Overworked & Underpaid
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This is going to ruffle some feathers…
A lot of people are overworked and underpaid these days, especially with all the gaps in staffing and open positions.
If companies aren't acknowledging this conversation, being proactive, and getting out in front of this, that doesn't mean it's not happening.
I know this won't be a popular episode across the board, and that my opinion is not very subtle on this topic. I don't pretend that I am 100% right, I don't own 100% of the truth. What I do believe is that any time companies aren't addressing or reacting to conversations and situations that 'everyone' is talking about and aware of, they end up losing as a result.
I am pro companies - I want orgs to succeed, be profitable, and thrive.
I am also pro employee - I want people to be well treated, valued, compensated, and to thrive.
These two things are not mutually exclusive.
An example.
One of the many, many stories I’ve seen, read, and heard recently goes something like this:
We were an HR department of two in a company of hundreds of people (which I know is incredibly small for a company that size. It’s a construction company, and the industry is notoriously behind the curve in this regard). The other person in my department left months ago and I have been doing their job and mine ever since. It’s way too much to manage and I feel like leadership has not acknowledged that I’m basically doing two jobs now. I’m burnt out and don’t know what to do besides leave, too.
This is not a one-off, I’m hearing a ton of stories like this lately.
So many companies right now are having to face the reality of understaffing, which leaves many employees picking up the slack for open positions and coworkers who have left. This is resulting in some employees doing the work of two or three people for months and months.
Companies: You have to compensate those people for this.
People are not stupid. They know that as a company you are not paying the salary of the open position. They notice when they are doing twice as much work with none of that budget being redirected towards them.
Overworking and underpaying your employees like this for months and months is not fair or equitable. And strategically, it’s a very bad move for two reasons:
1) When companies do this, they are profiting off the back of someone doing the extra work without fair compensation. That gets old fast, and there’s no quicker way to have an otherwise great employee lose morale and resent the organization as a result.
2) You are burning people out with added workloads that are unmanageable.
“You have to take are of the people that you still have, or they will leave too.”
Both of these lead to damaged morale, poor job performance, and people actively looking for other jobs.
You have to take are of the people that you still have, or they will leave too.
What to do when you’ve got overworked and underpaid staff:
Here are some ways to address this situation:
Offer them support: Acknowledge the implications of the extra work this is causing on their end. Be real about recognizing the extra workload being understaffed has on remaining employees. Ask them what they need most, actively step up and find ways to support them, hire temporary workers or past employees to fill in if possible. Let them know that you are there to support them during this transition, and that it won’t last forever.
Offer them compensation: This is, in my opinion, the most important and easiest part of this conversation. This could look like a one-time bonus, a temporary pay raise, or a monthly stipend — no easier way to take care of an employee than by giving them extra compensation.
Lay the terms out on the table: Make the terms clear. For example that this bonus or extra compensation will be temporary until someone fills the position, etc. Set a time frame to reassess compensation and the terms of this agreement if you are unable to fill the position within a certain amount of time.
Be transparent: This goes hand-in-hand with my last point, but be ultra-transparent about the process of filling this empty position and your mindset going into this transition. Are you employees looking at a month of doing extra work until you can find new hires? Two months? Six? Are you willing to discuss a permanent pay raise and role shift if this position is not able to be filled? Be transparent and communicate about what the timeline of the hiring process is going to look like so the remaining employees feel informed and supported.
Having conversations and taking action like this with employees proves to them that you actually value and care about them as humans. Compensating them extra acknowledges the work they are taking on and makes it worthwhile. Who doesn’t like an extra paycheck? Plus, the feeling that the extra work is worth the money will prevent folks from becoming burnt out and being pushed to quit.
Being generous with the support and compensation you offer employees while you are understaffed saves you money in the long run and will lead to higher retention, no question.
“Without your people your company doesn’t exist. Take care of them.”
Bottom line, take care of your people.
I know it’s a tough labor market. Staff are harder to find and companies are having to pay more for labor which cuts into profits. Too bad. Without your people your company doesn’t exist. Take care of them.
I’m a big fan of employees being held accountable, doing a great job, showing up, and being awesome. I also believe that companies have to do right by their employees. Ignoring this reality is going to result in companies being surprised with more two week’s notices.
Just do it. Take care of your employees. It’s the right thing to do, they’re watching, and they will love you for it.
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This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content in less than 5 minutes a week. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop
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