How do Czech workplace expectations compare to the global workforce?

A new study shows how Czech workers' expectations from their jobs stack up against what people want worldwide when it comes to compensation and job satisfaction. Czechs showed some significant differences from their global peers on topics ranging from compensation to life-work balance.

The Workmonitor 2023 report from human resources consultancy Randstad compared attitudes in 34 countries or regions around the world at the end of October 2022.

The economy and inflation have had a large impact on worker attitudes. “Today, economic uncertainty has added a new dimension to worker priorities and expectations. Facing a possible global recession ahead and rapidly rising cost of living, workers now also place tremendous value on employment that is secure and financially stable,” Randstad CEO Sander van ‘t Noordende said.

Worldwide, two out of every five people want a monthly cost-of-living bonus from their employer to deal with rising costs. Czechs, though, were least interested, with only 28 percent wanting one. Workers in neighboring Poland were most emphatic about a monthly bonus, at 54 percent.

On the other hand, Czechs seem to prefer a more definite approach to their income, with half of Czechs wanting a pay raise more than once a year, while worldwide this is at 39 percent. Overall, though, Czechs are also less likely to think their employer is helping them out in the face of rising costs, coming in at 6 percentage points below the global average of 49 percent.

Czechs were also less likely to let work-life balance guide their job decisions.

Czechs are a bit ahead of the curve for “quiet quitting,” or doing the absolute minimum at work, with 36 percent admitting to doing so compared to 31 percent worldwide. But Czechs are more likely to want to keep their jobs, despite drawbacks. They were slightly behind the global averages for quitting due to lack of flexibility, lack of advancement opportunities, and conflicts with personal life.

When it comes to attitudes about job security, Czech workers were close to the global averages on most measures. For both groups, just under two out of five people are worried about losing their jobs, and roughly half are confident they would get a new job right away. Three out of five people would not take a job that didn’t provide security, and over 90 percent of people feel job security is important.

When it comes to retirement, only one out of 10 Czechs thinks they will need to delay when they start collecting their pension, while worldwide this is 18 percent. But only two out of five Czechs think they will be able to retire before they turn 65, while worldwide just over half think they can retire early.

As the younger generations enter the workforce, company values are becoming more important. “A new social contract between employers and workers has come about, Gen-Z and Millenials place greater emphasis on values, and organizations increasingly link empathy and workplace experience to workforce excellence,” van ‘t Noordende said.

The survey was conducted online It is conducted online with people aged 18–67, employed for at least 24 hours per week or sole trader or unemployed but considering looking for a job in the future.

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