The workers remain nervous

by Mouser The King Cat

The media blather is that the unemployment rate is down, way down, down so far some consider it full employment, all praise President Obama. Why, there’s even been some wage growth, the chattering classes say.

Then why is everybody walking on eggshells at work? Deloitte’s latest Workplace Pulse survey, reported by John Kopp of the Philly Voice, found that 33% of American workers don’t feel comfortable taking time off to handle personal matters, or even taking vacation days.

The internals are even more alarming. The survey of more than 1,000 workers found that 32% put work ahead of family. In a stunner, only 48% felt their employer values their life outside work.

Translation: More than half of workers view themselves as a cog in a machine, easily replaced, perhaps by somebody at a lower salary.

Employers point to perks like flextime options and wellness programs, but they’re missing the point, according to Deloitte’s Mike Preston.

“Our survey shows businesses can do more to create a culture of well-being, which goes beyond offering generous programs and focuses on everyday behaviors,” Mr. Preston said in a statement.

There’s more: Only 16% of respondents consider their company’s CEO “very transparent on a professional level.” Transparency on a personal level? That came in at 10%. Mr. Preston says the survey should “serve as a wake-up call” to top executives.

This orange cat thinks said executives will continue to dispense happy talk before going behind closed doors to sharpen their axes. Workplaces aren’t moving into the future; they’re regressing to the sweatshops of the Gilded Age.