Scottish employees who have suffered pay cuts and freezes are more likely to be angry about them than workers elsewhere in the UK.

According to research released today by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 8% of 729 employees polled in the UK said they were angry about having to suffer pay cuts and freezes and other cuts to their reward packages.

Yet the figure for respondents in Scotland was almost three times higher at 21%.

Seventeen per cent of employees polled in the North East of England said they were angry, while the least angry respondents were in London, at 4% of those polled, and Wales with 5%.

The poll found that 34% of those surveyed said reward package cuts had de-motivated them, but 49% said they understand that their employers have to make pay cuts and freezes because times are tough.

PwC head of reward Jon Terry said: “Pay and promotion freezes, changes to pension schemes, cuts in recruitment and slashed training budgets, combined with poor communication, have eroded the bonds of trust between some employers and their employees.”

The PwC poll also revealed regional differences in reports of demotivation among employees who had survived cuts and freezes:

• Wales 24% (of those polled)
  
• London 38%
  
• South East England 32%
  
• West Midlands 32%
  
• North West England 35%
  
• Yorkshire and Humberside 43%
  
• Scotland 33%

The research also indicated that female employees were more likely to be angry about and demotivated by cuts and freezes than males and that workers aged over 55 were least likely to be angry or de-motivated.

Terry added that communication between employers and employees can make all the difference when cuts and freezes are applied. He also said employers that show their top performers that they are valued will be winners in the longer term.

“As the long-term impact of people decisions taken during the downturn begins to be felt, the winners and losers of the war for talent are starting to reveal themselves, with those who continued to focus on investment and employee engagement emerging as clear leaders.”

The online poll was carried out for PwC by pollster Opinion Research.

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