EMPLOYEE MORALE Name College

Employee Morale Low employee morale severely affects any organization where they work Distraction Poor performance High absenteeism Decreased productivity Increased accidents Dramatic errors Low employee morale severely affects any organization where they work. Morale in the workplace is among the end results of the different elements that make up the entire working environment. Examples of these elements include salary, worker satisfaction, responsibilities, supervisory contributions, overall working conditions, status, and a great deal more. It is therefore important that signs of poor employee morale be evaluated for very carefully among all employees. Such symptoms can include frequent absences, increases in the number of errors, decreased productivity, decreased quality of work, frequent tardiness, apathy, sulking and moping, backstabbing, and increases in accidents or injuries. Once the cause of the poor employee morale has been identified, it is time to take steps to improve it as soon as possible. If the cause cannot be identified alone, it may be necessary to hire a consultant who can root out the problem. However, it is important to remember that there is a very easy way to find out the source of some of the poor employee morale issues, which is simply to ask some of the employees. Address the issue seriously, but without tension, allowing the employee to feel comfortable to express him or herself. By finding this information directly from the person experiencing the poor employee morale, it will ensure that the precise problem is being addressed. Furthermore, it will help to show employees that the management truly does care about the issues that are bothering them, and their input for resolving the situation.

Frequent issues Work problems often contribute to poor worker morale A rotten staff member may be promoted The employees may fear losing their jobs Staff may need to work harder at their responsibilities for less pay Under appreciation for what staff are actually doing Remember that poor employee moral is not the cause of the problems listed here, but it is instead a reaction to another part of the workplace that is not functioning at its best. Therefore, if the problem is to be solved, the reason for the poor employee morale must be identified. So what can cause this depression among workers? In many cases, the issue may be the promotion of an unpopular fellow employee, or continued support of unpopular programs within the firm. Possible additional causes include a negative event within the workplace, such as a firing, downsizing, or other dramatic and unwanted change, a promotion when there were other candidates for the position who were overlooked, and even arguments or other forms of tension among staff members or between staff and management. The problems may actually come from the management of the company where the employees work. For example, the business may be on shaky financial ground, leading employees to fear for their future. This can also include overwork or a consistently heavy workload; this is a common issue especially with the current economic climate. What’s worse, many employees feel unappreciated or underappreciated for the work they have done to help a struggling company.

Individual employee impression of morale Poor management and supervision often lead to bad morale among staff Employees may feel underappreciated There may be a confusing line of command for problems or complaints among staff Low morale is a contagious entity and may infect the whole corporation Poor employee moral is something that should be managed as soon as it starts to show - that is, if it has not been prevented in the first place. The reason for this is that it is extremely contagious. Rarely is poor employee moral limited to a single individual. For instance, terrible working Conditions of the workplace may make employees feel discouraged at work. There is also the problem of demanding, rigid, and even out of touch supervision that is too involved in the work being done by the staff they hired. Poor management is one of the leading concerns with low employee morale. That is, staff may feel hat they have nowhere to turn if they are dissatisfied at their place of business. What’s more, many employees feel they have no clear chain of command if something is amiss or if they have a complaint. In addition, unsupportive, weak supervision that does not offer enough input or guidance. It is easy t see how an employee may be easily frustrated by a poor or lackadaisical working environment. Unfortunately, that feeling is often catching and may spread like a virus throughout the business causing the final result to be complete lack of interest among the staff.

Improving employee morale Recognize special events in employee lives Encourage new ideas and communication Provide rewards for outstanding work Make the workplace comfortable and pleasant Smile often Build trust Develop employee appreciation Build fun in to the workday Just as management may be at the root of poor employee morale, so too can management be they way to bring it back up. There are tons of great ideas of how to improve a toxic workplace in a hurry, and many of them are listed on this slide. For example, everyone loves recognition for special events in their lives, and employees (including nearly disenfranchised ones) are no different. Recognize great achievement and special events, such as birthdays and anniversaries. Another great idea is to develop a clear-cut root for employees to bring ideas and concerns to upper management. Furthermore, it is crucial that leadership recognize excellent work by dedicated staff. In addition, no one likes to work environment that is uncomfortable, so it can go a long way in boosting employee were now to make the business floor comfortable and attractive for the staff. Moreover, employees do not want to view their superiors as grizzly and dour slave drivers. It really costs nothing to just smile more! Employees in any business are likely adults, and wish to be treated as such. That means that management should build a culture of trust with all of the employees. This will help the employees trust each other and trust the upper-level management.

Employee empowerment Management is often at the heart of low morale for employees But, leadership can also be the answer Give employees an active role in their jobs Encourage participation Increase worker responsibilities Many of the common complaints that employees have about their management is that the leaders do not recognize or appreciate the workers very much. If any business has hopes of improving employee morale, they must find ways to involve the staff in everyday decisions, and hopefully empower the employees to make significant changes. It is more than just making the workday more fun for employees; the workers really want to have an active hand in developing their responsibilities for everyday. The quickest way to empower employees is to give them added responsibilities and really, truly make them feel like they are integral parts of a successful team. It should go without saying that the staff needs to feel appreciated at every point in the workflow. There is no doubt that this strategy will work wonders for the disgruntled employee. Taken together with the suggestions on the last slide, this program should breathe new life into a stagnant work situation. Even the grumpiest employee should be able to find impressive new changes that will help revitalize just about any business scenario that has lost a great deal of employee morale. The solution for any business is just to put some of these ideas into real life practice.

References Anonymous Employee (2011) Beating Poor Employee Morale in Today's Workplace. http://www.anonymousemployee.com/csssite/sidelinks/poor_employee_morale.php Last accessed November 20, 2011. Hames, J. (2011) 10 Tips for Boosting Employee Morale. http://www.inc.com/guides/2011/01/10-tips-for-boosting-employee-morale.html Last accessed November 20, 2011.