A new survey sponsored by The Workforce Institute™ at Kronos® Incorporated and conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that people’s work habits have changed as a result of the turbulent economy

CHELMSFORD, Mass. (April 22, 2009) –

A new survey sponsored by The Workforce Institute(TM) at Kronos® Incorporated and conducted by Harris Interactive reveals that people’s work habits have changed as a result of the turbulent economy. Across America, employees want to demonstrate their value to employers and increase the size of their paycheck by putting in extra time at their jobs. According to the survey “Workplace Tug-of-War: Workers Want More Work; Employers Want to Control Costs”, employees want to work more even with an increased workload.
News Facts

* Got work? Employees are feeling the pressure of the current economy and 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.
* Staying home not an option. Employees are feeling the pressure to go to work. 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. This kind of mentality can lead to “presenteeism” (when employees are at work but not functioning at full capacity leading to negative repercussions on business performance).
* Moonlighting goes mainstream. Forty-nine percent of respondents have considered taking on a second job in recent months because of financial reasons, while 27 percent said that they are actively applying for or have already secured a second job.
* Conflicting demands. 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.
* Doing more with less. Across the country, workers and organizations alike are 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 percent of respondents say their workload has increased, putting added pressure on employees who are already feeling the financial crunch.

Supporting Quotes

* Joyce Maroney, director of The Workforce Institute, Kronos
“Our Workplace Tug-of-War survey indicates that many folks are taking second jobs to deal with these tough economic times. Managers of multi- job employees often have to deal with more complicated scheduling constraints. Proactively communicating with employees about their scheduling needs and availability can save time on the back-end, as can the use of an automated scheduling solution.”
“The results of this survey clearly indicate that workers are willing to work more to show their dedication and value to their employer. In this shaky financial environment, remaining employed is the number one goal for all workers.”
* Steve Hunt, board member of The Workforce Institute
“During normal economic times, many organizations do not scrutinize overtime costs. As work has slowed down and customer orders have dropped off, there is less of a need for overtime. Companies seeking to control labor costs will benefit from investing in workforce planning and scheduling, rather than paying overtime because of a failure to properly forecast labor demand.”
“Managers who expect their employees to work harder without giving recognition or reward are likely to burn employees out, leading to decreased morale, poor work quality, and turnover.”

Supporting Resources

* About Harris Interactive

Survey Methodology

This “Workplace Tug-of-War: Workers Want More Work; Employers Want to Control Costs” survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of The Workforce Institute at Kronos Incorporated between January 30 and February 3, 2009 among 2,241 U.S. adults aged 18 and over among whom 1,265 were employed full-time or part-time. Results were weighted as needed for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region and household income. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
About The Workforce Institute

The Workforce Institute was founded by Kronos Incorporated in 2006 as a think tank to provide research and education on critical workplace issues facing organizations around the globe. By bringing together thought leaders, The Workforce Institute is uniquely positioned to empower organizations with the knowledge and information they need to manage their workforce effectively and provide a voice for employees on important workplace issues. A hallmark of The Workforce Institute’s research is balancing the needs and desires of diverse employee populations with the needs of organizations. For additional information, visit www.workforceinstitute.org.
About Kronos Incorporated

Kronos is the global leader in workforce management solutions that enable organizations to control labor costs, minimize compliance risk, and improve workforce productivity. Tens of thousands of organizations in 60 countries — including more than half of the Fortune 1000® — use Kronos time and attendance, scheduling, absence management, HR and payroll, hiring, and labor analytics applications. To learn how Kronos uniquely delivers complete automation and high-quality information in an easy-to-use solution, visit www.kronos.com.

© 2009 Kronos Incorporated. Kronos is a registered trademark and The Workforce Institute is a trademark of Kronos Incorporated or a related company. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Source: Kronos