How good are your work relationships?

Employees believe that bosses value workers who are available 24/7 and who put work before family, according to new research from the UK.

Relate, a UK-based relationship organisation, recently surveyed 5,000 people to find out more about their relationships. The results highlighted some worrying statistics in people’s personal lives and work relationships.

The survey results found that 1 in 3 people believe their boss will think they are more productive if they put work before family. A further 20 per cent belive the ideal employee is available at all times.

Relate President Professor Sir Cary Cooper said the finding that employees think bosses require them to put work first is troubling.

“This is not the message employers should be sending out, and it could lead to strain on family relationships, especially at a time when money worries are still a reality for many people,” Professor Cooper emphasised.

Work-life balance is also a concern if there are not many friends in the workplace. According to Relate, due to the hours spent at work relationships in the workplace influence our mental wellbeing and affect personal relationships.

More than 40 per cent of participants did not consider any of their colleagues or their boss a close friend. However, 70 per cent did have good or very good relationships with their colleagues.

Managers and executives may also want to take note of the findings of the survey as only 59 per cent of participants said they had a good or very good relationship with their boss.

Engaged employees are more likely to say their company encourages close relationships at work, according to a Gallup poll of US workers. HRMS software can help organisations communicate and collaborate with employees.