Peter Brown
PAYdata Blog, 04 February 2011
 

It is said that there is a particular day in January each year, which is analytically determined to be the most depressing day of the year.  This is usually referred to as Blue Monday.  I won’t bother detailing the formula to do this calculation – it’s not part of our normal services – but it takes into account a number of factors including the weather, the level of debt and the length of time since Christmas.

This year Blue Monday was generally thought to be 17 January…or maybe 24 January...or maybe not.  This week does seem to have brought more than its fair share of depressing news that may indicate that Blue Monday has lasted well into February in 2011.

First of all, a piece of research by Kings College London and the law firm Speechly Bircham found that half of organisations surveyed have increased staff working hours, while pay rises and bonuses continue to be withheld.  The survey of senior HR professionals found a correlation between longer working hours and increased absence, stress and employee grievances.

Richard Martin of Speechly Bircham was quoted as saying, "The combination of increased workplace conflict, longer hours and rising stress levels is a potent cocktail which could lead to a significant rise in tribunals and industrial action if not properly addressed."

Then there was a survey conducted for Monster.co.uk that found that almost three-quarters of people are unhappy in their jobs and a quarter have experienced bullying at work.  Isabelle Ratinaud of Monster.co.uk said, "It's really quite concerning to see how unhappy people are in their jobs, and how scared they are to change their situation.”

And last, but not least, the latest CIPD Employee Outlook Survey has found that almost a third of workers think their standard of living has gone down in the last six months.  One in five believes it is likely they will lose their job soon, almost one in 3 in the public sector.

Depression reigns.

But then again, there are also some optimistic signs.  Just take a quick look at our UK Business News articles.  You will see reports of the Service sector rebounding, the Construction industry getting back into growth and Manufacturing expanding at a record rate. 

And be assured, apparently there is also a calculation to determine the happiest day of the year – usually reckoned to be towards the end of June.  I can’t wait.

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