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Employees value fair pay most, but also fair treatment, ethical standards

by | Dec 18, 2018 | Public Relations

It’s not surprising that the most important workplace value for full-time employees is fair pay, according to a recent survey from B2B ratings and reviews firm Clutch. In fact, more than half of employees (55 percent) ranked “compensates me fairly” as the 1st or 2nd most important workplace attribute.

While every generation ranked fair pay as the most important attribute, generations differed in their level of emphasis. Baby boomers value whether their company compensates them fairly the most (42 percent), ahead of Generation X (32 percent) and millennials (29 percent)—and companies should offer competitive pay to keep employees engaged.

But for companies that cannot afford that, other opportunities can suffice.
“I found many individuals highly motivated by loftier titles, added responsibilities, plusher offices, the respect of others in the organization,” said Victor Lipman, author of Type B Manager: Leading Successfully in a Type A World, in a news release.

Employees value a fair and ethical workplace

The second most important workplace attribute is that the employer “treats its workforce fairly,” with 54 percent of employees ranking it as the 1st or 2nd most important attribute. “High ethical standards” ranked 3rd, at 38 percent.

Employees value fair pay most, but also fair treatment, ethical standards

Fairness and ethical standards help an employee feel proud of their work. This is important as work becomes a larger part of employees’ lives.

“Work is, more than ever, embedded in our identity as individuals and we want to take pride in our jobs and in our workplaces,” said Patsy Doerr, global head of diversity and inclusion at Thomson Reuters, in the release.

Employees value fair pay most, but also fair treatment, ethical standards

Companies can promote fairness by offering support to employees that start out at a disadvantage and providing compensation based on skill and work, not privilege.

Companies can also promote high ethical standards by creating a code of ethics, rewarding positive behavior in the workplace, and using management to signal the importance of accountability.

Employees value fair pay most, but also fair treatment, ethical standards

Years ago, employees may not have considered the ethics as important to their choice of employer. This has changed.

“With a rising awareness of the need for equality now, more than ever before, employees are looking to ensure their workplace is meeting their corporate citizenship and ethical standards,” said Nate Masterson, CEO of bath and beauty company Maple Holistics, in the release.

Read the full survey report here.

Employees value fair pay most, but also fair treatment, ethical standards

Clutch surveyed 540 full-time employees to better understand which workplace attributes employees find most important. 

Richard Carufel
Richard Carufel is editor of Bulldog Reporter and the Daily ’Dog, one of the web’s leading sources of PR and marketing communications news and opinions. He has been reporting on the PR and communications industry for over 17 years, and has interviewed hundreds of journalists and PR industry leaders. Reach him at richard.carufel@bulldogreporter.com; @BulldogReporter

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