WFD Survey: Increased Workload, Workplace Pressure and Stress are Taking Toll on Workers
Half of respondents report decreased employee morale, motivation, and endurance
Boston, MA (PRWEB) April 15, 2009
Workloads and associated stress are increasing in the workplace while employee morale, motivation, and endurance are declining, according to a survey of business leaders and work-life experts conducted by WFD Consulting.
Employee stress and workload (http://www. wfd. com) have increased substantially in the last 12 months, according to the survey conducted in March. Eight out of 10 respondents report that managers’ and employees’ workloads have increased, along with employee stress. At the same time, half of respondents report that employee motivation, energy, and endurance have all decreased.
Access the full results of the survey on the WFD Consulting workload (http://www. wfd. com/news/register-wst. html) website.
The demand for immediate action and rapid turnarounds contributes to the escalating work pressure; two-thirds of respondents report an increase in expectations concerning speed of execution. The expanding global workplace also contributes to increased pressure, with about half of respondents reporting that the demands of managing globally have increased.
Fewer than half (45%) of respondents report that workloads in their organizations are reasonable and only one-third (32%) say that their organizations have eliminated most low value, unnecessary work a key factor contributing to workload and overwork. Respondents identify “inadequate staffing to meet work demands” as the biggest factor driving excessive workload. Other factors include “conflicting priorities” and “poor communication and coordination among different functions.”
Forty-four percent of respondents report that their companies have taken action to address workload issues or eliminate low value work. The most common actions include: work prioritization to focus on a few critical needs; process improvement and reengineering projects to shorten cycle times and increase efficiency; and outsourcing of non-priority and low value work.
Organizations that recognize the impact of workload pressure are responding with resources to build employee resilience and help manage stress. Companies are encouraging the use of flexible work options (http://www. wfd. com/products/workarrange. html) and enabling teams to self-manage their workload (http://www. wfd. com/products/workload. html). Many are more actively promoting their EAPs, health and wellness programs, and fitness centers. Another key action has been leadership communication to employees, especially on the financial state of the organization, and support to make use of available programs.
The survey was administered online using SurveyMonkey to work-life, diversity, and talent leaders, business unit heads, and academic experts. The 103 respondents came from a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, professional services, technology, higher education, and governmental and not-for-profit organizations.
WFD Consulting, based in Boston, is a work-life and talent management consulting firm with over 25 years of experience addressing workload and employee resilience issues and implementing successful team solutions at Fortune 500 companies.
Media Contact:
Youme Yai
617-219-8736
This press release was distributed through eMediawire by Human Resources Marketer (HR Marketer: www. HRmarketer. com) on behalf of the company listed above.
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