Economy Leaves Some U.S. Employees Stuck in Undesirable Jobs

With the U.S. economy mired in recession, workers are finding themselves stuck in bad jobs with such annoyances as managers who berate employees and bosses who hold meetings in bed.

Unable to make a move when jobs are scarce and some 14.5 million workers are unemployed, many employees feel trapped and are seeking ways to cope, experts say.

“They can’t move,” said Kathi Elster, co-author of “Working for You Isn’t Working for Me,” due out next month.

“They want to leave their jobs because they can’t stand somebody in the office or the politics of the company or they’re overworked or underworked or they don’t like the culture of the company,” she said.

Not only is the economy keeping people from changing jobs, but it’s likely to mean fewer employees doing more work and bosses under pressure from above, the experts say.

“It’s a perfect storm,” said Mitchell Kusy, co-author of “Toxic Workplace.” In his research of 400 business leaders, 64 percent were currently working with a “toxic personality” and 94 percent had done so at some point in their career.

Many workers would change jobs if they could, according to a survey this week that said many U.S. workers plan a switch when the economy improves. It said 18 percent plan to change employers, 14 percent plan to change careers, 13 percent plan to change industries and 18 percent plan to work fewer hours.

“The unemployed people we know who really can’t find jobs are actually happier than the people that are employed because it’s so difficult right now,” said Elster.

‘EMOTIONAL TOIL’

Unhappy workers can be costly, said Kusy. They are less productive, show less commitment to the organization and volunteer for less work, he said.

“Not only is there emotional toil, there’s also this financial burden that occurs in the organization,” he said.

Among some vivid cases, one New York worker described a boss who, while not sick, nonetheless holds business meetings in bed, with employees gathered in his bedroom.

“Right now I’m looking for a new job, the market be damned,” the worker said, not wanting to be identified.

A senior information technology analyst, who also did not want to be named, said his boss is “a workplace lawsuit waiting to happen.” She flaunts employment laws and workplace rules and tries to impress superiors while berating the staff, he said.

“I was looking for another position before the recession hit and working on starting my own business, but that’s been put on hold until things improve,” he said. “When things do get better, I’m leaving as soon as I can.”

A tight job market makes it worse, said Katherine Crowley, co-author of “Working for You Isn’t Working for Me.”

“One of the challenges of this climate is most employees, they’re afraid to say no, they’re afraid to set any kind of limits and they’re afraid even to take vacation,” she said.

Marc Hershon, co-author of “I Hate People: Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job,” said his advice is “minimize contact.”

‘LESSEN THE ANGUISH’

“The less time you spend in a situation that’s going to create the opportunity for friction, the better you are,” he said. “The whole goal is to figure out how to be more productive and how to lessen the anguish.”

Kusy and co-author Elizabeth Holloway suggest workplaces establish standards of behavior and promote models of civility to reach what they call “respectful engagement.”

Even if job moves were easier, that is rarely an answer, said Elster, adding: “You’re going to take it with you.”

She and Crowley advocate ways to adjust expectations, find recognition from other sources and assume some control.

Find a mentor, join a support group or start to network “so that you are not focused on the boss but you’re focused on yourself and your career,” Elster said.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Topics USA Talent