A new survey suggests that Americans generally like their jobs – but it also identifies where we’re struggling.
The American Psychological Association (APA) commissioned a survey of over 2,000 adults in the U.S. who were working full time, working part time or are self employed. They answered questions about how they were feeling at work and which aspects of their work environments were helping or hindering their well-being.
Their responses point to a few key areas where organizations might focus to better support their workers – and they highlight how inequalities shape well-being on the job.
People want mental health support.
There may be some recent progress in how mental health is addressed at work, because over 70% of respondents believed that their employer was more concerned about employee mental health than in the past.
The kind of mental health supports people want include flexible hours and remote work, a workplace culture that respects time off and a four-day work week.
Office workers are faring better than other professions.
Most of the respondents to the APA survey fell into three categories: office workers, manual laborers and service workers (people who interact with customers, clients or patients, including food and retail workers, teachers, and health care workers).
More office workers say that their work schedules – including how much they work and how flexible their hours are – have improved during the pandemic, and more manual laborers and service workers say their schedules have gotten worse.
People are often scared at work.
Work should be a safe place, but large numbers of employees report feeling frightened often at work. These numbers are higher for Black (29%) and Latino (31%) adults, and for younger workers.
What makes people scared? The threat of COVID-19 and other illnesses is one possibility. More research is needed, especially because of the disparities in who feels fearful at work.
Concerns about compensation may be hurting well-being.
With the U.S. inflation rate on the rise throughout the pandemic, 71% of workers are worried that compensation has not kept up with inflation. And these workers – compared to those who aren’t worried – are more likely to say that work is hurting their well-being, feel tense or stressed often, and want to quit.
People feel worse when their employer is monitoring them.
Employee monitoring is common, with more than half of the respondents’ employers using computers, cameras and other technology to keep an eye on them.
Most people who are being monitored are uncomfortable with it, and they believe their work environment is bad for their mental health. Compared to employees who don’t believe they’re being monitored, they are more likely to feel tense or stressed, and to consider their workplace toxic.
Still, people are largely satisfied at work.
Despite all these challenges at work, an overwhelming 91% of Americans surveyed are somewhat or very satisfied with their jobs.