Almost three-quarters of people are unhappy in their jobs and a quarter have experienced workplace bullying, according to research released today.
The January Employment Index, based on a survey of 2,600 people registered with careers website Monster.co.uk, provides some worrying reading for employers.
The majority (73%) of respondents said that they are unhappy in their current role, but 20% believe it will take them one year or more to find a new job.
Perhaps of more concern is that 25% of respondents have experienced workplace bullying. Incidences of bullying ranged from colleagues taking credit for work they didn’t do, to public humiliation at the hands of a colleague.
The survey also found that 40% of respondents have suffered from severe stress due to work pressure and 13% had taken an enforced pay cut.
According to the results, sales employees are the least satisfied workers, with 34% of respondents in this field saying that they were very unhappy in their job.
Industries with the highest number of happy respondents were engineering, hospitality and tourism, production and manufacturing, transport and IT.
Isabelle Ratinaud, Monster.co.uk spokesperson, said: “It’s really quite concerning to see how unhappy people are in their jobs, and how scared they are to change their situation. When employees feel despondent and trapped in their roles it’s not surprising, but still very upsetting, to see that workplace bullying and overall lack of respect for colleagues is so common.”
On a more positive note, the findings highlight a 17% year-on-year increase in job availability, which supports figures released this week by reed.co.uk, which also point to an increase in job opportunities.
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On this, Ratinaud added: “Though it’s understandable that workers are feeling the strain in the current climate, it’s really important that people take a positive attitude to job hunting. Healthy recruitment is vital to the recovery of our economy and, without good candidates in the market, UK businesses might struggle to grow.”
Read XpertHR’s line manager briefing on bullying and harassment.
