Economy causing higher workloads, lower morale.

From Washington Bunsiness Journal:

Hard economic times are tipping the scale toward heavier workloads, higher stress levels and lower morale, according to a survey by Robert Half International.

More than 4,800 hiring managers in finance and human resources across 21 countries responded.

In the report, 32 percent of U.S. respondents, compared to 40 percent globally, said that their finance and accounting departments had been affected by the downturn.

Among that group, 49 percent of U.S. respondents have a hiring freeze in place, 47 percent have consolidated roles and 38 percent have experienced layoffs.

When asked how the current economy has affected their individual employees, 48 percent of U.S. respondents cited increased stress, compared to 39 percent globally.

The next most commonly cited effects, both globally and in the U.S., were heavier workloads and decreased morale.

In response to the economic downturn and its impact on their employees, the majority of managers surveyed -- 62 percent in the U.S. and 70 percent globally -- have taken some form of action to better support their teams. The most common tactics employers worldwide are doing include redistributing workloads, upping communication with staff and postponing projects.