Hello and welcome to Working It! I recently had the opportunity to work from Birch, a new blended co-working/hotel space in the southern edge of London. It’s a beautiful place, but I must admit that the noise from non-headphone-enabled Zoom calls and “walking meetings” was quite bothersome. It made me realize that we need a new universal etiquette for working from public and semi-public spaces. I’m open to ideas, so please let me know if you have any suggestions from your own workplace. Just please, no “no laptops” policies. I believe that people should earn the right to use their laptops.
Now, let’s delve into the topic of anger in the workplace. It seems that more and more employees, especially in the UK, are feeling angry at work. According to the latest data from Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace Report 2023, almost one in five UK professionals report feeling angry while at work. The global average is slightly higher, at 21%, but what’s concerning is that UK anger levels have risen by a notable 4 percentage points compared to previous years. In fact, UK workers are now angrier than the European average.
So why is anger such a prevalent issue? I spoke with Anna Sawyer from Gallup who shed some light on the subject. While there isn’t a specific question on the survey about the causes of anger, Sawyer believes that negative emotions have been on the rise globally for over a decade, even before the pandemic and other significant events. It’s interesting to note that UK workers now have similar anger levels to those in Ukraine, despite the latter country having more reasons to be angry.
One contributing factor to workplace anger is the lack of separation between personal and professional life. Our work and personal lives intersect, and the stress and emotions from one can easily spill over into the other. Sawyer advises managers to address the underlying causes of anger in the workplace by actively listening to their employees and exploring any structural issues that may be contributing to the problem. It’s important for employees to have clarity about their roles and expectations.
Do you have any strategies for managing anger and disengagement in the workplace? Let me know at [email protected].
In other news, our FTWeekend Festival is happening on September 2 at Kenwood House Gardens in London. I’ll be speaking about how to negotiate a pay rise alongside Claer Barrett from the Money Clinic podcast. It promises to be a day filled with debates, tastings, Q&As, and more. Newsletter subscribers can enjoy a £20 discount on festival passes using the promo code FTWFxNewsletters at ft.com/festival.
On this week’s episode of the Working It podcast, we revisit the topic of HR professionals and their conflicting responsibilities. We’ll be featuring a “best of” episode titled “What’s the point of HR?” with guests Jamie Fiore Higgins and Andrew Hill. Tune in to hear their insights.
Now, let’s move on to our Office Therapy segment. This week, we received a question from a senior manager in their early 50s who is feeling burnt out and has noticed a decline in the quality of their work. They are considering retirement but are concerned about financial implications and potential difficulties in reentering the workforce later on. My advice is to not make any final decisions yet. Change is often a positive thing, but it’s important to carefully consider your options. Consult with your company about the possibility of a different role such as consulting or mentoring. Leaving and then trying to come back when you’re in a desperate financial situation may prove to be more challenging.
If you have any questions or dilemmas for our Office Therapy segment, please send them to me at [email protected]. We will keep your identity anonymous.
Lastly, here are the top five stories from the world of work:
1. Best summer books of 2023: Senior business writer Andrew Hill shares his favorite reads of the year so far, including books on good jobs, the late Tony Hsieh, and the history of corporate feminism.
2. AI shakes up the way we work in three industries: Take a deeper look at how artificial intelligence is impacting the film-making, coding, and professional services industries. The article also touches on the role of AI in the Hollywood writers’ strike.
3. The murky world of the job reference: Pilita Clark investigates why giving references for former colleagues can be a dreaded task and explores the challenges that managers face in these situations.
4. Politicians must send the right signals on ‘green’ jobs: Sarah O’Connor highlights the discrepancy between the talk of a green jobs boom and the actual shortage of workers in the field of heat pump engineering. She calls for politicians to take action and create the necessary conditions for these jobs to materialize.
5. UK military is struggling to recruit tech experts: As the demand for cyber-related skills increases, the UK military is finding it challenging to compete with the private sector in recruiting top talent.
That’s all for now. Stay tuned for more updates and insights from the world of work.
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