The working climate in most European companies is good, with almost six out of 10 employees satisfied with the atmosphere in their companies. But in Germany, it is a very different story.
A survey of more than 8,000 people across eight European countries by online recruitment specialist StepStone found that 45 per cent were satisfied with the climate at work with a further 14 per cent rating it as excellent.
But that still leaves one in five who feel that the climate is so bad that they are just waiting for an opportunity to leave.
Highest ratings are achieved by Norwegian companies, with over three quarters of employees reporting the atmosphere to be good or excellent.
In the Netherlands, Sweden, Belgium and Denmark most employees also seem satisfied, with around two thirds giving a thumbs-up to their employer.
In contrast, the working environment seems to be much worse for Italian employees: more than half (55 per cent) rate the atmosphere as poor or worse, whilst only five per cent give an excellent ranking.
But in Germany, with record unemployment and a continuing exodus of jobs to the cheaper labour markets of Eastern Europe, many organisations have severe morale problems with almost a third of all employees just waiting for the opportunity to move on.
Earlier this week, the latest Global Career Confidence Index found that German workers had the lowest level of confidence of any of the countries surveyed. A staggering 97 per cent of Germans also said they would be concerned about finding employment if they were to be laid-off.
"As well as creating a better working climate for everyone, companies are likely to be more successful when their employees feel able to put their heart and soul into the jo," said Colin Tenwick, CEO of StepStone
"This in turn is dependent on the feelings and motivation of the staff. To see such variation across markets surely tells us something about the health and prospects of these different economies."
