An alarming 76 per cent of workers would contemplate leaving their company because their relationship with work is unhealthy, while only 22 per cent of workers with a healthy work relationship will consider quitting their job. This was revealed in HP’s Work Relationship Index. This global study covered 15,624 respondents in total, of which 12,012 were knowledge workers, 3,612 were IT decision makers and 1,204 were business leaders.
The survey reveals that only a mere 27 per cent of knowledge workers admit to enjoying a healthy relationship with work.
Why is this a concern? Well, strained relationships with work spell harm for business, as well as the employees. Not only does productivity fall at the workplace, employee morale, retention and engagement also suffer.
When their relationship with work is not how they want it to be, 34 per cent knowledge workers with unhealthy work relationship admit to being less productive at work, while only 23 per cent of those with healthy work relationship feel the same way.
Similarly, 39 per cent of workers with unhealthy work relationship are disengaged with their work, while only 22 per cent with a healthy work relationship are disengaged.
While 38 per cent workers with unhealthy work relationship feel disconnected from their organisation, only 22 per cent with a healthy work relationship feel the same way.
Unhealthy relationships with work also affect the mental, emotional and physical well-being of employees. A significant 62 per cent admit to experiencing the ill effects on physical health, with them consuming junk food, avoiding workouts/exercise, sleeplessness and weight gain.
Mental well-being is adversely impacted due to unhealthy work relationships, with 55 per cent admitting to experiencing lower self-esteem, feeling like a failure and gripped by a sense of isolation.
Daily life takes a toll too, as 48 per cent of the respondents said they felt so emotionally or physically drained due to their unhealthy relationship with work that they couldn’t complete their personal work.
About 59 per cent said they experienced so much lack of motivation that their passions took a backseat; that they lost interest in their personal hobbies and life beyond work. About 45 per cent thought it had a negative effect on their relationships with their parents, friends and even romantic partners.
Fifty-eight per cent of knowledge workers said their expectations of their relationship with work have increased in the last two or three years. In fact, a good 71 per cent of knowledge workers in growing economies said their expectations of how they are treated by their work and workplace have increased over the past couple of years. In mature economies, 50 per cent of knowledge workers said their expectations have increased over the past few years.