Raising the ’Bar on work life balance
Mayo town takes first place in wellbeing study
NEW research has claimed to have found the best towns and cities across Ireland for achieving a perfect work-life balance.
The Work-life Balance Act 2023 was introduced by the Government last year.
Officials at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment announced earlier this month that a new code of practice to give employees remote working rights would be introduced by the Workplace Relations Commission by today’s date, January 31.
Yesterday, price comparison and switching service Switcher.ie published a study that examined and rated towns and cities based on several aspects of modern life.
A spokesperson said: “Our research compared essentials like broadband speeds and mobile coverage and access to local amenities like primary schools, GP surgeries and major supermarkets.
“We also looked at factors important for well-being like green spaces, leisure facilities and cafes, alongside house prices, commuting and crime rate. With all this information we created a Work-life Balance Index to rank the best and worst place to juggle work, family and pleasure.”
The ratings for 50 towns and cities, which lists Castlebar at No1 and Limerick at No50, is available on the switcher.ie website.
Castlebar, Ballina, Longford, Wexford and Arklow are the top five towns overall, according to the switcher.ie study.
Galway, Carlow, and Mullingar are top three for hybrid working factors: travel, broadband and mobile.
Cavan is the best place to enjoy the great outdoors and stay healthy, while Ballina is the best spot to balance work with family.
Longford was the cheapest town and Newbridge was the safest, while the top spots to catch-up over coffee or to pop out to the shops are Wexford, Athlone and Wicklow.
The study spokesperson said: “New legislation which gives employees the right to request remote work carer’s leave and other flexible arrangements are expected by the end of the year.
“With 32% working from home at least one day a week during 2022, Ireland’s towns and local economies could also enjoy the benefits of an increasingly flexible workforce.”
And she said of Castlebar: “Not only are house prices lower than others on our list, but it offers a winning mix of great local amenities, good connectivity for hybrid working and plenty of green spaces.”
Castlebar scores well in the ratio of populations for services and amenities, while the average house price is €223,919, according to switcher.ie’s analysis of the Residential Property Price Index figures for October 2023.
Longford is listed as the most affordable town to buy a house with average prices of €176,721.
Dublin satellite town Ashbourne in Co Meath is in eighth place and has an average house price of €355,307, while Donegal town Letterkenny, which is 38th on the index, has an average house price of €207,001 compared to the €337,242 average house price of Navan in 39th place.
Limerick in 50th place has an average house price of €285,572.
The spokesperson said: “To calculate the best town to work with a family, we summed index scores for house prices, crime rate, number of GP surgeries and primary schools.
“The top five towns for families to live and work are Ballina, Longford, Castlebar, Enniscorthy and Cavan.
“To calculate the best town for hybrid working we summed index scores for average broadband speed, 5G mobile coverage and distance to major roads and bus stops. The top five towns for hybrid working were Galway, Carlow, Mullingar, Swords and Balbriggan.
“For health, fitness and wellbeing, Cavan came in tops for leisure facilities and green spaces, which are essential for achieving a good quality of life. The top five towns for health and well-being were Cavan, Athy, Ballina, Ashbourne and Killarney.
“For shopping and eating, Castlebar was the best place to pop to the shops, grab a bite to eat or catch up over coffee, followed by Wexford, Athlone, Arklow and Wicklow.”
Switcher.ie commercial director Eoin Clarke said: “Property price is often a crucial factor when house-buying, but broadband and mobile coverage, easy access to local amenities and plentiful green spaces can make all the difference when juggling family commitments, home life and work.”