Working in the Post-Recession Workplace Equals Heavier Workloads and Longer Workdays, CareerBuilder.com Survey Shows
Labor Day 2002 Finds Workers Attempting to Cope with the New Realities Of the Post-Recession Workplace
CHICAGO, Aug. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers in today's post-recession
workplace are struggling to survive. Demands placed upon workers has resulted
in increased workloads, longer workdays and rarely a break from the routine of
work, according to CareerBuilder.com's "Life at Work" survey. The
CareerBuilder.com survey included more than 1,400 survey respondents.
After months and months of layoffs, many organizations are attempting to
do the same amount of work as they managed to do last year; however, the
volume of work is taxing the capacities of an already compressed staff. Not
surprisingly, more than one-third of workers reported an increase in their
workloads in the past 6 months.
"Since Labor Day 2001, layoffs have touched the majority of workers in the
workforce, either indirectly or directly," said Dawn Haden, a senior career
advisor at CareerBuilder.com. "Because of the impending threat of a layoff,
actual or implied, workers are getting the job done and making themselves
appear indispensable. This has resulted in longer hours and heavier
workloads."
Despite the workplace innovations of flextime and 4-day workweeks, the
majority of workers spend 40 hours or more working 5 days a week on the job.
Arriving to work early does not guarantee the possibility of leaving work
early or on time. Thirty-nine percent of those who arrived at work early
stayed late. Of those who stated that they arrived on time, 30 percent stayed
late. With more than two-thirds of workers scheduled for a 5-day workweek, 46
percent reported that they work 40 hours or more as compared to 42 percent as
measured in a CareerBuilder.com survey conducted in October 2001.
In the post recession workplace, the lunch hour is a misnomer: half of
workers surveyed spent 45 minutes or less at lunch and 35 percent took
30 minutes or less for lunch. Sixty-seven percent stated that they did not
leave the company premises for lunch. Instead, these workers ate in a
designated lunch area, took a break in their work area or ate while working.
Forty-five percent of workers indicated that they were dissatisfied with
their pay and more than one-third was dissatisfied with opportunities for
career advancement. "Once the economy shows solid signs of improvement, the
balance of these workers will be poised to seek another opportunity,"
commented Haden.
The Survey
The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Life at Work," was conducted from July 11
to July 18, 2002 of more than 1,400 survey respondents. To collect data for
The Survey, CareerBuilder.com commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail
methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were
randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the
online survey. The results of this survey are accurate within +/- 2.5
percent.
About CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment
dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service
and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche
audiences, CareerBuilder makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most
qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support.
Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 400,000 continuously
updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in
virtually every industry, field and location. In partnership with Tribune
Company (NYSE: TRB) and Knight-Ridder Inc. (NYSE: KRI), CareerBuilder includes
the Web's top newspaper sites - the most trusted employment sources in
recruiting. For more information About CareerBuilder products and services,
call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder at http://www.careerbuilder.com.
CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
