Mondays Not So 'Blue' for Engaged Employees; Disengaged workers report a sharp drop in mood on Mondays.
Byline: Jim Harter
Synopsis: U.S. employees who are engaged in their jobs find it relatively easy to go back to work after the weekend, while those who aren't engaged struggle with the transition -- their moods decline from Sunday to Monday.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- For American employees who like their jobs, going back to work on Mondays after the weekend is a much smoother transition than it is for those who don't. Employees whose work or workplace is less engaging or disengaging experience a significant downgrade in mood going from weekends to weekdays.
Engaged workers feel nearly as good on the weekdays as they do on weekends, which is not the case for Americans in general. They are equally likely to report a lot of happiness, smiling and laughter, being treated with respect, and not a lot of anger regardless of the day of week. And, for engaged workers, learning and doing something interesting peaks during weekdays. In contrast, those who are either not engaged, or actively disengaged, are significantly less likely to report experiencing these positive emotions and more likely to experience anger during the workweek than they are on the weekends.
These findings are based on data from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and include Gallup Daily tracking data on American workers' engagement levels. Gallup's employee engagement index is based on extensive research on actionable workplace elements with proven linkages to performance outcomes, including productivity, customer service, quality, retention, safety, and profit.
Thirty percent of U.S. workers were engaged in their work and workplace during the first half of 2012. Engaged workers are involved in and enthusiastic about their work and contribute positively to their organization. Fifty-two percent were "not engaged" and 18% "actively disengaged," meaning they are emotionally disconnected from their workplaces and are less likely to be productive.
All Workers Feel More Stressed Out During Workweek
Despite their resilient positivity, even engaged workers aren't immune to increased stress during the workweek. All workers, regardless of how engaged they are in their job, are more likely to report worry and stress and less likely to say they feel well-rested on weekdays compared with weekends.
However, the drop-off in feeling well-rested for not engaged and actively disengaged workers is about twice as great as it is for engaged workers. And, worry and stress are substantially lower...
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