Bored Employees Are More Disgruntled Than Overworked Ones, Research Finds

Businesses may realise far more negative consequences from bored employees than from those who report having ìtoo much work,î according to research just completed by Sirota Survey Intelligence, specialists in attitude research.

Employees who are bored (reporting ìtoo little workî) are often doing work for which they are ill-suited, or have jobs that are poorly designed. As a result, they have by far lower job satisfaction, sense of accomplishment, and pride in their employers compared to all other workers, according to the Sirota survey of over 1 million employees.

ìFeeling overworked ñ a condition that could lead to job burnout ñ is far more prevalent than feeling bored ñ yet both have harmful effects on employees and their companies. Interestingly, being bored has far more serious consequences for an organisation than being overworked,î said Nick Starritt, Managing Director of Sirota Survey Intelligence, Europe (www.sirota.com).

Employeesí perceptions of being overworked increase during their second through fifth years with an employer. 27% of employees with two to five years experience with an employer report being overworked. In general, more employees report feeling overworked (22%) than those who say they are bored (14%).

ìEmployees who complain about being overworked also feel they are not receiving adequate support from co-workers. In addition, they contend that the quality of their work suffers, they experience greater stress and tension, and feel they have sacrificed their personal lives for their jobs,î said Starritt.

- Adequate support from co-workers: 59% of employees who have ìabout the right amount of workî feel they receive sufficient support from colleagues, compared to just 35% of those with ìtoo much workî

- Quality suffers: 59% of employees who have ìabout the right amount of workî feel quality is unaffected by their workload, compared to just 25% of those with ìtoo much workî

- Job stress: 32% of employees with ìabout the right amount of workî are favourable about their level of job stress and tension, compared with just 14% of those with ìtoo much workî

- Job pressures interfere with personal life: 49% of employees with ìabout the right amount of workî are positive about their work-life balance, compared to just 28% of those with ìtoo much workî

ìAgain, while overwork raises significant issues for employees and employers, the attitudes of bored employees pose even greater challenges. Bored employees are less satisfied with their jobs, finding them less challenging and poorer matches to suit their skills,î said Starritt. ìBored employees are also less proud of their employers, less innovative, and feel less valued compared to all other workers.î

- Job satisfaction: 81% of employees with ìabout the right amount of workî are satisfied with their jobs, compared to just 50% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Find job challenging: 71% of employees with ìabout the right amount of workî feel that their jobs are challenging, compared to just 22% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Good use of their skills and abilities: 74% of workers with ìabout the right amount of workî feel their jobs make good use of their skills and abilities, compared to just 36% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Pride in their employers: 76% of workers with ìabout the right amount of workî are proud of where they work, compared to just 51% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Feeling of personal accomplishment: 73% of workers with ìabout the right amount of workî get a feeling of accomplishment from their jobs, compared to just 38% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Encouraged to be innovative: 65% of workers with ìabout the right amount of workî feel they are encouraged to be innovative, compared to just 43% of those with ìtoo little workî

- Feel important to the company: 61% of workers with ìabout the right amount of workî feel they are an important part of their companies, compared to just 34% of those with ìtoo little workî

Note: Those reporting ìtoo muchî work are almost as favourable as those who report ìabout the right amountî on the above dimensions.

ìThe complaints of both overworked and bored employees should be taken seriously,î Starritt cautioned. ìComplaints about being overworked can be an indication of poor quality or work processes, and it can be difficult in certain circumstances to retain employees who feel they are overworked and out of balance with their work life. But bored employees have an even greater negative impact on an organisation, lowering morale and productivity, and draining resources.î