How is the Moral in your Workplace now compared to 5 Years ago?

[Ted in Halifax]

I'm interested to see how you rate you morale at your workplace now compared to 5 years ago?

 

[Tower]

I've got to say that it's about as great as it was 5 years ago, possibly better now that we have only one left to go to school and that starts in September where the house is empty in the AM.
Ok, I'm spoiled, I have a great boss and I get to sleep with her every night.
What can I say, I love being married to the boss!

 

[tone.def]

It was awful due to numerous budget cutbacks (I worked at a Crown Corp), so I quit last year and went freelance. Now I also get paid what I'm worth. Making TV never felt so good!

 

[Gigi22]

I would have to pick "other" in this poll. Morale is likely worse at my former place of work, a small federally-funded cultural institution, but I retired two years ago. One way to take care of any and all morale problems!

 

[dancin Disney style]

I work within a government facility....I'm not technically employed by them, I'm contracted so for me personally it's a little different than the staff that are actually employed by the ministry. However, the morale has been very bad for a few years. We went through several management changes and they were really bad. It put a real hate on for many people. The last year and a half things have started to level off. We have stronger leaders and a better feeling of stablility. A lot of the staff still hate the mnagement but that most likely will never change. There will always be a bit of 'us VS them' in the minds of the staff. I don't feel that way but like I said my position is a little different to start with and to some degree the management really doesn't get down in the trenches with the staff so I undersand how people feel about it.

My DH's company....that's a whole other beast. He hasn't had a raise in 5 years and there is nothing coming down the pipe for him either. The business is very slow and the Tsunami in Japan has hurt them even more....it put the lead production facility under water. The end of next year might have something for him but they don't seem to get that our bills go higher and higher every year and his pay stays the same. They just won't even talk about a small raise and yet if he were to leave they would be totally up the creek....which they are very aware of.

 

[pooksma]

I've got say its a little better but that's because I made a change in my place of work. I am a who recently switched school and my personal moral level has changed.

Of course cutbacks are making it difficult to stay so. We found out yesterday that the entire summer school program has been canned for this summer due to budget cuts. NOT good for some students.

 

[stefanospops]

Much better today than it was 5 years ago! 5 years ago I hated my job working for a bank. Got my real estate license and haven't looked back since! And I love the fact that I pick up and drop my kids off at school almost every day and get to actual spend time with my wife when I am not emotionally drained from a 9-5 job. Plus, no one tells me when and for how long I can spend at Disney! Although, I guess the "market" does dictate me to some extent. That and my DW's quest for more jewelry.

 

[drag n' fly]

It's fantastic compared to five years ago when we worked both for large corporate businesses. My Grandpa used to say "you never get rich workin for the man". Dh and I own our own business now and we answer to no one but us.

 

[Shir Kahn]

Much better today than it was 5 years ago! 5 years ago I hated my job working for a bank. Got my real estate license and haven't looked back since! And I love the fact that I pick up and drop my kids off at school almost every day and get to actual spend time with my wife when I am not emotionally drained from a 9-5 job. Plus, no one tells me when and for how long I can spend at Disney! Although, I guess the "market" does dictate me to some extent. That and my DW's quest for more jewelry.

Heh, that's funny, I got a new job working for a bank and now I'm much happier!

 

[tone.def]

Too bad this thread dropped off. I found the majority of results of morale being worse today too bad.

Wondering if we aren't doing what we love or if our employers value us less?

 

[Ted in Halifax]

My take on this is although I live in an area that has not been hit as hard as places in the US or areas in Ontario etc, there is excess labour right now.

So, you get lots of people across North America looking for work, combined with cost saving exercises at work. Right now, the relative value of labour is low. What I mean by this ... is that (a) the cost of hiring People is lower (b) the easy of getting a "new" person is relatively easy for most jobs (c) we are back in the "you are lucky to have a job" mindset.

This reduced value of people, often brings out bad habits in the Management cadre of lots of operations. Managers, in a position like mine, allow themselves to use or permit to exists cultures that treat people relative to the "value" they have. Staff feel this ... just like when your sister-in-law snubs you, or that Hotel clerk doesn't smile. You feel in relation to how your are treated ... negative treatment yields negative emotions.

So, when the labour market has a shortage ... you adopt the "gold value behaviour set"; however, when you have a depressed value of labour then the "less than favourable" treatment prevails.

What I feel is that the War for Talent is just around the corner, and that Managers that create difficult cultures (or permit negative cultures to exists) will really face tough times when the future labour shortage comes.

I also think that in the current environment, many people are not "loving their Jobs". This stems from dissatisfaction, but also is negatively effected by world events, changes in the economy, the over-reporting of anything bad. This creates and fosters this negative feeling that exists in many (and yes, sometimes me). This spills over to how people treat their spouse, kids, dog etc ...

The reason that I created this thread was to explore how other felt in respect to their workplace. To get a sense, if I was perceiving things the same as others. From what I see many face a similar situation, so I see the course I am on is not that different than others .... I'm going to keep my rudder firm and sail onward!

Ted