One explanation for rising employee dissatisfaction in the workplace is that in many companies the “psychological contract” between employees and the organization – the implicit mutual understanding of each party’s obligations – may still reflect a past of stagnant change. The authors argue that these contracts need to be reassessed in times of constant change, and suggest several steps companies can take to renegotiate the terms.
Let’s be honest: we’re failing at change. A Gartner survey published last May found that employees’ willingness to support change at their companies will fall from 74% in 2016 to just 43% by 2022. And Gallup’s “State of the Workforce 2024” report said: Released in June this yearThe report highlighted major dissatisfaction: 23% of employees are energized and engaged in their work, while 62% of employees are “quietly quitting” — employed but disengaged. The report also contained data that sorely affected me: a staggering 15% of employees worldwide are “vocally quitting,” “causing direct damage to the organization, undermining its goals, and opposing leadership.”
