How are you treating your employees?
You’d be wise to make them feel appreciated.
According to a recent survey by the American Psychological Association (APA), many employees feel undervalued and stressed out at work, and many are dissatisfied with aspects of their job.
The survey found that 36 percent of workers reported experiencing work stress regularly, and almost half (49 percent) said low salary has a significant impact on their stress level at work.
While money may be on workers’ minds, that isn’t the only reason workers are unhappy.
Survey participants also cited lack of opportunities for growth and advancement (43 percent), heavy workload (43 percent), unrealistic job expectations (40 percent) and long hours (39 percent) as significant sources of stress.
Less than half of the participants (43 percent) said they receive adequate non-monetary rewards and recognition for their contributions at work and only 57 percent reported being satisfied with their employer’s work-life practices.
Just 52 percent said they feel valued on the job, two thirds reported being motivated to do their best at work and almost a third (32 percent) indicated they intend to seek employment elsewhere within the next year.
Although these challenging times have been difficult for many organizations, the American Psychological Association said some employers have seized the opportunity to create a healthy culture where both employees and the organization can thrive.
These companies reported an average turnover rate of just 11 percent in 2010 - significantly less than the national average of 38 percent, as estimated by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Furthermore, the companies said only 18 percent of employees reported experiencing chronic work stress compared to 36 percent nationally, 87 percent of employees reported being satisfied with their job vs. 69 percent in the general population and only 6 percent said they intend to seek employment elsewhere within the next year, compared to 32 percent nationally.
The bottom line: Creating a psychologically healthy workplace is good for employees and good for your business results.
