Happiness Is…. Running A Business (Especially For Generations X And Y) Reveals Regus Study

Accra - Better work:life balance is being achieved most successfully by business owners and by the younger generations in Ghana and Africa according to the Regus Work:life Balance Index. However, the Index has slipped four points across East and North Africa and 6 points in South Africa since last year, showing that people in business are struggling with a mounting pressure of work.

The study, published for the second year running by global workplace provider Regus, is based on the views of 26,000 professionals in more than 90 countries with direct representation in 16 African nations. The international study includes East, North and South Africa.

Mr Prince William Ankrah, General Secretary of Ghana Mineworkers Union has appealed to the government and other employers to collaborate with the Trades Union Congress in promoting work-life balance.

Mr Ankrah said work-life balance was well rooted in advanced countries and was gradually catching up in Ghana and it was high time Ghanaians embraced this concept and worked towards its achievement. He said adoption of work-life balance concept would bring about a win-win scenario for both employers and employees, stressing that it was an investment that guaranteed handsome dividends.

The global findings should be seen in the context of the specific score for East Africa (121) and South Africa (129) which beats the global average (120) and the score for North Africa (113), which lags behind the global average by 7 points. However, positive feelings abound in the workplace, with 78% of East Africans and 79% of North and South African respondents enjoying work more than they did a year ago.

Perhaps contrary to common assumptions, globally the Baby Boomer generation appears less adept at juggling work and home life. Across the world, younger workers enjoy work more than Baby Boomers (76% compared with 64%) and are more satisfied with their productivity levels (81% compared to 69%.)

Joanne Bushell, Vice President Africa at Regus, comments: 'Staff who are happy at work are both more productive and less likely to leave the company. As the jobs market improves, businesses are realising that to hire or retain talent, they must focus on extending their flexible working policies, such as offering a choice of work locations. This is already happening - we see our network of local centres used every day by people working flexibly.

Previous research from Regus has showed that 72% of professionals globally believe that flexible working improves their productivity.

Generation Y: born after 1980; Generation X: born 1965-80 Baby Boomers: born 1945-1964

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About Regus

Regus is the world's largest provider of workplace solutions, with products and services ranging from fully equipped offices to professional meeting rooms, business lounges and the world's largest network of video communication studios. Regus enables people to work their way, whether it's from home, on the road or from an office.

Customers such as Google, GlaxoSmithKline, and Nokia join hundreds of thousands of growing small and medium businesses that benefit from outsourcing their office and workplace needs to Regus, allowing them to focus on their core activities.

Over 1 million customers a day benefit from Regus facilities spread across a global footprint of 1500 locations in 600 cities and 100 countries, which allow individuals and companies to work wherever, however and whenever they want to. Regus was founded in Brussels, Belgium in 1989, is headquartered in Luxembourg and listed on the London Stock Exchange.
For more information please visit: www.regus.com/africa