THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 21, 1995 TAG: 9511210402
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LON WAGNER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Employees have accepted the ``new deal'' in the work place by taking on more responsibility and not expecting job security in return, but companies are not holding up their end of the bargain, a recently released survey reports.
The survey of more than 3,300 workers found a ``stress hardy'' work force, despite years of downsizings and corporate restructurings, the poll by international management consulting firm Towers Perrin found.
The first-ever ``workplace index'' is intended to be the ``people'' equivalent of the consumer confidence index and is supposed to let employers in on the attitudes of their workers.
``While employees seem generally accepting of hard work and longer hours, they expect some employer give as well,'' said Steve Bookbinder, head of Towers Perrin's research practice. ``Over time, if employees feel that pay is not aligned with the level of performance demanded, they will see this as a deal-breaker.''
The survey found that:
Only 55 percent thought their company filled positions with the most qualified candidate.
Only 52 percent saw a connection between pay and performance.
Of the people who worked for a company that re-engineered or downsized, only 39 percent said business had improved; 20 percent said business had worsened; 41 percent said business stayed the same.
Fewer than half of those surveyed thought they would retire from their present employer, with the percentage declining with the worker's age. While 66 percent of 45- to 54-year-olds thought they would retire from their current company, only 30 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds thought they would.
Attesting to the resilience of employees, three-quarters of those surveyed said they could handle increased pressure from bigger workloads than before. Still, Bookbinder warns that companies might have to deal in the future with the 25 percent of the work force that is at risk of burnout.
KEYWORDS: EMPLOYEE SURVEY by CNB