What is the main cause for a bad day at work? A difficult commute? Irate customers or a manager with a ‘Devil Wears Prada’ moment? Not according to the British workforce who say the main cause of a bad day is a negative atmosphere in the office.
A recent online opinion poll of more than 3,000 workers commissioned by Best Companies reveals that the top five causes for a bad day at work are:
- Negative atmosphere (54 per cent)
- Boring work (52 per cent)
- Being taken for granted (49 per cent)
- Nightmare boss (49 per cent)
- Angry customers/client (43 per cent)
Jonathan Austin, Founder and CEO of Best Companies, comments: “If staff are having a bad day at work, they won’t be at their most productive. And for those in customer facing roles this could be potentially disastrous. But there are simple steps managers can take to remedy this.”
“Firstly, ensure that office politics don’t create a bad atmosphere and carefully manage those staff who could be potential ‘bad apples’. It’s important to ensure people are motivated about their work so set objectives carefully and look for ways to give people work they find interesting. Simply saying thank you will go a long way to ensure people don’t feel taken for granted.”
“Appreciation is crucial to create and maintain a good atmosphere in the office and keep staff motivated. The evidence for this is that 86 per cent of respondents from the Top 10 Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For reported that their manager regularly expresses his/her appreciation when they do a good job. Of the disengaged employees who responded, only 45 per cent of them felt this way.”
Do you know how your employees are doing? Do you have any ‘nightmare bosses’ that might be impacting engagement of your staff? Find out by registering your organisation for entry into The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work for!
