Workers In The Recession May Have Jobs, But They're Not Happy

[marmar]

Workers in the Recession: Stress, Boredom and Too Little Pay
By CHARLES WALLACE Posted 12:00 PM 09/10/10



Sure, the recession has been hard on the unemployed. But what about workers who still have jobs? Turns out, they are depressed, too. They are exhausted, underpaid and treated badly by their bosses, but have been afraid to speak up. And now they are looking to move on to new jobs.

"Many workers feel overworked, underappreciated and underpaid," says Brett Good, district president for southern California at Robert Half International, a recruiting firm. "Between 40 and 52% are saying that if the market improved, I'd consider making a job change."

According to a study by the firm, 37% of professionals who were polled said they felt they were not being fairly compensated for taking on a greater workload during the recession. "People are working harder and more productively and they have almost reached a boiling point," Good says.

A Heavy Load

Michael Erwin, a senior career adviser at the jobs website CareerBuilder.com, says that many employers had no choice but to pile on the workload.

"Employers did what they had to do to keep the lights on in their organizations and they had to make cuts so they could keep their operations going," Erwin says. "When you look at the fact that one in five workers is dissatisfied with their work/life balance, I think this shows the stress level is much higher than in years past." .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/workers-recession-stress-boredom-and-too-little-pay/19627749/

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I can relate. I'm there too. I am one of those 40 to 52%.

But what the heck is that 12 point difference? I have to question statistics that are that broad.

I have been doing so much more, no raise for 3 years. I keep my mouth shut, but that doesn't mean the anger is not there. And I think that the biggest problem with workers is that we are not seeing changes at the top. No working more hours, they continue to live large.

I suppose that the management loves this recession. Workers don't complain, everyone is willing to do whatever you throw at them, and you don't have to give more money. If and when this recession breaks and jobs start to open up, hell will open up. Maybe that is why the Reps don't appear to work to end it.

[AdHocSolver]

2. Seems like a high correlation between high unemployment and poor treatment on the job.

I wonder if there is a possible causal relationship between the two phenomena that indicates that the relationship is not a random occurrence.

[tblue37]

3. Sure--it's a buyer's market. nt

[prolesunited]

4. Remember under Clinton?

Big corps were going absolutely crazy with the perks to attract top talent -- dry cleaning, gyms, quality cafeterias, etc.

It sure isn't random. Business is sitting on piles of cash. They could pay employees more or hire more. It certainly hasn't stopped them from paying themselves huge salaries.

What's not to love about high unemployment?

[SocialistLez]

5. BIG FUCKING DUH!!

I can't believe someone wasted money on this polling.

[keep_it_real]

6. Corporations don't have a clue and don't give a shit how employees feel.

Happiness is a feeling. And to business, it ain't about feelings, its just un-feeling business.

[Mnemosyne]

7. One friend works 15 - 25 hrs weekly at McDs and 4 -10 hrs per month at a $$ store.

Neither will cooperate to help her have a survivable reasonable schedule and she has severe arthritis.

She is luckily a very peaceful and centered human being or wouldn't have lasted 10 years so far.