In a survey of over 1,400 people, a further 36.59 per cent said work/life balance is attainable, but that it is up to them to make it work.

Approximately 17 per cent feel that work/life balance in unattainable.

"As this survey shows, most Australians now believe work/life balance is achievable, provided they either find the right employer or they take matters into their own hands," says Grahame Doyle, director of Hays.

"This is good news for job seekers because the recent conversations we've had with them show that work/life balance has shot up their priority list. It's replaced job security now that we're seeing such strong jobs numbers."

According to Hays, simple, flexible working options can make the difference between keeping and losing staff at a critical time, when the best employees are needed to drive the recovery.

"The key is to make available the flexible working options most sought after by employees," Doyle says.

"A one size fits all approach will not work. That's why over one third of our survey respondents said work/life balance is only attainable if they make it work. It's important for employers to speak to their staff about the options that will allow them to achieve the desired work/life balance."

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According to Doyle, the most common approaches to work/life balance include compressed working weeks and part-time work, followed by job sharing and working from home.

"From an employee perspec­tive, the main reasons they want flexible working options are to gain more personal time or to cope with care arrangements for chil­dren or elderly relatives - a trend only set to increase given future demographic changes," he says.

"Meanwhile, the employers we speak to that have practical and flexible working options in place often say productivity has increased and staff retention and loyalty have improved because their employees' work/life balance is better."