The Bad Management Decision That’s Made Almost 1 in 3 People Cry at Work

We've all had bad days at work, but it turns out that many of us have had "lock yourself in the bathroom stall for a few minutes to cry" days, too. 

According to Monster, 80% of people have cried at work. And a new survey has found the "why behind the cry." Three out of 10 people have cried at work because they feel unappreciated for what they do, according to a 2019 survey by Snappy. Whether their boss doesn't shout them out for an accomplishment or their company culture makes them feel replaceable, they feel so unengaged that it warrants a few tissues. 

We've all felt unwanted in certain social situations, but a lack of recognition can be especially disastrous in work settings. According to Gallup, employees who do not feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they'll quit in the next year. And there's no question why: we spend many hours a week at work and we want to feel like what we're doing there is making an impact — if not on our world, at least on our team. 

This should be validating for those of us who've felt sensitive for letting a lack of positive feedback get under our skin. If you're feeling unrecognized at work, it might be time to talk to your boss about the volume of feedback you're receiving — good and bad — or time to start implementing more shout outs in your office ecosystem. Leaders can take the front line in improving feedback loops by recognizing their direct reports for accomplishments, big and small. 

And if your moves to make work feel more positive go unanswered, it might be time to seek out a more supportive company culture. Good thing you can do that right here on FGB.