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Contact: Marty Mordarski, Director of Membership, mmordarski@ercnet.org

Press Release
Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Younger Job Applicants Expect More Paid Time Off

Cleveland – Younger job applicants are requesting nearly the same amount of paid time off as their older Gen X and Baby Boomer counterparts, and usually more than their prospective employers are willing to grant, according to a recent survey by ERC (Employers Resource Council). These results seem to reinforce the perception that younger workers may have different expectations about the workplace compared to older and more experienced workers.

In the survey of nearly 70 Northeast Ohio employers, half reported a noticeable change in the amount of time off being requested by job applicants. While on average those employers typically grant up to one week of paid time off for their least experienced employees, job applicants in their 20s are requesting an average of 2.5 weeks off per year. This falls just short of job applicants in their 30s and 40s that are requesting an average of 3 weeks off per year.

Weeks Requested Off

This trend is being observed nationally as well. According a recent Wall Street Journal article, What Makes a Company a Great Place to Work Today, top recruits are looking for “lots of vacation, starting in year one.” Companies are even starting to come up with unique ways to offer more vacation time. According to the article, “ Xerox last year began allowing workers to buy an extra vacation week through payroll deductions.” However, according to the ERC study, 67% of Northeast Ohio employers surveyed reported observations that job applicants are not willing to take cuts in compensation for additional paid time off added to their employment package.

“A workplace with excellent work/life balance is very appealing to younger workers,” says Tom Tomasula, Senior HR Consultant at ERC. “Paid time off is a great way for companies to differentiate themselves, especially for a new generation of employees that are demonstrating a commitment to working hard as well as enjoying their free time.”

ERC is Northeast Ohio's largest organization dedicated to HR and workplace programs, practices, training and consulting. The organization also hosts NorthCoast 99 and sponsors the ERC Health insurance program. For more information about ERC, check out www.ercnet.org.

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