New research confirms that workers want more than money

(AUGUST 11, 2023) The University of Oregon recently studied the priorities of American workers. The researchers learned that American workers really like having time off from work. They also really like having the option to work from home. Even if a job pays less money, some people might still choose that job if it comes with other good things. Some examples include getting paid when they're on vacation, being able to decide when they work, or not having to do really hard physical work. 

Researchers looked at information from a large survey that was conducted in 2015. This survey asked people about their jobs. It asked what they like about them. Researchers found that people would be willing to give up about half of their pay to switch from a not-so-good job to a really good job in terms of things like time off and working from home.

The research also showed that older people are even more willing to trade some of their pay for better job conditions. Younger people might be fine with a 50% raise to change to a better job, but older people might want a 75% raise for the same change. The study also reported that when they consider these extra good things about a job, the gap (difference) in pay between men and women becomes smaller. “This is because women tend to have jobs with lower physical demands, more flexible schedules and more paid time off, which they value more than men,” said Kathleen Mullen. She is a professor and one of the researchers. She added that those preferences are probably shaped by cultural factors such as childcare expectations.

Mullen thinks that after the COVID-19 pandemic, people might like these kinds of job benefits even more. So, having time off and working from home could become even more important to people in the future.