Worker morale is suffering as workloads grow

Workplace productivity is another casualty of the recession, according to a new survey from Kronos Inc. and Harris Interactive. Their telephone survey of 2,005 U.S. adults found 40 percent of workers at companies that have had layoffs said productivity within their organizations has been negatively impacted during the past year.

The “Productivity Drain” survey was conducted between Aug. 13 and Aug. 16. 38 percent of respondents said layoffs had occurred at their companies over the past year, according to the survey. Among workers who said productivity had been negatively impacted by layoffs:

• 66 percent said that morale has suffered on the job and people are less motivated;

• 64 percent said there is too much work and not enough people to do it; and

• 37 percent said that the wrong people were laid off, leading to inefficient coverage of some departments. About 53 percent of respondents, however, stated that the correct number of people were laid off at their companies.
• 36 percent of respondents said organizations need to take a “fresh” look at redistributing workloads among the people who are left at work.

“In the midst of a downturn like the one we are experiencing, the time is right for employers to re-examine existing practices: from how work is distributed among the organization; to whether or not new hires need to be made; to what kinds of technology might enable the workforce to become more productive,” said Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos.

“In this survey, we hear loud and clear from employees that these issues need to be addressed now, so that businesses are positioned for success when the economy kicks back into high gear,” she said.