Trust me, I’m an employee

Are you suffering from workplace mistrust? Do you think your boss is out to get you, cut your hours, reduce overtime pay or give you more work than is reasonable for a small country? Or if you’re running the show, do you think your employees are a difficult lot, about to catch you out on a piece of legislation, brandishing their rights and about put your business on its knees begging for mercy?

A new report from think tank Demos says Britain is suffering from “a dysfunctional workplace culture” that’s stalling productivity and stopping our economy moving forwards. The report’s authors say it’s time to rethink the way we work in Britain and rebuild trust between employers and their employees.

The report says workplace trust is a big problem and needs to be addressed if Britain’s economy is going to grow. They point the finger at recent calls to reduce red tape and legislation that make it difficult for employers to hire and fire and say it’s breeding a culture of caution. Another source of tension is the disparity between boardroom pay and that of the rest of the workforce. Performance related pay isn’t helping either, being blamed for fostering competition rather than collaboration. Add to this insecurity stemming from the current economic climate and you can see why the daggers may be out.

The report’s authors say what’s needed is action to promote a productive workplace, restore trust and grow healthy, sustainable and profitable businesses. Employees need to be engaged and any extra effort they make for their employer should be appreciated. All effort should be rewarded fairly and information shared often and openly. Putting in place the measures needed to make sure employees are happy at work, argue the report’s authors, will pay back in increased productivity and help organisations move forward.

Are you fearful of your employees or your boss?
Do you think there’s a culture of mistrust and do you think it has an impact on profitability?
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