Signs of Low Morale Among Employees

There are several signs of low employee morale.

Low employee morale can have a detrimental effect on a company's productivity. Low morale may result in high absenteeism, which means less work is performed. Valued customers may leave due to poor treatment from disgruntled employees. Signs of low morale may be obvious, such as an openly hostile employee, or could be more subtle, such as an employee's gradual loss of interest in the job.

High Absenteeism

One sign of low employee morale is a high incidence of workers not showing up. Workers may call in sick frequently or ask for excessive time off for personal reasons. Some employees may also be late for work frequently or try to stretch out the time they spend at lunch or on breaks.

Customer Complaints

If your employees work with customers on a regular basis, a sign of low morale is frequent complaints from the customers. Customer may cite examples of being treated rudely or indifferently, or may complain about a lack of follow-up on a question or problem. This type of behavior leads to dissatisfied customers and, ultimately, a loss of business.

Poor Attitude

Low morale can also show in a poor attitude. In addition to being openly hostile or bitter, an employee can exhibit a bad attitude in other ways. He may not offer contributions during meetings or may be reluctant to help other employees. He may also display a lack of enthusiasm toward his job and may perform only the minimum duties that are required to maintain employment.

Poor Work Quality

A poor quality of work can be a sign of low morale, especially from a worker who was once a top performer. The worker may have been passed over for a promotion or is no longer challenged by her job and has lost interest. For newer employees, poor work quality could be a sign of low morale, or it could be the result of inadequate training or a lack of understanding of the job requirements.

Groupthink

As the saying goes, misery loves company. In the workplace, disgruntled employees often hang out together to complain. If you notice several low-achieving employees who are constantly congregating around the water cooler or in the break room and speaking in hushed tones, it could be a sign that the low morale is widespread.

References

• WorkplaceIssues.com: Employee Satisfaction: The Success Factor
• Business Owner's Toolkit: Signs of Low Morale