How a Hostile Environment Affects Employee Morale

Although the workplace should not be a place for fun and games, yet it should not be a place of misery and resentment. Management's high expectations of employees can be slightly overbearing at times. Employees are the lifeblood of most organizations. Without them, organizations daily operations would not be possible. In order for employees to perform their jobs effectively the work environment must not only be one that is pleasant but should also be one that gives them a since of pride. Employees that are not happy usually perform on the job by just doing enough work to get by; they will come to work just to collect a check. We all work to get a paycheck because this is how we pay our bills.

A hostile work environment contributes to low employee morale. This type of environment can be prevented if members of management treat employees like human beings instead of machines. A hostile work environment will sometimes cause employees to purposely sabotage the mission of organizations. Members of management forget that they were not always in their current positions. They now may be eagles soaring high over the valley but I assure you that they were once in the valley. Companies should have activities for employees that will make them eager to come to work. There are some companies that have come up with ways to make work environments pleasant. Activities such as sleep rooms and casual Fridays; employees look forward to these types of things. If employees are in a less stressful work environment, they will be more productive; also, there is a strong possibility that you will see less people calling in.

Low employee morale can slowly tear any organization apart. It reduces an organizations productivity and profitability. There are many things that managers can do to boost employee morale. One of the most important things that managers can do is just listen to employees. Like managers, employees too are stakeholders in the organization. I have worked for organizations where employee morale was terrible. People cared less about the welfare of the organization but instead they were more concerned about the two checks they got every month. Employees must sometimes be motivated to perform exceptionally well in the workplace. Managers can motivate employees by using both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Intrinsic rewards would be things like promotions and acknowledgement of accomplishments. Now extrinsic rewards would be things such as pay incentives. Out of the two it is quite obvious that employees would prefer extrinsic rewards over intrinsic rewards. If employees are not comfortable in their work environment it motivated morale will be low. In essence, low employee morale leads to a hostile, which proves to be negative factors for both organizations and employees.