Birmingham employers need to be more understanding if they want to keep young professionals in the city, the new chairman of Birmingham Future has claimed.
Sarah Gee, who officially took up her position last night at the organisation's AGM, said young professionals were "biting back" and no longer willing to put up with a situation of all work and no play.
"We are willing to work hard but we need to have time off too," she said.
"Employers need to urgently address work/life balance and they need to understand the issues faced by our members.
"Together with Birmingham Forward member firms, we will be bold in finding solutions as this issue will not go away."
Ms Gee, a managing consultant at marketing firm Dixon Raines, said that exploring the issues around work/life balance and the trend to work longer hours would be a primary objective for Birmingham Future over the year ahead.
The need to expand and diversify the organisation's membership and a series of debates on the future of Birmingham will also be key priorities.
Ms Gee takes her role from outgoing chairman Chris Robertson, a partner at Deloitte in Birmingham. Deputy chairman will be Alex Bishop, a partner at Birmingham law firm Shoosmiths.
Ms Gee said: "The organisation is in great shape - we have a growing and developing membership, a strong financial base.
"We are in a position to make a meaningful and relevant contribution to many of the key issues facing the city, and indeed the region, by representing the views of a significant and important constituency of the business community."
