How loyal employees see themselves

1001 respondents from the Swiss resident population estimate the proportion of loyal employees at 65% and that of loyal employers at 59%. Interestingly, employees see themselves as showing more solidarity with their employer than vice versa. The younger the employees are, the less pronounced is their loyalty to the company. The lower earners see themselves as more loyal than employees with higher incomes. These are the key findings of a representative survey conducted by Demoscope on behalf of Employees Switzerland.

Older and lower earners are more loyal

The perception of one's own loyalty as a private person and at work hardly differs. Loyalty to work colleagues, bosses and customers is slightly greater (71%) than to the company or the products and services one produces or provides (68% and 65% respectively).

Younger employees (15 to 34 years) see themselves as significantly less loyal at work than the older generation. The opposite is true for incomes. Lower earners (gross earnings of up to 5,000 Swiss francs) are more loyal to the company they work for than employees with higher incomes.

The loyalty shown to employees by their employer is rated much lower. Only 48% of the respondents answered with "very loyal" and 42% with "rather loyal". As many as 8% perceive their company as "rather not loyal". The level of agreement is significantly higher among senior and middle managers than among specialists or employees without management functions. - Employees who consider their company to be loyal also behave more loyally themselves.

52% stated that they had spoken ill of their employer in their private lives. Furthermore, 18% admit to having taken material at work for private purposes. 8% work extra slowly at work for long periods of time and 4% cheat on the issue of overtime or timekeeping.

Employers should do more for loyalty

Of the respondents, only a few admit to having committed "disloyal acts" at work. 18% admit to having stolen material for private purposes, 8% to having "cheated" over a longer period of time and 4% to having cheated when recording working hours. However, more than half (52%) confirm having "gossiped" about their employer in their private environment.

The survey reveals that younger employees and specialists (professionals without management functions) in particular are less loyal. "It must be in the interest of companies," says Stefan Studer, managing director of Angestellten Schweiz, "to achieve more loyalty among these two groups." "If you want loyal employees," Studer says, "you have to be loyal to them, because loyalty is the result of an interaction." According to Employees Switzerland, employers can achieve more loyalty by communicating clearly and openly and by valuing employees and their work. Words and euphonious mission statements alone are not enough.

You can find the results of the survey in detail on www.angestellte.ch