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Could 2021 be the year of staff resignations?

21 September 2021

A new report has warned that increasing numbers of unhappy workers are considering leaving their jobs as working from home takes its toll due to the pandemic.

A survey of over 23,000 employees across the US, UK and Europe commissioned by Firstup has revealed that workers are unhappier than ever post-pandemic. Its report, The Deluge of Unhappy Workers, highlights a mounting dissatisfaction among workforces, with employees feeling "undervalued, uninformed and ununified".

The survey has found that a lack of employer communication is a key contributing factor for unhappiness with nearly 25% of respondents agreeing that more communication from employers would result in increased productivity and work satisfaction.

"Businesses need to do more to support their employees, to reduce attrition rates, and provide more valuable working experiences or remain responsible for the career reboot of the decade that some are calling 'the great resignation of 2021'," said Nicole Alvino, founder and CSO, Firstup.

"This research is a clear and urgent call to action - an organisation's employees are its most valuable asset with employee satisfaction having a direct impact on the bottom line."

The research has highlighted a number of distinct areas of concern, including issues around the perceived value of workers' roles within their organisations, work/life balance and mental health support. More than half (56%) of workers say they don't feel valued in their role and 38% want employers to "create better lines of communication between executives and employees". Just 12% said their organisation had sufficient boundaries in place to safeguard their work/life balance.

Those based outside of the office seem to feel these complaints most keenly, with a growing tension between desk-based and home-based workers. The findings show that:

  • 25% of respondents say they get more attention from their employer when they are physically at the office;
  • Only 30% of those working from home think that their employers listen to them;
  • 22% of "deskless workers" say that their employers have never asked about their thoughts or feelings towards the company, compared to 19% among desk-based workers;
  • 39% of desk-based workers felt that their deskless colleagues could learn from them about how to communicate with colleagues and how to work as a team.

"Today's organisations need to give their people the tools and bandwidth to perform their role to the best of their ability, regardless of location," said Alvino. "Taking steps to identify issues and enabling workers to feel connected to the company and their colleagues through a strong digital employee experience (DEX) will pay dividends in the long term."

Written by Rachel Miller.

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