What’s the one thing that would make people love their jobs more?

I’m not talking money here. We would all love a six-figure plus salary.

I’m talking time.

When I ask workers of all ages to tell me one thing that would make them happier about their jobs, they say freedom and independence in some way, shape, or form.

And according to a new study, employers are getting the message.

Last week, WorkplaceTrends.com, a research and advisory service for Human Resource professionals, and CareerArc, a global recruitment and outplacement firm, published the results of a “2015 Workplace Flexibility Study.”

The national survey of 1,087 professionals and 116 HR professionals, found that an increasing number of companies are seeing the benefits of allowing employees to have the option to periodically work from home without coming into the office and are ramping up work flexibility programs in 2015.

Nine in 10 organizations said a work-flex option improved employee satisfaction. Seven out of ten employers said it increased productivity. Importantly, sixty-five percent of employers said by offering a work from home option, they were able to keep top workers from jumping ship. Moreover, the bulk of those surveyed said they use their programs as a recruiting tool.

Nonetheless there’s a disconnect. Workplace flexibility is far more important to employees than employers think. The study found that:

• Half of the employers surveyed ranked workplace flexibility as the most important benefit they believe their employees desire.
• Two-thirds of employees said it was the most important benefit they desire.

It doesn’t surprise me that workers place a premium on having the option to work from home.

As I recently wrote in my PBS Next Avenue column, I believe there are many ways you can fall in love with your job even if you don’t like it right now. And flextime is certainly one way to move the needle. Working from home, of course, is not the panacea for everyone, and not every job is suitable for it.

My new book, “Love Your Job: The New Rules for Career Happiness,” offers drilled down advice on how to find a way to take advantage of a workplace flexibility program if your employer has a formal one, and, if not, how to make a pitch to your boss to at least let you give working from home a try.

 Working from Home Makes Employees Happier and More Loyal

Telecommuting employees are happier, more loyal and have fewer unscheduled absences, according to a survey by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

And I get it. It’s wonderful to be treated like a professional, who doesn’t need someone looking over his or her shoulder to get work done capably and efficiently.

But it’s a deeper psychological issue. The option to work flexibly gives us a sense of control and autonomy. And it lets us participate in the other activities we value in our lives.

My research and interviews with hundreds of workers have clearly shown that more flexibility in scheduling day‐to‐day activities leads to greater happiness on the job.

“We encourage our people to work from home or find alternatives when it makes sense,” Shannon Schuyler, corporate responsibility leader at the auditing giant PricewaterhouseCoopers, told me. “When done well, offering flexibility results in better job satisfaction and increased productivity, all while helping manage our overall environmental footprint.”

I have also found that workers over 50 increasingly value being able to work from home, at least part-time, particularly if they’re juggling caring for aging parents, or other family members, with their careers, or have understandably grown burned out from decades of reporting to an office.

Boomers Aren’t Taking Advantage of Workplace Flexibility Programs

But here’s what shocked me about the study. “We found that boomers don’t ask to use their flexibility program as much as younger generations,” said Dan Schawbel, founder of WorkplaceTrends.com and my fellow Forbes columnist.

A paltry 3 percent of employers said that boomers–those 51 to 70– ask to use their flex-option programs. A whopping 62 percent of employers reported that the demographic that benefits most is Gen X–those 34 to 50 years old;Thirty-five percent said those in the Gen Y demographic–22 to 33 year olds–take the most advantage of their program.

I asked Schawbel for his interpretation of those findings. “In the study, we found that boomers don’t benefit from their flexibility program as much as younger generations,” he said. “While boomers should get as much flex time as younger workers, they don’t require it nearly as much since they’ve typically already raised a family and are settled in their careers. Younger generations have to balance a full-time job with trying to afford a house, getting married and having children. Boomers are more focused on retirement, or just maximizing their success at their company.”

While I can see why those raising a family would be eager to tap into work from home options, I don’t agree with his view on boomers not needing it as much. My educated explanation is that the study’s finding indicates that boomers are more reluctant to ask for the freedom of working from home because they are afraid of losing their job.

It’s hard enough as an older worker to get hired, and there’s the niggling concern that an employer is looking for a way to replace you with someone younger, who commands a lower salary. That makes the out-of-sight, out-of-mind scenario particularly worrisome. Why rock the boat?

I hope I’m wrong about why boomers are shying away from this opportunity because this kind of flex-work option can go a long way toward helping someone find joy in their work again, regardless of age, and make them more productive, too.

And, in the end, that’s a win for everyone.