Finance directors have overwhelmingly concluded that businesses should do more to improve the quality of life of their employees.

An astonishing 80% back the idea of employers doing more to help their workers, with the vast majority claiming that a happy workforce makes for better productivity.

The results of the latest Accountancy Age/Reed Accountancy Big Question survey will support a recent study from government advisers that said ministers should be doing much more to tackle issues, such as obesity and traffic congestion, which affect the quality of peoples' lives.

Bryan Armour of the Parchment Housing Group said: 'In these challenging times, we have proved that happy staff are much more willing to go the extra mile when needed, and are likely to stay with us longer.'

Link: We also asked FDS about the economy

Another FD said: 'Family friendly policies make life for all employees easier and there is not always a cost to the employer.'

According to Chris Carr, FD at Getronics, companies should be working to 'improve their flexibility of working hours'.

A week ago, a report from the Sustainable Development Commission of the Department of the Environment concluded that taxes needed to rise to help pay for improvements in quality of life.

The commission's chairman, environmental campaigner Jonathan Porritt, said the 'delusion' that economic wealth made happier people had to be tackled by government.

Just 14% of the FDs polled in the Big Question survey believed it was not the role of business to improve quality of life for employees.

One said: 'Businesses shouldn't be distracted to meet the needs of the employee.' Others claimed business was already bending over backwards to help employees.