THIRTY-ONE per cent of employees have experienced physical or emotional exhaustion as a result of their work in the last six months, while 26 per cent have experienced stress-related sleeping problems or illnesses
THIRTY-ONE per cent of employees have experienced physical or emotional exhaustion as a result of their work in the last six months, while 26 per cent have experienced stress-related sleeping problems or illnesses. A UK survey also found that, according to HR managers, the organisational ramifications of employee burnout include:
Increased sick leave 79%
Reduced productivity 36%
Higher turnover 14%
Source: www.uk.hudson.com
Working mums’ parenting plight
FORTY-THREE per cent of Australian mothers with two or more children are less likely to work than their overseas counterparts, compared to 82 per cent in Sweden and 62 per cent in the UK. A study of 1,000 Australian fathers also found 68 per cent felt they did not spend enough time with their children and more than half believed that work was the biggest obstacle to being a good father.
Source: Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Working campers not happy with holidays
SIXTY per cent of Australian employees feel more productive in the workplace after holidays, but only 24 per cent are planning to travel overseas this year. A study of 1,000 workers found they:
Get more than 20 days holiday entitlement 26%
Are attracted by generous holiday entitlements 78%
Want more time off work 49%
The study also found 60 per cent of Australians don’t use all of their holiday entitlements, compared to 87 per cent of Danes and only 18 per cent of Japanese.
Source: GMI
Smokers feel the heat at work
TWENTY-FOUR per cent of Australian employees think smoke breaks are good for a career as they provide the opportunity to socialise with their superiors, but 71 per cent believe smokers should make up the time they spend on smokos. A survey of more than 1,100 workers also revealed 63 per cent hate the stink of smokers, with 71 per cent of employees in the legal profession and 67 per cent of those in the sales/marketing industry the most affronted.
Source: Talent2
Political and business pay worlds apart
EUROPEAN business leaders are now paid at least five times what a typical Prime Minister earns, according to a survey of eight European countries. Top political posts are paid anything between 10 per cent and 25 per cent the salary of comparably sized jobs in their economies, and in most countries, remuneration levels for civil servants are between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of private sector levels.
Source: Hay Group
Executives believe in corporate support
EIGHTY-THREE per cent of executives believe their organisations treat women in a supportive manner, while 42 per cent think their organisations are very ethical. A survey of 70 business decision makers also found 41 per cent believe their orgnisations are very tolerant of minorities, while a further 14 per cent said their companies put profit first and 18 per cent said their work produced extreme levels of anxiety.
Source: Dattner Grant
Pregnant pauses kept under wraps
TWENTY-TWO per cent of employees believe jobseekers should not have to declare to potential employers that they are pregnant prior to employers making a job offer, according to a survey of 1,100 Australian workers. It also found 51 per cent believe the right time to tell the boss about their anticipated arrival is at 12 weeks and 12 per cent would only tell their boss when the pregnancy started to show
Source: Talent2
US: salary increases modest for 2005
SALARY increases in the US will average only 3.5 per cent this year and will remain at this level next year as well. A survey of US employers found that for all but one of the individual industry groups, actual 2005 budgets were practically the same as projected. The lone exception was the insurance industry, where salary budgets of 3.5 percent were below the 3.7 to 3.9 per cent forecasted.
Source: The Conference Board
Sales under quota/performance guns
SEVENTY-FIVE per cent of companies have increased the 2005 performance goals and quotas that sales representatives must achieve to earn a commission or bonus, according to a US survey of 186 companies. It also found employers:
Are having difficulty in attracting key sales force talent 92%
Will maintain sales staff levels 62%
Will hire more sales staff 33%
The survey also found the number of employers that are now using variable pay programs among their lowest paid sales representatives soared to 92 per cent in 2005 from just 49 per cent in 2002.
Source: Watson Wyatt
Hong Kong feels workforce commitment heat
FORTY-THREE per cent of workers in Hong Kong intend to stay with their current employer in the next few years, while 76 per cent would consider leaving their current position if offered a similar job with slightly higher pay. A survey of more than 1,000 Hong Kong employees also found only 31 per cent believe their co-workers make personal efforts to improve their skills so that they can make a better contribution, while only 35 per cent feel responsible for helping their organisation be successful.
Source: Aon Consulting
Australian CFOs get down to business
EIGHTY-FOUR per cent of Australian finance managers believe the credibility of Australian CFOs has not been affected by recent corporate scandals and collapses. A survey of 74 finance managers also found CFOs’ decisions are generally driven by:
Cost versus benefit 36%
Long term growth 32%
Quality 12%
Source: Robert Half Finance & Accounting
