Survey results released Friday morning show that almost two in three employees (62%) in B.C.’s public service were satisfied and committed to their jobs in 2009 compared with 58% in 2008.
Produced by BC Stats, the study uses the terms “engaged,” “disengaged,” “happily detached” and “unhappily dedicated” to describe varying degrees of commitment and satisfaction among government employees.
Twenty-one per cent of respondents said they were “disengaged” in 2009, while 7% were “happily detached” and 11% were “unhappily dedicated.”
Government ministries dealing with health, education and social work along with enforcement and corrections had the highest number of employees who became less engaged or remained disengaged in 2009.
According to the survey, employees in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands and the BC Public Service Agency were some of the organizations with the highest rates of continuous disengagement over the 2008 and 2009 survey cycles.
Governmental ministries and organizations with the highest rate of formerly “engaged” employees who moved to a less positive state included the Olympic Games Secretariat and the ministries of small business, technology and economic development and housing and social development.
More than 90% of “engaged” employees from the ministries of aboriginal relations and reconciliation, labour and energy, mines and petroleum resources continued to be “engaged” in 2009.
The study said “engaged” employees are most at risk of becoming “disengaged” if they are not involved with work-related decision-making and innovation and if they do not see the organization taking steps to ensure the long-term success of its vision, mission and goals.