The survey, conducted among high-level office employees who regularly use computer, internet, and telecommunications technology to remain in constant touch with their workspaces reveal:
- One in two American workers feel they are constantly compelled to do more than expected with less than required resources
- One in three American workers feel that lay-offs and other cost-cutting measures by their employers have resulted in a situation where each worker requires to handle the workload of two employees
- Half of the employees surveyed report that taking time off from work is becoming ever more difficult
- One third of the surveyed employees report that they need to maintain their connection with the workplace 24/7, including weekends, breaks and holidays
- A quarter of surveyed employees report that their job security directly depends upon their supervisor seeing that they are still connected to the workplace even after office hours
- One in five Americans surveyed report that employers expect them to remain connected even during vacations
- The pressure has built up to a level where a full quarter of the employees surveyed feel that if they don't stayed connected to the workspace outside office hours they will create a negative impression on the employer
It is clear that the economic recession has not only created suffering but also created radically altered mindsets of employers who are using the recession to fulfill feudalistic inclinations. Even in the dark ages of Europe, medieval serfs had their time to themselves after working the fields, or after the day's work were over for the master. However, sadly it seems that many American employers are using the travails of the economic recession to arm-twist employees to be at their beck and call twenty four hours a day, and seven days a week.
As found by the survey, the stress on all counts is significantly greater on employees who have minor children to provide for and find it more difficult to take any assertive decision to leave a bad workplace. The young generation is also significantly more disturbed but many of them have the freedom to go jobless or switch to an unknown workplace, which is not an option for those who have minor children.
Under the situation, it becomes more than ever important to be thoroughly aware of the culture of a company before joining it.
