The global COVID-19 pandemic caused employers to reconfigure and retool their workforces in real time – and likely for the long haul. But despite employer investments and efforts to curtail the effects of the pandemic, Alight Solutions’ sixth annual Workforce Mindset® Study finds that only 27% of U.S. employees consider their overall experience in the workplace to be “great,” whereas nearly half of employees say it’s either “bad” or “awful.”
While this is largely unchanged from 2019, it’s not to say that employee experience is unaffected by the pandemic. Employees are increasingly concerned about job security having seen or experienced furloughs, layoffs and reduced pay due to the struggling economy. The findings also suggest that this could represent a longer-term change in the employee mindset, with half of employees saying it will affect the way they think about their job and employer even after the pandemic has subsided.
- Economy weighs heavily. 4 in 10 employees are moderately worried about long-term job stability and nearly half (48%) are more concerned now than before the pandemic about their long-term employment prospects.
- Job hopping has slowed. 61% of employees have no plans to leave their current employer – up from 48% last year and the first time in five years this number has been above 52%. Additionally, only 14% of employees are actively seeking a job elsewhere.
“While employees may be staying put for now, this dynamic may change once the economy and job market improve, especially if those employees aren’t feeling supported by their employer,” said Laine Thomas Conway, vice president and total rewards product leader at Alight. “Now is the time for organizations to reevaluate what is working and not working for their people – everything from technology and systems to benefits and rewards. Employees who feel their organization is working for them will be more engaged and take a more active role in its growth, and employers get to attract and keep the best talent. It’s a win-win.”
For more information on the Workforce Mindset® Study, please click here.