‘Psychological recession’ hits workers, expert says

NATION

‘Psychological recession’
hits workers, expert says

NEW YORK — As the market shimmies and shakes with fears of impending recession, corporations start looking to cut costs — including employees. In the past few months, for instance, Bank of America, Countrywide and Boston Scientific have announced plans to fire thousands of American workers.

American workers, hardened by more than 20 years of mass layoffs, are more likely today to be victims of a “psychological recession,” according to Judith Bardwick, an expert on workplace psychology.

Many workers today feel they are living in a chaotic world of job insecurity, she says in her book, “One Foot Out the Door.” Relying on questionnaire data, primarily from 1998 to 2005, she claims those workers are no longer committed to their companies or their work responsibilities.

To shore up employee motivation and investment in the corporation, management should work to build trust with its work force and be open to ideas issuing from the rank and file, she said.

Some say candidates fail
to target workplace issues

NEW YORK — Will your retirement plan be on your mind when you cast your vote for president in 2008?

According to a new survey, 38 percent of U.S. workers feel that presidential candidates aren’t adequately addressing workplace issues.

That doesn’t mean politics hasn’t found its way into the office, though. The survey also reported that almost 25 percent of workers said their top managers openly express their political preferences at the office.

“It’s not considered very correct for managers to be going around talking about who they’re going to vote for,” said Frank Kenna, president of The Marlin Company, a workplace communication firm that conducted the survey.

Associated Press