Scheduling
Time & Attendance
Forecasting
Employee App
Payroll Integrations
Communications
Archive
By Staff Report
Jun. 4, 2009
The global recession is taking a toll on workers on both sides of the Atlantic.
British employees are spending more time at work practicing so-called “presenteeism” as they worry about their jobs during the recession, a new survey concludes.
The survey of 2,247 workers by the Lancaster University Center for Organizational Health and Wellbeing in Lancaster, England, found that 66 percent of employees are working more hours because of worries about job security, and 42 percent said feelings of insecurity regarding their jobs have increased in recent months.
Presenteeism is when employees become more conscientious about being present on the job but are not necessarily more productive.
The survey also gave some clues as to employees’ attitude about their jobs.
Forty-five percent agreed it is best to “play it safe at work and keep my head down.” Forty-one percent of respondents said they have a negative attitude at work.
“Presenteeism may make the employee feel more secure because he or she is putting the hours in, but there is no evidence that consistent long hours result in increased productivity,” Cary Cooper, professor of organizational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said in a statement.
The health and well-being center, which launched in mid-May, said 71 percent of female employees reported spending more time at work versus 61 percent of male employees, suggesting that women may feel more vulnerable about their jobs than men, the survey concludes.
Filed by Michael Bradford of Business Insurance, a sister publication of Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.
Workforce Management’s online news feed is now available via Twitter
Come see what we’re building in the world of predictive employee scheduling, superior labor insights and next-gen employee apps. We’re on a mission to automate workforce management for hourly employees and bring productivity, optimization and engagement to the frontline.
Staffing Management
Managing employee time-off requests: A guide for business ownersSummary Vacation, sick time, PTO banks, and unpaid leave are only a few forms of employee time off — Mo...
Technology
Labor analytics: A how-to guide for company leadershipMake sure to start small, clean your data, use data from a variety of sources and use desired business ...
data analytics, employee data, HR Tech, people analytics, talent management
Technology
Why tattleware isn’t the solution for underperforming teamsIf your employees can take their smartphones out of their pockets to circumvent your efforts, how can y...
employee monitoring, HR technology, tattleware