Ghouls? Ghosts? Layoffs? Employees share their biggest workplace fears

Most workplaces may be devoid of ghouls and goblins and witches, but that doesn't mean employees aren't spooked by the state of the workplace.  

A recent poll from job search platform Monster uncovered what's driving anxiety among American workers. The most frightening concern of 2023? Returning to the office full-time, according to the survey. And the department that scares them most is, unfortunately, human resources. Fairly, 17% of employees said they'd rather run into a ghost than get laid off. At first glance, the data may seem playful, but these anxieties reveal quite a bit about employee sentiment, according to Vicki Salemi, a career expert at Monster.

"All of these answers point back to a potential toxic workplace," she says. "When you dig deep there's some serious need to reevaluate because right now, it shows employers that workers are nervous."

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While some employees' fears are more or less average — 16% are afraid of making presentations to their organization, and 57% worry their job would be at stake if their organization announced upcoming layoffs — others are more concerning. Twenty-three percent have a fear of making unfixable errors, and 44% fear they would lose their job if they received negative feedback from their manager.

"Employers should make the workplace a safe place to succeed and a safe place to fail," Salemi says. "They should encourage workers to think outside the box and challenge them to do that, then positively reinforce their behavior regardless of the outcome. It's important for leaders to lead with empathy because first and foremost, we are humans and mistakes can happen." 

These fears and anxieties may also eventually pose a silent threat to employers' retention strategies. While 49% of employees feel comfortable speaking to their manager or their boss when faced with things that scare them, 38% resort to looking for a new job, 17% vent to a coworker instead, 15% do nothing and 7% end up quitting. Employers could avoid all of those outcomes, according to Salemi, as long as they're prepared to have the hard conversations and receive constructive feedback. 

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"If you as the boss have made an error or made a mistake — admit to it," she says. "Create an environment where everyone feels equal and seen and recognized and heard. Don't just assume that everyone feels welcome, be proactive and individually reach out to employees when you can to ask: 'How are you?' or 'I really appreciate your work.'"

Creating a healthy culture is not a "one and done" situation, Salemi says, but rather a commitment to keeping a pulse on the state of it daily. It means continuously checking-in with themselves and with employees and making sure to keep track of employees' needs and taking action when necessary.  

"It's important for managers to do some self introspection," she says. "They should ask themselves how they're doing as a boss and whether these fears are making it up to managers and worry that workers may be keeping it to themselves. Only then can they talk about it openly."