By Justin Lewis, Chief Executive of Corporate Synergy

Lewis examines the new values of the young working generation and urges businesses to review their rewards packages to make allowances for lifestyle benefits.

If work is the curse of the drinking classes, then “idleness” must surely be the blessing of a new generation of twenty-something professionals.

When Tom Hodgkinson penned his thoughts on ‘How to be Idle’, he probably wasn’t focusing on how to make staff more efficient. The Idler magazine’s editor Hodgkinson may, however, be on to something when he argues in this new book that people should take their careers and jobs less seriously and put more effort into relaxation.

Getting the most from life is something that may strike a chord with many looking to change their work/life balance. More and more people are “downshifting” or “protiring” in order to pursue their dreams.

Who can blame them? Workers that get proper rest and relaxation are often more stable and productive professionals than their stressed-out ‘all work and no play’ colleagues.

Worryingly, stress has a tendency to snowball as efficiency drops and more tasks build up and as the burden of work increases so do stress levels.

The changing culture of employee values and a tighter labour market mean that employers will have to consider their rewards package to ensure that lifestyle benefits are built in including better holiday provisions, training and other non-financial elements.

With the UK economy performing strongly and inflation and interest rates at relatively benign levels, the reality is that we are as close as we are likely to get to full employment. This has resulted in candidates with far more choice and room to bargain with prospective employers than they have ever had before.

Staff are also increasingly more likely to resign from a position without the security of having something to go to presenting further difficulties to managers charged with staff retention.

So what can employers do when faced with the rise of the ‘idler’ generation? How can they retain staff that have been carefully and expensively nurtured and on whom they have come to rely upon?

The answer is largely a matter of recognising that the marketplace has changed and that twenty-something staff are much more likely to resent permanently long hours. Most staff are willing to put in the odd late night to get the job done but this is not the same as staying late every evening just because it is expected.

It should be every line manager’s duty to know who is busy and who isn’t and to make sure that work is evenly allocated. If a member of staff is underperforming, this must be tackled immediately. It can often be easier to push the bulk of the work onto the most capable and hard working team players but there is a danger that in so doing these key workers will become resentful and leave.

Ultimately, if every employee does their fair share firms can increase their efficiency, the benefits of which should be passed back to employees in holidays and time off, as well as cash in pay packets.

Reducing working hours can be easier said than done, however, and certainly cannot be achieved without planning and usually some extra costs. It is particularly difficult to reduce working hours in very busy, successful organisations.

This calls for some discipline from managers. Monitoring output and working hours is one method.

Simple time management techniques can help enormously and, despite being much criticized in recent years, can also lead to better co-operation between staff and better communication between employees.

Moreover, there is a balance to be struck in granting employees the right amount of responsibility without making them feel over-burdened and unable to relax after work. It is also worth remembering that failure to deal with workplace stress can lead to a run-in with health and safety law.

It is no good expecting people to look after their own needs. Many workers fail to take their annual holiday allowance and need to be reminded of the importance of a well-earned break. A firm that wants to retain its talent has a responsibility to staff and shareholders alike to make sure that the rest side of the work-rest balance is not neglected.

Be sure that appropriate cover, such as temporary staff is made available to allow for holiday absences. It is far more cost effective to retain key staff than constantly recruit replacements and invest in training.