Almost two thirds of employees go to bed on Sunday night dreading returning to work. On average, they say they feel these “Sunday night blues” three times a month, highlighting a crisis in the UK workforce. No more keenly is this felt than on the first day back at the start of a new year.
This may be no surprise, given that the number of people feeling unhappy in their jobs is on the rise, increasing by 10 per cent year-on-year.
About 24 per cent told researchers for for Investors in People that they were unhappy in their job at the turn of the year with the same number actively seeking a new one, according to a new report from Investors in People.
The main three reasons for want a move are, obviously, more money, not feeling valued and wanting a better work/life balance. But the best way of keeping staff satisfied? A simple thank you.
However, employers must also be aware of their duty of care to their staff and that increasingly means monitoring the stress levels in their work place. Stress is a key issue for employees, and despite a growing awareness and appreciation of mental health and its associated issues, 77 per cent of employees exhibit the signs of stress while 64 per cent reported that their sleep was affected and the same number complained about being always on duty, with work following them home.
Paul Devoy, CEO of Investors in People said: “We ask questions about work all day: to ourselves, to our colleagues and to our clients. Because the expert on work is everyone who works.
Six years into our job exodus research, we’re still hearing that people want to be told “thank you” and one in four are looking for a new job because they don’t feel valued.”
The research was carried out online by Opinion Matters between November 29 and December 2. Since 2014 Investors in People have done this annual survey, hearing from over 12,000 people about why they’re leaving their jobs and why they’re staying.
