According to Ceridian, six out of 10 employees (59%) feel the level of trust they have in their manager has stayed the same, but for a quarter (24%) it has deteriorated. A further one fifth of respondents have reported that they are less engaged.
The report, Sustaining Resilience, which surveyed more than 1000 employees, also revealed six out of 10 employees are demotivated, tired and at risk of burnout.
When asked how the recession had impacted them personally, by far the largest number of respondents (37%) said their pay or bonus had been frozen and 12% said their role had changed due to reorganisation. Work- life balance has also been affected with four out of 10 (44%) employees believing they will be working longer hours over the next 12 months; a similar proportion (40%) also believe that their work-life balance will be harder to maintain.
The findings represent a cry for help from employees and should raise alarm bells for employers. Employee performance and personal health are likely to suffer as a result of overwork and could significantly set businesses back if measures aren't taken to address these issues.
Steve Joyce, head of marketing at Ceridian, said: "As a key factor in employee motivation and engagement, trust between employees and their managers is crucial. If employees’ trust in their managers continues to deteriorate, businesses could become weaker because of the knock on effect to productivity and engagement. Businesses rely on staff being motivated and engaged in normal economic circumstances and at the back end of a recession trust is now more important than ever. It could be the deciding factor in businesses turning themselves around or going under."
