Nine in 10 workers fear job is not safe - poll

Almost nine out of 10 workers fear their job is not safe, a new poll revealed today.

As flagship employers like Dell, Waterford Crystal and Tara Mines struggle to cut costs to stay in business, a survey found 85% of employees are worried about their future.

And according to employment law firm Peninsula Ireland, staff need to prove their worth in order to try and safeguard their jobs.

Alan Price, head of Peninsula Ireland, said both workers and management should adapt in the downturn even though their have no guarantees for the future.

“Taking on more responsibility is also a good way for workers to ’recession proof’ themselves; with more responsibility, an employee is less disposable than their counterparts,” he said.

“It is no secret we are heading into a tough year however Irish employees should take a pro-active approach to increase their chances of job security.”

Based on the poll, Peninsula also drew up a workers’ wish list for this year with the top five including;

:: To have their job made more secure – 58%

:: A pay rise – 23%

:: To be given more responsibility – 11%

:: Job satisfaction – 5%

:: Promotion – 3%

Mr Price said: “Taking on more responsibility and proving indispensable to a firm will help them avoid potential redundancy.

“With employees working harder to show their worth, companies will benefit from a better performance and in turn will see their business become more productive.”

Peninsula Ireland urged both workers and employers to seek a compromise when discussing wages, while he also suggested bosses should recognise the importance of job satisfaction and responsibility.

“They (employees) should keep in mind however that firms are continually having to tighten their budgets and so many will not be considering wage rises in the immediate future,” Mr Price said.

“It is encouraging to see that Irish employees are seeking more responsibility in the workplace and it is workers with this type of attitude that will drive businesses forward.

“It is good to see that some employees haven’t forgotten the importance of job satisfaction, even with an economy in turmoil. Employers would do well to look at the job satisfaction and look at ways to improve on it.”

Peninsula surveyed 1,066 employees in the two weeks before Christmas and during the festive break to find their wish list for the coming year.