Workers who have survived layoffs within their organizations are facing new challenges in the forms of increased workloads and heightened stress, according to CareerBuilder's latest survey of more than 4,400 workers nationwide. Forty-seven percent of workers reported they have taken on more responsibility because of a layoff within their organization. Thirty-seven percent said they are handling the work of two people. Thirty percent feel burned out.

To accommodate growing TO DO lists, 34 percent of workers who kept their jobs after a layoff reported they are spending more time at the office. Seventeen percent are putting in at least 10 hours per day. Twenty-two percent are working more weekends.

"Companies today are having to do more with less as they contend with shrinking budgets and staff levels," said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder. "Employees are feeling added pressure as they shoulder heavier workloads and strive to maintain productivity levels. It's critical that managers and employees work together to prioritize and set realistic expectations, so work demands feel attainable and less overwhelming."

  Haefner recommends the following tips to keep stress levels in check:

  1. Don't over-promise.  If two or more projects come up at the same time,
     work with your supervisor to identify which takes precedence and
     establish reasonable timelines.
  2. Take time to recharge.  Go for a walk on your lunch break.  Take a
     personal day.  Get eight hours of sleep.  Ultimately, recharging your
     battery will serve you and the company better.
  3. Cut the e-leash.  Unless needed, turn off electronic devices at a
     certain time of the day to designate the end of that workday and avoid
     getting caught up in discussions that can wait until the morning.
  4. Explore flexible work arrangements.  Cutting your commute one or two
     days a week can help shorten your workday.  More employers today are
     open to offering telecommuting and other options that may help to
     provide a better work/life balance.

  5. Don't get caught up in the rumor mill.  Forty-two percent of workers
     reported they are fearful of layoffs within their organization.  Ignore
     speculation and focus on the task at hand.


  Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 4,435 U.S. employees (employed full-time; not self-employed; non- government; ages 18 and over) between February 20 and March 11, 2009. Percentages for some questions are based on a subset of employees whose companies have experienced layoffs, based on their responses to certain questions. With a pure probability sample of 4,435, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.47 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com, is the largest in the U.S. with more than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 31 million resumes. CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for everything from employment branding and data analysis to talent acquisition. More than 9,000 Web sites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. , Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company and Microsoft Corp. , CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com

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SOURCE: CareerBuilder