Things at Work that Employees are Unhappy About

Are you feeling disgruntled in your current job? Read on to discover who shares your sentiment and in what aspects.

Salary
It’s rare to find employees who think they make an amount of money concurrent with their skill sets, so it’s no wonder pay (or lack thereof) made workers’ list of grievances. Plus, 31 percent of employees did not receive raises in 2007, and if they did, only 35 percent of them were happy with the figure.

Twenty-eight percent of workers are frustrated with their current salary, according to the forecast data. Generation Y, or workers age 18-24, are most unhappy with their pay, with 34 percent citing dissatisfaction. Conversely, 47 percent of baby boomers (workers age 44-62) are content with their current salaries.

Despite reportedly earning a mean hourly wage of $11.51, 39 percent of retail salespeople surveyed are dissatisfied with their pay. Also among the most unhappy are 35 percent of leisure and hospitality workers, who earn an average of $9.75 per hour.

Training and learning opportunities
The great thing about many companies today is their willingness to train workers on new ventures within a company, as well as provide employees with opportunities to further their education or enhance their skills.

So, it’s not surprising only 22 percent of employees aren’t happy with these options at their companies. Twenty-nine percent of manufacturing workers were dissatisfied in this area of work, while an additional 27 percent of leisure and hospitality workers and 24 percent of sales employees were also unhappy.

Career advancement prospects
Feeling stuck at your job, with no way to move forward? You’re not alone. Forty-one percent of workers may say they are content with the advancement opportunities at their company, but 23 percent feel the opposite.

Twenty-nine percent of those who are unhappy are workers age 25-34. Just 18 percent of workers age 55 or older said they were disgruntled with advancement options, presumably because many of these workers are on the verge of retiring and don’t place as much importance on advancing at this stage in their careers.

While there was no industry overwhelmingly unsatisfied with the lack of opportunity to move forward, manufacturing employees led the pack with 29 percent of unsatisfied workers. Sales representatives reported the most satisfaction in this area, with 50 percent saying they were more than happy with the opportunities provided.

Work and life balance
Balancing work with everything else in life is a constant battle for most employees, but thankfully, numerous companies have realized this. Employers now provide workers with options to work hard yet maintain the balance they need outside of the office.

Despite this, there are groups who aren’t as happy as others. Thirty-one percent of Generation Y workers say they aren’t satisfied with their work/life balance. Twenty-seven percent of transportation and utilities employees are displeased with their work/life equilibrium. In the same area, 29 percent of retail salespeople and 25 percent of both financial services and leisure and hospitality employees are also unhappy.

Four tips to enjoy your job:
1. Think positive
While you might think your job is the worst on the planet, everything has a silver lining. For starters, be grateful you have a job at all. Putting things in perspective – realizing everyone has a bad day at work and everyone has to start somewhere – you might begin to feel better about your situation.

2. Challenge yourself
If your boss won’t challenge you, challenge yourself. Set goals for yourself every day – aim to make 10 phone calls per hour or send 15 e-mails to clients. Develop mini-projects within your work and set deadlines for yourself to avoid boredom.

3. Reward yourself
Recognition is important for every employee. For every goal or challenge met, reward yourself. Make yourself a certificate to put in your cube or treat yourself to a ‘personal day’ off work. Don’t let your own hard work go unnoticed by anyone, even yourself.

4. Break up the monotony
No one likes doing the same thing day in and day out. To switch things up, take advantage of any breaks you have – get out of the office for lunch, take a walk, read a book or just get some fresh air. Also, don’t be afraid to ask your boss for new tasks for a small change of pace.