7 Complaints Employees Don’t Tell Their Bosses

By Jordan Warshafsky, Partner, Ashton Tweed

There are a lot of things your employees may not feel comfortable telling you. But as a good employer, these are seven of the most common complaints you should be aware of in the workplace:

1. Underpaid: It’s always uncomfortable to talk about money, especially to ask for more. So don’t make it more uncomfortable than it already is. Give your employees a chance to voice why they feel like they should be paid more and hear them out before making a decision.

2. Lack of Communication: Many employees feel there is a lack of communication between them and their employers. Whether their bosses are unclear or simply unavailable, it makes their job tougher. So make yourself available to your employees and be as straightforward as possible.

3. Micromanaging: Employees can’t stand it when their bosses claim to trust and respect them but refuse to let them take control of important projects. Not only should you give them important tasks, but you should also let them decide how to complete them.

4. Not enough feedback: Good employees truly want feedback on their performance in order to improve. They want this just as much as they want their good work to be acknowledged. In addition, they’d like to give feedback when appropriate, so give them these opportunities.

5. Favoritism: Employees are much more perceptive than you think, and can tell when someone is favored over the rest. This is especially frustrating when they are good workers, because the unfairness is more blatant. So make an effort not to favor anyone in the workplace and to treat all employees equally.

6. Working on vacation: Your employees cherish their vacation time just like you and, in most cases, they don’t “live to work.” Therefore, they hate being asked to take a call or complete some other task while on vacation. Try your best not to let this happen unless absolutely necessary.

7. Heavy workloads: Employees with heavy workloads don’t feel confident about their work because they don’t have enough time to fully address all of their responsibilities. In other words, they are spread too thin. This is true especially when a company has layoffs and their remaining employees have to take on extra responsibilities. Keep track of increasing workloads in these situations.

It is important to check in with your employees and to give them opportunities to express their concerns. After all, they make up the engine that keeps your company running.  It’s not only beneficial to your employees, but to you as well. It’s better for them to discuss and address their issues with you than the alternative. Happy employees make for a happy employer.

Looking to hire? Contact Jordan Warshafsky to discuss your hiring needs.

Share your insights! Contact jamesrudman@ashtontweed.com to contribute your life sciences article as a guest writer.