Boston, MA (April 15, 2009) — Workloads and associated stress are increasing in the workplace while employee morale, motivation, and endurance are declining, according to a survey of business leaders and work-life experts conducted by WFD Consulting.

Employee stress and workload have increased substantially in the last 12 months, according to the survey conducted in March. Eight out of 10 respondents report that managers' and employees' workloads have increased, along with employee stress. At the same time, half of respondents report that employee motivation, energy, and endurance have all decreased. Access the full results of the survey on the WFD Consulting workload website.

The demand for immediate action and rapid turnarounds contributes to the escalating work pressure; two-thirds of respondents report an increase in expectations concerning speed of execution. The expanding global workplace also contributes to increased pressure, with about half of respondents reporting that the demands of managing globally have increased.

Fewer than half (45%) of respondents report that workloads in their organizations are reasonable and only one-third (32%) say that their organizations have eliminated most low value, unnecessary work — a key factor contributing to workload and overwork. Respondents identify "inadequate staffing to meet work demands" as the biggest factor driving excessive workload. Other factors include "conflicting priorities" and "poor communication and coordination among different functions."

Forty-four percent of respondents report that their companies have taken action to address workload issues or eliminate low value work. The most common actions include: work prioritization to focus on a few critical needs; process improvement and reengineering projects to shorten cycle times and increase efficiency; and outsourcing of non-priority and low value work.

Organizations that recognize the impact of workload pressure are responding with resources to build employee resilience and help manage stress. Companies are encouraging the use of flexible work options and enabling teams to self-manage their workload. Many are more actively promoting their EAPs, health and wellness programs, and fitness centers. Another key action has been leadership communication to employees, especially on the financial state of the organization, and support to make use of available programs.

The survey was administered online using SurveyMonkey to work-life, diversity, and talent leaders, business unit heads, and academic experts. The 103 respondents came from a variety of industry sectors, including financial services, pharmaceuticals, professional services, technology, higher education, and governmental and not-for-profit organizations.

The Council is the legislative and governing body of the town. It establishes ordinances, sets priorities and directions for the development and preservation of open spaces, defines the budget, sets tax rates, and coordinates with county and state authorities among other activities. Sometime during the next two years, Arlene will serve a term as Mayor. We even understand that the Governor now addresses Arlene as the Honorable Arlene Johnson. We are most pleased that Arlene will continue to serve WFD's clients and provide thought leadership for the work-life community.

Arlene's new role is in keeping with what we have discovered in our recent research on the New Career Paradigm — that employees are increasingly seeking ways to give back to the community. If you would like to learn more about the rising desire to make a contribution to the community and our many other findings about what keeps people committed and engaged at work, click here to obtain a copy of the New Career Paradigm research report, developed for the American Business Collaboration.