"Low morale levels are an unfortunate side effect of this recession," said Jason Ferrara, vice president of corporate marketing for CareerBuilder. "As a result, employers are taking measures to help address negative workplace sentiment and motivate their employees. Whether it's through stepping up communication, offering more employee recognition programs or providing flexible work opportunities, organizations are doing what they can to proactively manage low morale."
Workers revealed a variety of factors that could be contributing to low morale levels. Two-in-five said that their stress level at work is high and nearly half (47 percent) said that their workload has increased in the last six months. One-in-five are dissatisfied with their work/life balance.
Nearly two-in-five workers (38 percent) said they felt there was departmental favoritism at work, which could also play a part in low morale levels. More than a quarter of (28 percent) workers don't think their department is important to senior leadership.
Sales (15 percent), human resources (11 percent) and accounting/finance (6 percent) topped the list of departments workers believe are primarily given preferential treatment at work.
When asked what type of preferential treatment workers thought the favored department received, they said that they:
- Tend to have higher salaries - 51 percent
- Receive more recognition by senior leaders - 47 percent
- Have more flexibility in their work arrangements - 43 percent
- Receive more funding/resources - 27 percent
- Tend to have greater career advancement opportunities - 26 percent
- Tend to have more training and leadership development opportunities - 19 percent
- Are able to follow a more casual dress code - 15 percent
- Are awarded with trips while other departments are not - 15 percent
