Employees in Kent are among the happiest in the UK with their work-life balance, a new report has found.

In a survey aimed at helping developers and planners, property advisers Savills quizzed nearly 5,000 workers nationwide on what they felt makes the ideal workplace.

It found that 51 per cent of workers in an area including Kent said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their work-life balance, a higher figure than in any other area of the UK.

This was despite the fact that their daily travel-to-work time was among the longest in the UK.

In the West Midlands, just 44 per cent of workers were happy with their work-life balance - the lowest figure in the UK.

The report, titled "What Workers Want" also found that employees in Kent are more likely to base their choice of job on salary than on any other factor.

Some 91 per cent rated that as their top priority when looking for a new job, compared to 85 per cent in the north east.

And businesses looking to invest in new properties were warned lighting and temperature were also important to staff. Employees thought these were more critical even than the location of their new job.

A spokesman for Savills said businesses seeking to move premises could learn from the survey.

He said: "Understanding the needs for workers has never been more important as occupiers are increasingly rating the attraction and retention of staff as their primary concern

"The survey holds property implications for developers, masterplanners, architects and fitting out. These considerations will have impacts on developer and occupier costs, but may become a necessity in a labour market where workers can afford to be more choosy.

"The truth is that people will endure most things if their remuneration is above average.

"Where this is not the case, and as the attraction and retention of staff continues to be a primary concern for employers, addressing the property concerns of staff may become a necessary requirement for employers and ultimately for developers and investors."