Nearly four in 10 employees in Ireland feel invisible or underappreciated at work, a survey commissioned by Workhuman for Employee Appreciation Day has found.

While close to half of the 1,000 full-time workers questioned for the study (47%) admit to feeling stressed at work, a third don't feel recognised for their contributions, and 35% feel they don't belong in their workplace.

Employees under the age of 24 were most likely to feel invisible and like they don't belong, with 45% of younger workers feeling invisible or under-appreciated at work and 43% saying they feel like they don’t belong.

The research, carried out in February by Pollfish, also highlighted a disconnect between co-workers, with 35% saying they don’t have a colleague who they can laugh with at work, and 31% feeling they don’t have a colleague who they can confide in or discuss problems with.

The survey also suggests that many employees are feeling overwhelmed by their workloads. Some 29% said they feel like they are competing with their colleagues to work long hours and 32% said they get little to no recognition from their employer for working overtime.

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“It’s clear from our survey that a significant proportion of workers in Ireland are feeling undervalued. They are disillusioned with the level of appreciation being shown for their contributions and a greater effort must be made by organisations to convey this in a meaningful way," said Niamh Graham, SVP of global human experience at Workhuman.

"What’s more, a lack of connection between colleagues, is worrying as good rapport and collaboration between teams contributes to a well-rounded workforce and, in turn, leads to more positive business outcomes."

The research found that remote working can exacerbate this ‘always on’ feeling, with 53% saying they struggle to switch off after their working day when working from home. Some 26% plan to leave their job in next 12 months due to number of hours they’re expected to work.

Greater recognition and appreciation for their work by managers and colleagues would boost morale and increase the feeling of connection at work for 37%, rising significantly to 59% for those working in large organisations of 1,000 people or more.

Employers are making progress in this respect, with nearly half (47%) of respondents saying they have received some form of gratitude from employers or colleagues.

Respondents also identified work social events (35%) and celebrating life events such as birthdays or moving house (31%) as factors that would help to boost their morale.

“As recognition becomes increasingly important to employee wellbeing, now more than ever, it is crucial for businesses to take recognition seriously and embed this into their fabric," Graham said.

"This is especially important for large businesses, where managers may be overseeing large teams with some employees’ efforts going unnoticed.

"It is encouraging to see that 47% of employees have received some form of gratitude from their employer or colleagues, but these should not be one-off instances and organisations must address how they can make recognition a part of their culture or risk losing their best talent.

"Employees need to know their worth and this will underpin organisational success into the future.”

Photo: Niamh Graham.