| Fear of losing their jobs, work overload and stress in the workplace have information technology (IT) professionals across the country restless. ISR, an international employee research and consulting firm, annually conducts a survey comparing opinions on job stress and employment security issues between U.S.-based IT workers and the overall U.S. workforce.
According to the last survey done by ISR, the following breakdown of IT employee discontent:
- 51 percent of U.S. IT workers have a problem with job stress, compared to 41 percent of the overall U.S. workforce
- 53 percent complain of work overload compared to 39 percent of the overall workforce
- 33 percent of IT professionals are worried about the consequences of a corporate reorganization
Why? According to Dr. Gary Berger, executive director of IRS, “These responses reflect the growing perception that companies view of the IT function primarily as a cost-center instead of innovation that delivers a competitive advantage.”
When 75 percent of U.S. IT workers are worried about losing their jobs (compared to only 47 percent of the U.S. workforce), how can management restore confidence in job stability?
For starters, management needs to get the message across that IT contributes to the success of the company through innovation. This can help to begin to reverse the steady decline since 2001 of the number of IT employees who believe their employer rewards innovation.
Also, a company’s investment in strong workplace culture helps maintain a productive work-life balance while maintaining a career opportunities for the employees by providing the training and development needed for IT workers to pursue their career goals. | 
