When it comes to layoffs, the light always seems darker over your co-worker’s cubicle. A new employee confidence survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of company/job review site Glassdoor.com shows that 26 percent of respondents are concerned about being out of work in the next six months. That is up from 21 percent in the last quarter. But when asked about their colleagues, a full 44 percent said some of them wouldn’t last through the summer. You never think you are the one who is going to get fired until your boss calls you into his office for a little chat.
More than half of those surveyed, 57 percent, said that layoffs or planned layoffs had occurred at their companies the past six months. Other findings from the survey:
- 35 percent think their company’s outlook will improve over the next six months
- 51 percent think their company’s outlook will stay the same
- 36 percent of employees still expect a raise, down from 40 percent last quarter
- 39 percent are confident they could find another job with comparable pay and experience if they had to
- 70 percent would be willing to take on more projects and responsibities to keep their jobs
- 62 percent would be willing to work longer hours to keep their jobs
- 40 percent would be willing to take a pay cut
- 35 percent would be willing to accept reduced health or dental benefits
- 34 percent would take an unpaid leave of absence to save their jobs longterm
- 30 percent would give up vacation time
Interesting what people value the most. More people would take a pay cut before giving up health benefits or vacation time. What would you give up to keep your job? Full survey results embedded below:
Glassdoor Employee Confidence Survey 1Q09 – Get more Business Plans
The good news is that companies are hiring, at least here in Washington, DC.
Bob
Jobmatchbox.com
If you’re in a group of four people and one has to be laid off… There’s 25% chances it will you, and 75% chances it will be somebody else… right?
Not exactly. That presumes everyone has an equal chance of being laid off.
The truth is that if one of those 4 people is deadwood and everyone else is working their butts off, the chances of that person being laid off is closer to 100%.
You misinterpreted the survey results. More people being concerned about coworkers being laid off rather than themselves being laid off, is just a result of coworkers being a much higher. The probability that at least one of them gets laid off is much higher than oneself being laid off, therefore more people are concerned about it, when the question is asked the way it is stated.
>… being a much higher …
… number – it should say.
I feel it is more because of the general feeling that their work is always better than their coworkers and they are more indispensable to the organisation than their coworkers…
But the numbers don’t say anything like this. They just say that people think it is more likely that one or more of their coworkers gets laid off than themselves getting laid off.
Point taken about the statistics, but they don’t explain everything (see my comment above). There is some denial captured in those results as well.
it will be nice job hunting community ?
“What would you give up to keep your job? ”
I took a 20% pay cut. 80+ other people were fired today at a parent company.
I found out today that the state of California will give you unemployment benefits even if you are reduced to semi part time
That’s why I’m building this huge CDN and helping other Californians write business plans and seek funding.
You can’t just sit on your laurels even if you have a nice job with benefits. You have to be constantly building bridges to escape when the nukes hit.
That should say “reduced to semi full time” or sub-full time.
One thing I learned, is to keep paying your old health insurance premiums even if you have 100% HMO coverage at work.
Because you never know if you’re going to need it, and if you lapse, it will be harder to get once you need it again.
Better to keep your own health insurance, just in case. I have a cheapo PPO vital sheild plan aside from the big bad policy I get with work. I keep paying premiums even if I never use it “just in case”
My 2 cents.
Dental’s not worth it, but if you think it’s going bad, go get all the free dental care before the storm hits. Maximize your returns.
Stop spamming dude.
gosh what garbage… of course the probability is higher when asking if you (1 person) are being laid off.. vs. your co workers which can be 40 people… chances that one of those 40 is being laid off is A LOT higher even if I care a lot more about myself..
Its simple statistics that the probability is higher.. and your conclusion is simply wrong as a result.
This is statistics 101 – seriously… you guys really should try researching your posts a little bit…. or at least try to think about the stuff you write…. it would make a difference.
This has been mentioned in a comment before yours and there is no reason to bitch around like this.
you know guys… I think we should ask techcrunch to just leave out the garbage and obviously dumb posts.. like this one… I mean the conclusion just can’t be any dumber.. and the fool’s day joke thing just doesnt quite work on this one… doesn’t it…
I’d be embarrassed…
I couldn’t disagree more. This is a very good and pertinent topic indeed.
Most entrepreneurs and VCs don’t deal with paid time off or benefits or 401ks, but the working class do.
All of the people working in the tech industry that read TC are in exactly this situation, and just like the survey results, you NEVER EVER want to lose no deductible health and dental, EVER no matter what.
That’s what sets startups apart from real companies. That’s why it’s so easy to get a job at a startup and so hard to get a job at IBM or HP.
You dig?
The topic is ok, but the conclusions and the main point in the story is wrong.. its a simple statistical error, or market research error, by asking the question the wrong way. So at its core its garbage.
I don’t know what planet you are on.. we’re currently hiring (well funded startup in stealth mode).. and we recently had a potential employee whose first question was, what health benefits he’d have? Honestly we haven’t even thought about it ourselves at that point.. but having someone who just works here or one of the main motivations is health benefits.. just wasn’t what we were looking for – and quite frankly an indicator for a few other things…
Oh and I am in Tech and read TC and I am not in that same situation.
I find this hard to believe.
Difficult to believe. I am wondering if the number of people surveyed was large enough to make any meaningful inference.
I don’t find this hard to believe at all. After many years in HR, I find that most people who are laid off don’t ever see it coming. Most people in general believe their work is valued and makes a difference.
Yet, people in the workplace can often look around and spot others who may not be pulling their weight or who may be redundant.
People tend to care about their co-workers as people and are concerned about others who may lose there job.
While most folks in the Silicon Valley aren’t so concerned about benefits and rely more heavily on the upside of stock programs, the the rest of the working world really relies on their benefit plans and their payck.
I think the reason for this is because some people simply cannot grasp that they might lose their job, so they think about other ways this economy might affect them – by losing coworkers who are also friends, for example. These people are in denial, but it’s hard to blame them. Something like a bad economy just doesn’t feel real until it hits you, and then it’s too late.
The funny thing is, nearly everyone I talk to is worried about losing their job. All the time. Nice country to work in these days.
The funny thing is, nearly everyone I talk to is worried about losing their job. All the time. Nice country to work in these days.
Sorry, forgot to add great post! Can’t wait to see your next post!
That’s because everyone always thinks they do great work and will never get laid off, but my colleague might.
Read my interview of Tim Besse, co-founder and VP of product and marketing: http://blog.sea...co-founder.html