Business owners who have had to downsize – or move to smaller shared offices – as a result of the economic downturn need to offer plenty of support to their remaining staff.
According to new research from Capita HR Solutions, almost half of the UK workforce, 46 per cent to be exact, have already encountered downsizing or restructuring.
One of the key concerns for employees responding to the Capita HR Solutions survey was the lack of clarity offered when changes were being made.
Some 40 per cent said their employer did not make it clear as to how any changes would affect them and 63 per cent said that in the past they first realised changes were afoot when rumours started circulating.
Open lines of communication in the office space could be the key to tackling these problems.
Alan Bailey, managing director for Capita HR Solutions, said: “If employees feel uncertain and uncommitted, then productivity is bound to be affected. Employers would benefit from involving staff or staff representatives earlier in the process, even if all the potential outcomes of the restructure are not yet known.”
Restructuring could be one of the reasons that recruitment specialist Monster found that 75 per cent of workers are not happy in their current job.
