Benefits April 22, 2009

Down Economy Leads Workers to Put Noses to the Grindstone

April 22, 2009 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A new survey sponsored by The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated and conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that employees want to demonstrate their value to employers and increase the size of their paycheck by putting in extra time and effort at their jobs.
Reported by

A Kronos press release said employees want to work more to protect their job security and earn extra money. Forty-five percent of workers surveyed say they are more willing to take any available and additional shifts because of financial motivations.

In addition, employees are feeling the pressure to not stay at home for any reason. Thirty percent of respondents stated that they are more likely to go to work in this economy regardless of their physical or emotional state, or scheduling conflicts, according to the press release.

Forty-nine percent of respondents have considered taking on a second job in recent months because of financial reasons, while 27% said that they are actively applying for or have already secured a second job.

Barriers to Working More

Employees may want to work more, but companies are cracking down on overtime to save on labor costs. Twenty-nine percent of hourly workers eligible for overtime pay say that because of the economy their managers are reducing the amount of overtime they can work.

Workers and organizations are also being pushed to do more with fewer resources. Thirty-three percent of respondents say their companies have downsized during the past year because of the economy, and 28% of respondents say their workload has increased, putting added pressure on employees who are already feeling the financial crunch.

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