In a recent post, I addressed the pressures on workers resulting from the economic downturn.  A  MetLife study, released in April (based on the fourth quarter of 2009), found that despite increased workloads, employees were more satisfied with benefits now, even though the benefits had not increased over the last years. 

However I tend to question the meaning of that result.  Could it be that they are more satisfied because they realize they might not have anything at all  in this uncertain job market?  That same survey indicated that 68% of those polled were beset by feelings of job insecurity.  This would not be the time to agitate for more life insurance and 401K contributions.

• 84% of employers said office productivity was a very important objective
• 40% of employees said workload had increased in the last 12 months

Retaining those benefits keeps the pressure on an employee.  45% were living paycheck to paycheck, and many were deferring retirement plans.

The emphasis is still on producing more with less, and good time management skills are always needed.  In some cases, there was previously a waste of resources, and so it is a good time to tighten and redirect assignments.  There has to be a balance for how much a person can be expected to achieve without multitasking under constant stress.  Otherwise, regardless of what your benefits are, the resultant long-term physical harm does not compensate.