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Economy leaves some US workers stuck in bad jobs

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-08-27 14:58

NEW YORK: With the US 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.

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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 US 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.

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