Employees Most Frustrated by Lack of Communication in the Workplace, Opinion Research...

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The American workforce finds a lack of communication from managers more annoying than dealing with nosy colleagues, says Opinion Research Corporation's (an infoUSA company) (NASDAQ:IUSA) latest "Ouch Point" study. Seventeen percent of respondents cite senior managers

The study also indicates that the need for political correctness at work has become one of the biggest frustrations for nearly one in ten Americans. Interestingly, more males (11 percent) than females (6 percent) cite this as their greatest workplace irritant).

Despite buzz about corporations monitoring employees' electronic activity, the majority of employees are not bothered by this lack of privacy. Only four percent of respondents list corporate monitoring of email and/or telephone calls as their greatest annoyance.

"Communication can be the centerpiece of a great organization or your Achilles heel." said Terry Reilly, Director of the Employee Research Practice at Opinion Research US. "Management's choice is pretty simple. Either they provide the information or employees will fill in the blanks on their own - usually with erroneous information."

Respondents in the 18 - 24 year age group who are beginning their careers have a different slant on ranking workplace frustrations. This group cites lack of teamwork (26 percent) as their major irritant. "On the job mentorship is critical to someone starting out in the workforce" states Reilly. "While training is a key component for any organization, it is hard to replace the experience and guidance coming from someone who has done it all before."

According to the survey, the top ten employee "Ouch Points" are:

1. Poor communication by senior management about the business  <
17%
2. General office politics                                     <
16%
3. Lack of teamwork                                            <
15%
4. Having to use politically correct language                  <
9%
5. Nosy co-workers                                             <
6%
6. Poor relationships with an immediate supervisor