Work-life balance statistics for 2025

Work-life balance has evolved from being a perk that people would like to have, to being the most important factor when choosing a job—even surpassing pay.

Younger workers are leading the push for better work-life balance, and many businesses are investing in this area to simultaneously protect their people and their bottom line. 

But there are still lots of challenges to a healthy balance, such as always-on culture, presenteeism, and the belief that work-life balance must be sacrificed to have a successful career.

Let’s dig into the key work-life balance statistics of 2025 to reveal ongoing challenges, what workers really want, and how individuals and businesses can find and benefit from a healthy balance.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, work-life balance is “the amount of time you spend doing your job compared with the amount of time you spend with your family and doing things you enjoy.” But perhaps that’s a bit simplistic. 

Work-life balance is really about harmony across all areas of life—not just a simple time split. Achieving it has benefits for individual health and well-being, employee engagement and loyalty, and improved organizational performance. And neglecting it can be hugely detrimental for employees and businesses alike. 

Workers in 2025 are well aware of the value of work-life balance. In fact, our research reveals that it’s the most important factor employees look for in a job. 

Our data shows that 28% of all employees rank work-life balance as the top motivator at work—slightly above compensation (27%).

This preference is even more marked in Gen Z workers, 32% of whom say work-life balance is the most important aspect of a job. This is compared to career growth (22%) and compensation (20%).

A positive stat to come from our 2025 Workplace Trends research is that 78% of workers say their job provides a healthy work-life balance, suggesting that many businesses do recognize its importance.

Another survey we ran on HR trends also reinforces the importance of work-life balance. According to employee burnout statistics, 36% of HR professionals cite burnout as the top reason for employee turnover at companies where HR is considered vital.

Poor work-life balance is also listed among the top drivers of employee turnover, alongside compensation, lack of recognition, and lack of flexibility.

And your job level can impact your stress level—and productivity. SurveyMonkey research found that burnout and low motivation is a bigger productivity blocker for individual contributors than senior leaders (33% vs. 20%).

One way that businesses are helping work-life balance is with the increased availability of asynchronous working—where people work to their own schedule, regardless of when the rest of the team is working. This is an alternative to traditional synchronous work, where people work together during the same hours. Asynchronous working allows people to work independently and gives a lot more flexibility than synchronous working. 

Some organizations are supporting work-life balance with mental health benefits —specific days employees can take off to focus on their emotional and psychological health, alongside incentives on workplace flexibility, paid leave, retirement, and healthcare options. And some offer workers wellness stipends—funds dedicated to support health and well-being outside of work, covering things like gym memberships, mindfulness apps, or therapy sessions.

The huge uptake of AI could help work-life balance—which means that focusing on your team’s AI readiness could pay off. According to a recent study, generative AI increases productivity and saves workers time, as well as improving engagement and job satisfaction.

It’s clear that companies can’t ignore the increasing employee demand for “life-first” flexibility, which prioritizes someone’s personal life, well-being, circumstances, and values.

There are numerous ongoing challenges to work-life balance, including unreasonable workloads, long hours, a lack of flexibility, a willingness to forgo balance for success, and an always-on company culture.

Career success looks different for different people. It might mean getting your dream job, earning a certain salary, or climbing the career ladder. But can it be achieved alongside work-life balance?

A majority seem to think not. Nearly two-thirds (65%) of respondents to our recent survey believe that sacrificing work-life balance is necessary to have a successful career. This belief is stronger among managers than non-managers (74% vs. 63%).

Always-on communication—the expectation or reality that employees are always reachable through digital communication channels—is a significant challenge to work-life balance.

According to our workplace communication statistics, 85% of employees receive work-related communications outside standard work hours at least a few times a month. 

Of those, 60% receive them a few times a week, or even more frequently.

Additionally, 58% of workers respond to these communications outside of work hours at least a few times a week (30% at least once a day, 28% a few times a week). Only 6% never respond outside working hours.

For many, persistent pings aren’t taboo;  30% of workers expect after-hours communication and don’t mind. A further 25% feel appreciated or needed when they receive after-hours comms, and 10% feel happy. 

This may be linked to the pressure that some employees feel to respond. A full 34% feel that not responding will lead to negative perceptions about their performance from managers and/or coworkers. And 55% of workers say working long hours and being always-on is the norm at their company.

Our findings also show that workers struggle with managing boundaries between work and personal life: 28% say they are asked to do work while on vacation, while 54% check their work email when taking time off. And 32% say it is difficult to disconnect from work while on vacation. 

The effect of work-life balance on health is well established, with poor balance linked to stress, anxiety, depression, burnout, and chronic health issues. But do employees put their health first?

Not always, according to our work-life balance data, which reveals that 74% of workers have worked while sick (known as presenteeism) within the last year.

Out-of-hours communication can negatively affect health and work-life balance too, with 14% of workers feeling anxious or stressed about it, and 18% feeling annoyed. 

The huge increase in remote work since COVID-19 has generally benefited work-life balance by increasing flexibility, autonomy, and saving people the time that was spent commuting. However, companies need strategies in place to manage blurred boundaries, isolation, and communication in order to maintain well-being and productivity.

Looking into remote work statistics for 2025, SurveyMonkey data found that 31% of employees have worked remotely from a location significantly different from their usual work setup. 

Half of those who work hybrid (57%) or mostly/fully remote (48%) admit to doing so, while 27% of those who work mostly in-person have done so in the last year. 

So, where have these people worked from? Combined data of both hybrid and remote workers found the unconventional places they’ve taken a work call or meeting:

And what tasks do they perform while working in a public setting?

According to our data, 82% of workers admit to spending some time on non-work activities during work hours, while 39% do this for more than an hour a day.

Possibly due to not having time to do “life admin” at home, half of hybrid or remote workers admit to multitasking during a work call (46%) or doing house chores (46%) during work, according to our hybrid workplace stats. 

The flexibility of remote work has given people opportunities to pursue other non-work activities during business hours, such as running errands (33%), taking a nap (20%), working from a different location without telling anyone (17%), watching TV or playing video games (17%), and even working another job (4%).

When it comes to multitasking during video or conference calls, workers have also admitted browsing social media (21%), doing online shopping (14%), doing the laundry (12%), cleaning the kitchen (9%), falling asleep (4%), and taking a shower (3%).

We’ve established that work-life balance is seen as hugely important by workers in 2025, but how does this perception vary among different generations?

Gen Z are more likely to feel happy or appreciated when they receive out-of-hours messages (19% vs. 11% of Millennials and 7% of Gen X). 

A further 36% of Gen Z and Millennial workers have also taken a quiet vacation—unrequested time off work while pretending to be working. This is compared with 27% of Gen X workers. 

Gen Z and Millennial workers are also more likely to take a few unrequested hours off during a workday (46%) than Gen X (39%).

Our recent Women at Work 2025 survey reveals some interesting insights about perceptions of work-life balance among women and men in the US. 

On why women stay in their jobs, 34% of respondents cite work-life balance—another key motivator being flexible work arrangements (27% vs. 23% of men). 

Women with children under 18 are more likely to stay in a role for its work-life balance than those without children (37% vs. 33%), and 40% of women who quit or considered quitting over the past year said it was for better work-life balance.

Another notable statistic to come from this research is that more women than men (49% vs. 43%) suffer to the point of burnout because of their work.

Among women whose work-life balance improved in the past year, 53% credited more flexible work schedules. Among women whose work-life balance worsened, 53% blamed increased workload, 35% more personal/family commitments (vs. 27% of men), and 32% less flexibility.

Despite the apparent benefits of flexible work arrangements for work-life balance, 40% of women are concerned that it might hurt their career development. Concern is higher among women who say they’re ambitious (42% vs. 27% who don’t say they’re ambitious) and women with children under 18 (44% vs. 38% without children).

Flexibility is also a huge factor for women who are job hunting, with 46% saying a lack of remote/hybrid opportunities makes it difficult (vs. 27% of men).

HR professionals can support and improve work-life balance in a few ways. These include providing flexible hours and schedules, promoting exercise for physical and mental well-being, and building a culture of healthy work-life boundaries—such as discouraging weekend working, and encouraging employees to take vacation time.

Our survey data supports these suggestions, with 33% of US workers wanting more of a focus on flexibility (including remote work and flexible schedules).

And it seems that the younger the worker, the more likely they are to push for flexibility (41% of Gen Z, 38% of Millennials, 29% of Gen X, 23% of Boomers).

According to SurveyMonkey’s Chief People Officer, Becky Cantieri, there are three important contributing factors to setting employees up for success in work-life balance.

One is embracing asynchronous work and communication by prioritising collaboration tools Slack and Email, Notion and GOOG, so that employees can choose when they work contribute and deliver work outside of meetings. 

Flexible approaches to Return-To-in Office policies, allow people plenty of time to work from home where they can be most productive. 

Lastly, the availability of benefits and perks that cater to the individuality of the team. These offerings must be far better than one-size-fits-all and possess inherent flexibility. A valued perk at SurveyMonkey is the C.H.O.I.C.E. fund, a quarterly allowance that employees can shape to their exact needs. 

Achieving work-life balance isn’t always easy—but it can be done. Becky also shares actionable steps for improving work-life balance:

The words "work-life balance" imply this very neat, and tidy split. The reality is far messier, especially when balancing responsibilities and working from home. 

Working and managing life balance requires agility and constantly shifting based on what's going on in your life and work.

It's important that employees set realistic expectations, disambiguate it as a perfect state and embrace that it is shifting constantly understand what work-life balance looks like at an individual level for each individual. 

Navigating and prioritizing the demands on your time according to your commitments and values, and lean on others within your tribe, your partner, friends, or coworkers. When the needs change, be there for others to lean on you.

Additional steps include:

Supporting work-life balance starts with making health a priority. When employees feel empowered to look after their physical and mental health, they’re more likely to thrive at work. Companies can strengthen this by optimizing their benefits packages—ensuring coverage is not just available, but easy to use. Preventative care, like regular checkups, mental health services, and wellness programs, should be clearly communicated and encouraged.

Additional initiatives, like SurveyMonkey’s C.H.O.I.C.E. fund, go a step further by giving employees the flexibility to invest in what matters most to them. C.H.O.I.C.E. (Connection, Health, Office, Invest, Career, and Education) provides a dedicated budget that can be applied to health, well-being, or self-improvement. These types of benefits signal that the company values employees as whole people—not just as workers.

Burnout often stems from taking on more than is sustainable, which is why employers need to keep a close eye on workload balance. Engagement surveys are a great way to spot early warning signs of stress and identify teams that might be stretched too thin.

But surveys are only part of the solution. Leaders should also evaluate meeting schedules and team workflows. Too many back-to-back meetings, or meetings without clear value, can drain energy and productivity. Using tools like meeting feedback surveys helps ensure time is spent wisely and employees have space in their day for meaningful work.

Culture is often defined at the top. When leaders openly model healthy boundaries—whether that’s actually taking their PTO, signing off for family commitments, or staying home when they’re sick—they set the tone for the rest of the company. Employees who see leaders valuing balance feel more comfortable doing the same, without fear of stigma.

Encouraging managers to have regular check-ins with their teams about workload and well-being further reinforces this culture. Balance shouldn’t be a “nice to have,” but a visible, lived value.

Supporting work-life balance is an ongoing commitment. Employers need to actively track trends that reveal how their people are feeling—whether it’s rising turnover, employee survey data pointing to stress, or feedback that competitors are offering stronger benefits and flexibility.

When those signals appear, companies should treat them as an opportunity to listen and adjust. Small changes, like rethinking flexible scheduling or investing more in health benefits, can have an outsized impact on retention and morale. By staying responsive, employers show they’re serious about meeting employees’ evolving needs and building a workplace where balance is possible.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to work-life balance. Every employee is different, so the balance of what works for each person will differ. But there are certainly broad approaches that should benefit everyone.

These include flexible work arrangements and a culture that prioritizes and promotes work-life balance and healthy boundaries.

The benefits of prioritizing balance are significant: healthier, happier, and more contented employees, which also means stronger businesses and better organizational outcomes. 

What can HR leaders do now to support work-life balance? Why not start by initiating regular engagement surveys and using the feedback