FORTY-EIGHT per cent of American executives are unhappy in their current job, according to a poll of 2,149 executives
FORTY-EIGHT per cent of American executives are unhappy in their current job, according to a poll of 2,149 executives. While more than half were preparing to leave their company within the next 12 months, the happiest executives were:
HR professionals 66%
CFOs 63%
General managers 47%
Source: ExecuNet
Women all for unions
THIRTEEN per cent of females in white collar professions are more likely to join a trade union than their male counterparts. According to a survey of nearly 2,000 workers, only 8 per cent of males would join a union, however, 58 per cent did not have a union representative in their workplace. The public sector was well represented with 81 per cent having a union representative in their workplace, while 51 per cent of companies in the construction industry had a union representative in their workplace but only 5 per cent were actually members.
Source: Talent2
Workplace gets more physical
THERE HAS been a 400 per cent increase in workplace violence since 1998, according to a survey of more than 2,000 people. Stress was the predominant reason for workers becoming violent, according to the survey, followed closely by conflicting personalities, lack of respect and bullying. On a positive note, the survey revealed that violence targeting women was down by almost 30 per cent, with women the subject of abuse in 42 per cent of cases compared to 70 per cent in 1995.
Source: Linkme.com.au
UK: Ladder of trust is weak
WHILE SEVENTY per cent of UK workers said they trust the manager they directly report to, only 40 per cent said this trust extended to their manager’s boss. The results of the survey, which included 4,700 respondents, found that the further removed managers are from their employees, the less trust they will gain. Moving further up the ladder, only 3 per cent trusted the top manager.
Source: British Association of Communicators in Business
Aussies face finance skills shortage
TWENTY PER CENT of Australian companies currently have vacancies in their financial departments, according to a survey of 5,098 finance and HR managers. The most difficult to fill roles were financial/management analysts (16 per cent), CFOs (15 per cent) and finance managers (15 per cent). Fifty-four per cent of survey respondents stated that these positions are difficult to fill because they require specialised skills or extensive experience (37 per cent), and as a result, 48 per cent would consider offering part-time or consulting roles to experienced professionals.
Source: Robert Half Recruitment
Aussies to scratch up on AWA facts
SIXTY-ONE per cent of Australian workers feel they do not know enough about workplace agreements and the Fairness Test introduced by the government. According to a survey of more than 2,000 people, only 4 per cent of employees traded their working conditions, but 96 per cent had not even contemplated this option or understood that these options were available. Those working in banking and finance were most aware of the legislation.
Source: Talent2
UK: Lunchtime drinks popular
NEARLY 25 per cent of UK employees enjoy an alcoholic drink during their lunchbreak. A survey of 1,000 people found that of the 23 per cent who did drink alcohol during lunchtimes at least occasionally, four in 10 said they would be more tempted to do so during the summer.
Source: YouGov
US companies make health plans
SIXTY-THREE per cent of US employers plan to take more aggressive steps to help employees improve their health. According to a survey of approximately 450 major US employers covering more than 8 million employees, companies planned to undertake the following measures in their workforce in 2007:
Access to management and wellness programs 79%
Profiling of prevalent health conditions 77%
Incentives/taking part in health initiatives 48%
A further 43 per cent of respondents believed health plans should provide employees and dependents with portable electronic health records as part of their standard services.
Source: Hewitt Associates
Ministerial experience preferred
SEVENTY-TWO per cent of Australians believe government ministers should have direct experience in the portfolio they are looking after. Only 31 per cent of the 1,987 people surveyed said a minister can be successful in their portfolio if they have no experience in their field. However results showed ministers working in areas they are less experienced in is more acceptable among older Australians, as only 24 per cent of those aged 18–24-years-old said it could be a successful scenario compared to 35 per cent of those aged over 55.
Source: Talent2
UK workers, dress to impress?
ONLY 21 per cent of UK workers wear formal business attire. A survey of 68 organisational dress codes found that 38 per cent of respondents said staff should wear ‘smart casual’ clothes while 5 per cent opted for guidelines that followed a more relaxed look. Source: Employment Review
