intelligent

“ Staff retention and churn issues despite the shrinking economy is surprising but proves people won ’ t stand for mistreatment in any scenario and will leave a job that doesn ’ t support them . We urgently need to see cultural changes happen to remedy this .

“ Much more needs to be done in keeping people safe , mentally and physically , if at least from a work perspective .”

More key findings :

• Culture curbed – only half ( 51 %) of employees satisfied with their employer ’ s efforts in maintaining positive remote culture during the pandemic . Almost a third ( 27 %) quitting due to culture , emphasising the importance of work community and impact on employee retention

• Cashflow concerns – almost half ( 46 %) of SMEs cite their biggest worry as maintaining or increasing revenues in 2021 , followed closely by managing the business while working from home ( 28 %)

• Motivation and productivity challenges – according to almost a third ( 32 %) of SME employees surveyed , staying motivated and productive in the next 12 months will be their biggest challenge

• Managing staff sickness a struggle –

• A third ( 30 %) of employers in the education sector report staff sickness as a huge challenge . This is unsurprising given close contact , crowded indoor working environments

• A total of 41 % of healthcare employers say managing staff absences due to sickness was a significant challenge , again reflecting the close contact with the virus

• Other industries struggling with managing sick leave were utilities ( 33 %) and IT ( 33 %). This could be attributed to the increased demand and stress on staff to perform in running key infrastructures underpinning the digital economy

• Career pivot – interestingly , almost a quarter ( 24 %) of SME employees surveyed said they are not afraid to pursue a different career in a different industry , signalling a generational culture shift and cause for concern for some industries struggling with staff retention

Jonathan Richards , CEO and Founder , Breathe

MAINTAINING HIGH PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS CAN ONLY BE POSSIBLE IF YOUR PEOPLE ARE LOOKED AFTER PROPERLY , OTHERWISE THIS WON ’ T BE A SUSTAINABLE OUTCOME .