You Can Get Satisfaction From Any Job

On average, a full-time employee spends 2,080 hours at work a year. 2,080 hours is about 24 percent of a person’s year. Satisfaction at work affects how fast and enjoyable that 24 percent is. Mathis, Jackson, Valentine, & Meglich defines job satisfaction as “positive feelings and evaluations derived from an individual’s employment in a job” (2017). Positive feelings towards a person’s job can be affected by relationships at work, how an employee is rewarded and compensated, and how meaningful work, relationships, and compensation can motivate employees to be satisfied with their job.

Relationships at work have a large impact on a person’s job satisfaction. Relations at work can have both a positive and negative impact on how an employee views their job. Positive impacts increase job satisfaction, while negative impacts decrease job satisfaction. As previously stated, 2,080 hours are spent at work. Therefore, 2,080 hours are spent with a person’s coworkers. Positive relationships at work make attending easier. Mary Rafferty addresses the importance of positive relationships by stating “up to 65% of performance problems result from strained work relationships” (2008).

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Strained relationships can produce stress for employees. Strained relationships can be caused by workplace bullying.

Studies show that workplace bullying can cause negativity employees have on their job. Workplace bullying is described as negative acts towards an employee for a period of time without the ability to defend themselves (Galang & Jones, 2016). Workplace bullying can occur from one employee being jealous of another employees successes. For example, an employee may have been promoted to a higher position.

A co-worker feels jealous and has animosity towards the promoted co-worker. As a result, the co-worker belittles and treats the promoted co-worker poorly to satisfy their jealous feelings. The jealous co-worker feels the need to upset the satisfied employee to make themselves feel better.

Besides jealously, workplace bullying can be caused by a person’s personality and feelings of one self. Job insecurity is another cause of workplace bullying. Cuyper, Baillien, and De Witte state that employees with insecurities feel a sense of rivalry with their fellow employees (2009). These bullies try to compete and strive to be a superior employees. Workplace bullies, who result because of job insecurity, prosper when there are no consequences for their behavior. If management does not have expectations on co-workers’ treatment, workplace bullying will continue.

Oladapo & Banks revealed that the workplace does in fact affect job satisfaction and productivity. Although bullying may not be visible to upper management, 75% of participants witnessed workplace bullying at one time (2013). Not only should the company voice expectations on employee behaviors, but the company should also make sure all employees feel comfortable to voice concerns. If employees notify upper management when witnessing workplace bullying, upper management can decrease consequences caused.

If management does not supply employees’ consequences for workplace bullying, the company may face consequences of their own. Continued workplace bullying creates stress for the employee being bullied. Rodrıguez-Munoz, Baillienc, De Witte, Moreno-Jimenez, and Pastor researched and found that workplace bullying has many negative effects on the individual being bullied. Stressors eventually affect the employee’s well-being and health. Some employees experience sleep disorders, alcohol abuse, and depression (2009). Due to the employee’s health concerns, they may decide to leave the company. The company will then need to replace a beneficial employee, which incurs costs and time.

Rewards and compensation contribute to employees’ job satisfaction. Rewards are additional sources, like incentives, extra pay, and benefits employees receive. Benefits provided by an employee’s company save employees costs on insurance and allow for retirement. Compensation is the salary or wages an employer pays the employee. Depending on the importance of compensation and rewards, both can increase and decrease employees’ job satisfaction.

Many employees attend work each day for their financial needs. Their job is a requirement to pay bills, have somewhere to live, and buy necessary items. Inadequate compensation will cause stress on the employee and lead to dissatisfaction. Frequent stress on an employee can eventually lead to the employee looking for another job.

Stress caused by inadequate compensation at their job can create dissatisfaction for an employee. Giorgi, Shoes, & Leon-Perez provides research on the effects that an economic crisis can have on an employee. They described how economic stress can affect an employee’s job satisfaction by stating “employees might decrease their commitment to the company because of a reduction in the number of opportunities to receive rewards or advance their careers” (2015). Rewards and incentives provide employees a reason to work hard. Performing well and working hard constitutes a chance to receive a reward or incentive. If employees feel they cannot better themselves or receive rewards, their job satisfaction diminishes.

Rewards and room for advancement allow for increased pay from their companies. Economic inflation continues outside of companies, who are experiencing an economic crisis. Economic inflation can increase costs employees need to pay on their living expenses. If an employee has increased living expenses, a salary freeze may force employees to leave to make ends meet. I. Saleem & N. Saleem states that a company can “reduce employee’s turnover while focusing on employee motivation factors” (2014). If the company cannot motivate an employee with compensation due to the salary freeze, they must find another motivating factor to satisfy employees at their job.

Employee can be motivated by relationships and compensation from work. If an employee works with people they enjoy, studies show they will work harder versus negative relationships. If an employee is adequately compensated and has the option for incentives, studies show employees will work harder and remain committed to their position. Motivation plays a large role in the satisfaction an employee has with their job. How an employee feels about their job goes hand in hand with motivation. It is likely that an employee who is dissatisfied with their job does not strive to accomplish work tasks. If an employee is satisfied with this job, they will be more motivated to accomplish tasks and go above and beyond their expectations.

Motivation can be provided in a variety of ways. Meaningful work being one of those ways. Meaningful work is working employees feel they are doing to benefit others. Van Wingerden & Van der Stoep describe meaningful work as work that is “significant and holding positive meaning for an individual” (2018). They continue that meaningful can hold a higher value for some over income and relationships. If an employee feels a sense of accomplishment with their job, income and relationships will be less important. In the time of a salary freeze, meaningful work could keep employees satisfied with their job and remain with the company. Van Wingerden & Van der Stoep study concluded that meaningful work “can increase performance and employee well-being” (2018). Meaningful work done as a team can also motivate employees.

Employees can motivate one another and increase job satisfaction. Teamwork provides employees to value their work relationships to accomplish the task at hand. Depending on an employee’s skill set, a study on examining job characteristics and its relation to employees’ motivation and job satisfaction provides information that employees with multiple skills prefer teamwork. The study concludes these employees desire to work harder and feel more satisfied in a team setting (S. Sultan, 2012). Team settings and co-workers can motivate one another to improve job satisfaction as well.

An employee’s job satisfaction can be affected by relationships, rewards and compensation, and motivation. Negative relationships like workplace bullying decrease employee’s job satisfaction. Positive relationships make coming to work easier and enhance employees’ job satisfaction. Rewards and compensation play a large role as well as relationships. Employees need compensation to pay for their everyday living expenses. If compensation cannot be given to satisfy an employee, the company must find another way to motivate employees. Motivation can be found from relationships, incentives, meaningful work, and teamwork. In closing relationships, rewards and compensation, and motivation all influence how an employee feels about their job in both positive and negative ways.