The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise recently published a study seeking to examine employers’ perspectives on workers who are experiencing difficulties at work. The research highlights how workers who are dissatisfied with their job and unable to get on at work are particularly vulnerable during times of economic recession, especially in relation to the risk of long-term unemployment.
Background and methodology
The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise (Svenskt Näringsliv) recently published a study (in Swedish, 262Kb PDF) to evaluate employers’ perspectives on the reasons behind some workers’ dissatisfaction and inability to get on at work. The research is a follow-up to an earlier study (in Swedish, 930Kb PDF) (Bedräglig trygghet or ‘False safety’), published in 2007, which was carried out among workers. The earlier analysis showed that one quarter of employed persons in Sweden are unhappy and feel discomfort in their current job and that there is a correlation between well-being at work and the amount of stress as well as level of absence due to sickness.
In the new study (Uppgivenhetens bryderi or ‘Dilemma of hopelessness’), the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise wanted to explore employers’ perspectives on well-being at work, a viewpoint that is seldom focused on when addressing these issues. The research is based on 702 telephone interviews, which were conducted during the period 17–31 October 2008.
Main study findings
Well-being and satisfaction at work
One of the main findings of this latest study is that the majority of employers (90%) attach great importance to their employees’ well-being at work. Employers consider it essential that workers develop their competences at work on a continuous basis. In general, the employers believe that their workers are either very happy (53%) or quite happy (47%) about their jobs. They also generally believe that their workers are well suited (61%) or quite well suited (38%) to their assignments.
Workers experiencing difficulties
However, the employers perceive difficulties with certain workers – more specifically, those who have resigned, workers who are unmotivated or those who do not get on at work. The employers are concerned about workers who experience discomfort or are unable to develop themselves or improve their skills or performance, despite large efforts and investments in supporting activities, such as education, vocational training, close follow-ups and meetings with management, and occupational care. The study concludes that there is a correlation between the way that workers manage their tasks and job and their well-being at work.
The main results indicating difficulties among workers not getting on well at work are as follows:
- six out of 10 employers report that they have employees who are unhappy with their job situation – this finding is more common among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) than in larger companies;
- six out of 10 employers have employees who do not have the correct skills to perform their tasks. This finding correlates with the size of the company: in large companies, as many as nine out of 10 employers experience this problem. The report puts forward two main reasons why employers find that workers are unable to manage their work: over 50% of the employers primarily attribute it to the employee’s lack of interest in improving their skills; secondly, the employers cite physical or psychological problems of the workers or long-term absence due to illness;
- three out of 10 employers report having employees who have given up the possibility of improving their performance at work and resigned. This is more common in larger companies. The major reason behind this move is that the employee is unhappy either about their assignments, employer or profession in general.
Significance of order of selection in redundancies
According to another study conducted by the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (Tjänstemännens Centralorganisation, TCO), to which this latest research refers, the primary reason for employees not quitting their jobs despite being dissatisfied with their work is the risk of losing their current position in the order of selection in the event of a redundancy. The order of selection in redundancies is regulated by the Employment Protection Act (Lag (1982:80) om anställningsskydd, LAS), and the selection category is normally decided on the basis of seniority – in other words, the length of service with the employer concerned – according to the principle of ‘last in, first out’.
However, according to the 702 employers interviewed for the latest study, the order of selection for redundancies is avoided as much as 90% of the time due to negotiations between the social partners. Therefore, the employees who have resigned are at high risk of losing their jobs, despite long seniority of employment at the workplace, in times of recession. The study foresees a significant rise in the number of unemployed persons who are lacking skills and who will have far fewer opportunities to re-enter the labour market.
Dissatisfied workers more vulnerable during recession
The study also highlights a further risk, whereby people who experience longer periods of unhappiness at work get stuck in a destructive pattern and finally resign, resulting in higher costs for both the employer and employee. The report underlines how this group may become particularly vulnerable in times of economic recession, when many workers are dismissed. If these workers become unemployed, they are at greater risk of long-term exclusion from the labour market due to many years of lagging behind in skills development and low levels of self-confidence.
Karolin Lovén, Oxford Research