Recent media reports and surveys suggest that salary is no longer employees' top priority. But working people still attach importance to receiving remuneration commensurate with their skills and professional investment. Especially as many feel that they are regularly underpaid by their current employers.
In fact, 40% of the 34,612 working people questioned as part of ADP Research's “People at Work 2024” survey* say they are frequently confronted with payment errors. Executives are particularly likely to say they are “often or always” underpaid, whether they are middle management (24%) or senior management (28%), and this is due to the many hours of unpaid overtime they work. According to them, 37% of respondents spend between 6 and 10 hours a week working for free for their boss, which corresponds to at least three full days a month.
These payment mismatches are all the more regrettable as working people are dissatisfied with the remuneration they receive from their employers. Forty percent of those surveyed worldwide are dissatisfied with the amount shown on their pay slip, even though more than three out of four workers have received a pay raise in the last 12 months, an average increase of 4%.
It is interesting to note that, when it comes to remuneration, opinions differ from region to region. Nearly half (48%) of European workers believe they are underpaid, a higher proportion than in North America (46%), Latin America (42%) and Asia-Pacific (35%). On the Old Continent, only 53% of working people believe they are paid what they are worth for the work they do. The French are particularly likely to complain about this aspect of their working lives.
To make ends meet, a growing number of working people are turning to multiple jobs. A quarter of those surveyed hold several jobs at the same time. In this case, 42% do so to pay their living expenses, 31% to lead a more comfortable lifestyle, 23% to finance their retirement and 21% to pay off their debts. – AFP Relaxnews
*ADP Research's “People at Work 2024” survey polled 34,612 employees in 18 countries worldwide, including 15,383 in Europe, 9,567 in Asia-Pacific, 5,860 in Latin America and 3,802 in North America.
