How to Improve IT Worker Morale

IT job satisfaction is at an all time low, and has been since January according to a CEB survey cited by ComputerWorld. We recently reported that about 1/3 of IT workers are ready to leave for another company. What can your organization do to boost morale and retain staff?

Cut Back the Hours

By far the biggest drag on tech workers is the number of hours worked - ComputerWorld puts the average workweek at 71 hours for IT staff. IT staff are often expected to work late into the night to fix problems, and still show up at 8:00 AM the next morning. Also, tech workers are frequently contacted at home and on vacation. At my first IT job after college, my boss told me "Forty hours a week is part-time."

ComputerWorld article asked why women leave careers in IT. The real question should be why anyone actually stays in the profession under these conditions.

Cutting hours for IT staff may sound like an impossible task, but it may actually lead to more productivity in addition to better morale. As the 37 Signals Book Rework points out: "Working more doesn't mean you care more or get
more done." According to a recent survey by Microsoft, the average worker is only productive for about 30 hours of their 46 hour work week.

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