Stressed and burnt out staff are prepared to take a pay cut for an ‘easier’ life, according to new research.
Nearly half of US staff (45%) are burnt out; and would forfeit a full 10% of salary for an easier work life, revealed the survey carried out by The Harris Poll, on behalf of productivity platform ClickUp. This percentage increases to 60% of males aged between 18-34; and 56% of working parents with children under 18, confirmed The 2021 Workplace Pulse survey.
In fact, 48% of employees are struggling to balance work and home life. This is particularly a huge issue for 60% of 18-34 year olds and 56% of those aged between 35-44; as well as 59% of working parents. Reducing stress at work is a priority for many employees, with 46% saying they would choose to add stress at home in exchange for less stress at work (47% men and 45% women); particularly those in the 18-34 age group (57%) and working parents (54%).
DISCONNECTED & DISENGAGED
ClickUp’s latest report, which sheds light on how US employees feel about the changing workplace over the past year amid the pandemic, also reveals that staff are struggling with workplace productivity and engagement. Around 51% say they lose at least one hour per day being inefficient at work; citing email overload or feeling disconnected from their team on tasks and projects.
In fact, more than half of employed workers (52%) have felt disconnected from their company/coworkers at some point in the past year. Around 61% of staff between 18-34 have reported feeling the most disconnected; followed by 57% of working parents. Half of US employees say having to check emails throughout the day is distracting to their productivity while working.
The message is clear, according to ClickUp. It’s essential for businesses to optimise the workplace efficiency by ensuring that staff have the right tools to work effectively; without it resulting in ‘application-overload’ and negatively impacting efficiency. But that’s not easy to achieve, noted the findings.
EFFICIENCY-INCREASING TOOLS & APPS
Most firms are falling into one of two traps because this balance is not easy to achieve. The first trap is having too many tools, confirmed the study. Nearly half (46%) of workers fear they will become burnt out from having to juggle so many different tech tools/apps for work. And 43% say they are frustrated by the number of tech tools/apps they must use for work. Interestingly, 60% of men in the 18-34 age group feel this way.
The second trap is not having enough tools. Around 42% of workers feel their employer does not offer them all the tools/apps they need to succeed while working remotely. Another 42% staff say their company is “stuck in the dark ages” when it comes to adopting new tech tools.
MEETING STAFF EXPECTATIONS
“The past year has brought about an unparalleled shift in the way businesses work; forcing many to adjust on the fly to new tools and processes that have left their employees feeling burnt out,” stated Zeb Evans, Founder and CEO of ClickUp. “This report shows just how fed up employees are with businesses that leave them in the technological dark ages; or bombard them with too many tools. In an era where employees can try new tools at the click of a button and work from any location, businesses need to listen to their employees and meet their evolving expectations. Those that don’t will lose their employees to jobs that give them what they want and need, even if they have to give up some salary to get it.”
Additionally, the survey found that 54% of staff will not work for a company that doesn’t offer the flexibility of working remotely at least some of the time. This sentiment is highest among those aged between 35-44 (65%), followed by the 18-34 age group (63%). The shift to remote work due to the pandemic is one of the biggest permanent changes the workforce will likely see this century; and companies must adapt to the increased flexibility that employees have become accustomed to, without a loss of business objectives, concluded ClickUp.
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