Staples Advantage Workplace Index Shows
Workplace Flexibility is a Linchpin to Happiness in “Always-On”
Work Environment
More than half of employees report feeling overworked and burnt
out (53 percent), but the overwhelming majority (86 percent) are
still happy at work and motivated to rise in their organization.
These results are from the inaugural Workplace Index conducted by
Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples,
Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS).
The Staples Advantage Workplace Index is a comprehensive look at
trends in the rapidly evolving workplace in the United States and
Canada. It was created in conjunction with Dan Schawbel, founder of
WorkplaceTrends.com, a research and advisory membership service for
forward-thinking HR professionals, and the managing partner of
Millennial Branding, a Gen Y research and consulting firm.
“With the rise of the mobile workforce and the resulting ‘always
on’ work culture, it’s not a surprise that employees are feeling
overworked and burnt out,” said Schawbel. “While many are still
happy at work, we have to ask whether it’s because they’re truly
inspired and motivated, or simply conditioned to the new reality?
Either way, employers need to retain talent and optimize
productivity, engagement and loyalty with employees.”
Longer days and constant connection leading to burn
out
Employees are working longer days, and about a quarter of them
regularly work after the standard workday is done. Furthermore,
about four out of 10 work on weekends at least once a month. Breaks
are becoming rare as well – about half of employees feel like they
cannot get up for a break at all, and just under half eat lunch at
their desk.
According to the Staples Advantage Workplace Index, the driving
force behind the “always on” work culture is the need for employees
to complete work they don’t have time to do during the day,
followed by a desire to get ahead for the following day. A drive to
advance in the organization plays a role as well, with nearly
two-thirds of respondents seeing themselves as managers in the next
five years.
Additional research reveals almost four out of 10 employees
acknowledge that burnout is a motivator for a new job search.
Burnout is also eroding productivity, according to 66 percent of
U.S. employees. The biggest culprits in burnout include workload
(53 percent), personal pressures employees put on themselves to
perform (41 percent) and time pressures (40 percent).
About half of employees surveyed acknowledge they receive too
much email, with about one-third of those saying that email
overload hurts productivity. Inefficient meetings also appear to be
a major productivity drain, with some employees spending more than
two hours a day in meetings. More than a quarter of employees say
meetings are inefficient. The majority of employees also say a
distraction-free environment would increase their productivity by
at least 20 percent, citing loud coworkers as the top
distraction.
Also, about half said decreasing workload or providing more time
to complete tasks would minimize burnout. That may seem daunting to
employers, but employees said some simple steps would help:
- Provide a more flexible schedule
- Encourage employees to take breaks
- Improve technology
Employees are happy despite long hours, but still pose a
flight risk. Flexibility is key.
Though employees are happy, about one in five employees still
expects to change jobs in the next twelve months. This flight risk
is slightly higher for millennials. With employees working longer
days and on weekends, the biggest request for employers is to
provide more flexibility. Other steps employers can take to improve
happiness include:
- Add more office perks
- Improve office technology
- Provide better office design
Of particular note is that all of these softer benefits are more
important to millennial happiness than any other age group.
Flexibility is also critical for the recruitment and retention
of top talent. In fact, work-life balance was one of the most
important aspects to employees when looking for a new job (46
percent), second only to salary. Additionally, one in five
employees cited work-life balance issues as a reason for
considering a job change, while close to a third identified it as a
leading contributor of loyalty.
Differences between U.S. and Canada
In most cases, findings for the U.S. and Canada were similar;
however there were a few notable differences. A higher percentage
of Canadians cited work-life balance and workplace flexibility as
the most important workplace motivators. Following a similar
pattern, more Canadian employees identified work-life balance as
one of the most important considerations when looking for a new job
and a higher number of Canadians reported they would actually leave
their job if their telecommuting benefits were taken away.
“We’re committed to understanding how the workplace is evolving
so we can support our customers as they navigate the challenges and
opportunities presented by generational shifts, new technology and
the increasingly mobile and diverse workforce,” said Neil Ringel,
Executive Vice President, Staples Advantage, North America. “The
Staples Advantage Workplace Index gives us unique insight to help
our customers meet their recruitment, retention, productivity and
engagement goals. This research uncovered a number of new benefits
– such as flexible schedules, telecommuting, office perks and being
an eco-friendly business – that have emerged as critical factors
for balancing intensifying work demands with employees’ personal
lives.”
Staples Advantage Workplace Index Methodology
The survey was conducted among 2,602 employees 18 or older
across a variety of companies, both in size, geography and
industry. A total of 1,528 employees were interviewed in the U.S.
(1,026 were classified as general workers and 502 as business
decision makers). A total of 1,074 employees were interviewed in
Canada (744 general office workers and 330 decision makers). The
interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in May 2015.
This survey has a margin of error of +/- 1.9 percent at 95 percent
confidence limits.
Resources:
- Follow Staples Advantage on Twitter
@StaplesB2B to learn more about the Staples Advantage Workplace
Index.
- Check out the following slideshare to
learn what factors influence workplace happiness.
http://www.slideshare.net/StaplesAdvantage/workplace-index-slideshare-619-49880169
About Staples Advantage
Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples,
Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS), serves organizations of 20 or more employees
up to the Fortune 1000, helping them make more happen with more
products, greater cost savings and improved ordering efficiencies.
Staples Advantage provides its customers, including global
businesses, local, state and federal government, healthcare
organizations and educational institutions, with a one source
solution featuring comprehensive products and services like office
supplies, technology, printing, promotional products, furniture and
facility supplies, along with a customized level of account support
and best-in-class customer service. More information is available
at www.staplesadvantage.com.
View source
version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150629005184/en/
Staples, Inc.Shweta Agarwal,
508-253-8249Shweta.Agarwal@Staples.com
Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Aug 2024 to Sep 2024
Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPLS)
Historical Stock Chart
From Sep 2023 to Sep 2024