their day-to-day responsibilities outside of the traditional office environment, they are happier and have higher motivation to deliver their best performance. “A lot of IT tasks need focused attention,” he adds. 

He says one benefit for remote work is that people can sometimes focus better, even though it's important to balance work from home with opportunities to be in person with the team. 

Fleder says that PSPDFKit has been a remote company since their founding in 2011 and has always had a widely distributed team geographically. 

“Creating a culture where our teammates can trust, rely on, and be excellent to each other in a remote environment has been critically important to us from the start, because we aren’t all sitting in an office staring at each other,” he says. 

Time Off, Wellness Programs  

Kansal notes that time off is an essential part of employment, as it allows employees to plan their work while having the confidence that their needs are met and encourages them to take ownership of deliverables and go the extra mile. “Wellness programs are equally important,” he adds. 

A wellness culture starts with understanding the mental and physical wellbeing of an employee. Fostering a culture where an honest conversation and empathy toward employee needs can lead to improved, trusting relationship between the employee and management. 

“The organization’s ability to organize team events where people can talk and be together outside of the work environment is another great tactic that has been effective for us, and can be a lot of fun too,” Kansal says.  

Frequent one-on-one and team conversations beyond work deliverables allows organizations to create a channel where issues can be identified and understood early. 

“We should always be looking for signs of mental and physical fatigue and burnout within teams,” Kansal says. 

Fleder believes comprehensive time off and wellness programs are important for both attracting and retaining talent and help to reduce burnout. “I think having a reasonable paid-time-off policy is table stakes for great new hires,” he says. “You just need to figure out what your people actually want and aim to provide it.”