A recent online poll shows that a surprising number of information-technology professionals–45 percent–said they would join a technology workers’ union if one existed.
The poll suggests that IT professionals may be starting to realize the potential power of collective bargaining. Entry-level IT workers seem to be more interested in organizing than higher-level workers, based on the poll by TechRepublic, an online destination developed exclusively for and by IT professionals.
Mark Chiampi, a TechRepublic member and an MIS systems specialist for a Florida county public school district, said he answered “yes” to the poll because he believes that, in general, companies don’t treat their IT employees very well.
“You can see it by the amount of turnover. How easy it is for [companies] to get rid of IT people,” he said.
At the same time, IT employees are known to leave a company at the drop of a hat for a better offer.
“I see problems with the sector. I think it’s a two-way street. When it gets harder for the worker, that’s when you see the unions being more viable because it’s needed to protect the worker from being treated harshly,” Chiampi said.
LAYOFF VICTIMS
ARE THEY FAIRLY TARGETED?
If an employee perceives that their gender, race, or age group made up a disproportionate number of layoffs, they are more likely to consider filing a lawsuit if it happened to them, according to a study by the Center for Research Conflict and Negotiation at the Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State University.
The study was not based on actual layoffs, said Dr. Barbara L. Gray, professor and director of the center who co-authored the study. Instead, managers were asked to assess a scenario in which members of different groups were laid off disproportionately. For instance, in one scenario, people over the age of 40 were laid off disproportionately to other groups. The layoff procedures also were varied. Some layoffs were done arbitrarily by supervisors, and others a diverse committee that based its decision on performance.
“What matters is how employees perceive the fairness or unfairness of the layoff decisions for members who were demographically similar to themselves,” Gray said.
These perceptions can also influence an employee’s opinion of management and their decision to stay on with a company, she said.
WOOING WAYS
TACTICS MAY BACKFIRE
A study by recruitment company Korn/Ferry says that for all employees’ talk about the importance of work-life balance and working for a company with a clear strategy for success, these factors have little positive effect on retention.
Companies that employ such tactics to woo the best talent could be creating an atmosphere of de-motivation among the rest of its workforce. The fact is, those crackerjack employees are usually the least loyal and the first to leave, the study shows.
Companies should focus retention strategies on individuals. Profit-related bonuses seem to have a nice ring. So does individual recognition.
JOB SATISFACTION
THE JOY OF TECHNOLOGY
There are a lot of people who’d quit working today if they were wealthy enough. But that’s not the case for some of the Silicon Valley’s richest workers. Surprisingly, a number of them could quit but they don’t because they are fascinated with their jobs and want to feel productive.
Some have also stated they feel a commitment to their colleagues. But by far the most passionate reason for going to work every day: They just can’t get enough of the technology.
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T. Shawn Taylor, staylor@tribune.com
