Long story short: Employees are desperate to be heard. Are you listening?

September 10, 2021 10:23 AM

Is work really working for your employees? It may be time to ask them.

Employees are finding their voice over concerns around workplace inequalities, burnout and a lack of career opportunities. Minimum wage workers are taking to social media platform TikTok to express frustration over unfair expectations from bosses, long hours and the strain on their mental health. TikTok user Jordan Howlett says employers need to listen to their workers and make changes that matter.

“Jobs should have a better system in regards to listening to their employees, be it unfair working conditions or managers who are abusing their power,” Howlett says. “We have the self-awareness to know we don’t like being treated this way.”

While TikTok allows employees to express themselves publicly, many employees — especially women — are too afraid to speak up, according to the latest Culture Report from Achievers Workforce Institute. Less than a quarter of women feel they belong in the workplace, but are 20% less likely to talk to a manager about what would make their experience better.

In order to support workers, open communication, transparency and opportunities for growth can help employees feel like you have their back. See how organizations are stepping up for their employees, and where they may be falling short, in this week’s top stories.

How TikTok is helping minimum wage workers find their voice

Members of the minimum wage workforce are increasingly voicing concerns about equity, treatment and pay to a growing community of followers who share common struggles. It’s not a small population — according to the Brookings Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program, 44% of U.S. workers have low-wage jobs.

“The disconnect between employees and employers is that they don't understand just how hard it is to live off of a minimum wage job,” says Jordan Howlett, who uses the platform to delve into stories about apathetic managers, rude customers and the ruthless hours in the service industry. “They don't understand stress and anxiety.”

Read more:

How TikTok is helping minimum wage workers find their voice

He says, she says: Your female employees still don’t feel like they belong at work

In spite of vocal efforts by some companies to create more equitable workplaces, women were 23% less likely than men to say their needs were being met by their company's DEI efforts and only 22% of women reported a strong sense of belonging in the workplace, compared to 31% of men, according to the 2021

Culture Report

from Achievers Workforce Institute.

In order to build a diverse workplace, employers need to make underserved populations feel valued and heard. But women were 25% less likely to say they felt comfortable sharing a dissenting opinion in the office — which may stem from the fact that they are 20% less likely than their male counterparts to say that their identity and background is valued at work.

Read more:

He says, she says: Your female employees still don’t feel like they belong at work

LinkedIn, Nike and Addison Group adopt company-wide closure trend to improve employee well-being

Supporting the mental health of employees has never been more vital, as the pandemic has blurred the lines between personal and professional, causing an epidemic of

overworked and overstressed staff

.

“When you look around and see your employees busting their asses and feeling it all day long, you just have to make a statement,” says Tom Moran, CEO of professional services firm, Addison Group. The organization joins Nike, LinkedIn and others in providing employees with

week-long mental health breaks

, where offices are shut down to allow their employees a chance to rest and recharge to combat the effects of long-term stress.

Read more:

LinkedIn, Nike and Addison Group adopt company-wide closure trend to improve employee well-being

Work from home and train from home: employees still want upskilling programs in the remote workplace

Educational opportunities

that actively train employees in new technology and skills are in high demand among employees, according to Epignosis, a business e-learning and training platform. Not only will these programs make them a valuable commodity on the job market, but they’ll feel more loyal to their current employer.

Seventy-eight percent of the employees surveyed by Epignosis want their employers to provide career and skills training, and over half stated that they wanted additional training in order to perform better in their roles. Of those who received soft skills training, 76% said they have no plans to leave their company.

Read more:

Work from home and train from home: employees still want upskilling programs in the remote workplace