More than half of 800+ senior executives surveyed globally are unhappy with their current work-life balance, research from BlueSteps.com reveals.

BlueSteps.com, the executive career management service of the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC), also found that despite the dissatisfaction, just 35% take full advantage of their allotted paid time off each year.

Eighty per cent of BlueSteps executives say that work-life balance is critical in their decision whether to join or remain with an employer, yet 82% report that their company does not have a programme in place to improve work-life balance. The results show a clear disconnect between the way in which organisations view work-life balance as compared to the value placed upon it by executives.

Of the 18% of companies offering work-life balance programmes, the most common components offered are home working and a flexible daily work schedule — also the components voted as highly valuable by respondents.