The old adage that people don’t leave companies but bad bosses certainly holds true to this day. This is a particularly big problem for SMEs who cannot afford to keep sourcing new people. Unfortunately, a new study reveals managers may need some additional training to avoid being the reason why talent abandon the business.
Having polled 2,145 UK employees, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) has revealed that 35% and their coworkers feel unfairly treated by their line managers. Moreover, 45% don’t think their bosses help morale at work and 32% wouldn’t feel comfortable approaching their managers about problems at work. Additionally, 44% say their superior hasn’t ensured workers know their rights at work.
Commenting on the report, Frances O’Grady, general secretary at the TUC, said: “It’s shocking that so many workers feel afraid to raise issues with their boss and are not being told about their rights at work. If we want better and more productive workplaces, we need to step up investment in training – including for managers.”
This isn’t the first time employers have been encouraged to do more to help their employees. From providing more mental health care to protecting employees from sexual harassment, running a business also means taking care of the people helping you reach success.
Sadly, it seems few managers have read the memo. Processing software company Process Bliss and research agency TLF Research recently polled 1,000 British SME employees. They found that more than two-fifths had quit their jobs because of how their boss behaved.
Similarly, it seems many workers feel overworked with words like “presenteeism” spiking by 113.5% between 2015 and 2019, according to research by employee experience platform Perkbox and SaaS marketing platform SEMrush.
With this background and if they fail to take more care of their employees, SME bosses shouldn’t be surprised when their workers leave them and not the company. 
