A reference on the employee benefits market, Edenred has been developing a wide range of tools to understand social trends for over 50 years. Since 2004, more than 65,000 employees have already been surveyed.
"As an observatory for the job market, we constantly monitor social trends to stimulate the spirit of innovation among our teams and develop new solutions that improve the quality of life of employees" declared Jacques Stern, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Edenred.
The 2013 edition was conducted among a sample of 7,200 employees in six countries (Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, United Kingdom) between February and March.
This eighth edition of the 2013 Edenred-Ipsos barometer shows three major trends.
Growing concern about jobs in all of the surveyed countries
With unemployment approaching 10.9% in the European Union, the 2013 Edenred-Ipsos Barometer shows growing concern about jobs among employees (+4 points for France versus 2012, +15 points for Germany and +12 points for Italy).
For a vast majority of employees, holding onto their jobs is a major concern as well as purchasing power expectations which are increasing, especially in Southern Europe and France
Affirmed claims of "default" loyalty to employers
The 2013 results indicate that European employees are loyal to their companies in spite of the difficult economic context.
However, this "default" loyalty is observed at a time when professional dissatisfaction is higher than in 2012, with mobility being perceived as a risky enterprise.
The capacity to keep employees motivated is unequal between countries
The 2013 Edenred-Ipsos Barometer identifies various models, some of which are weathering the crisis better than others:
- "Contractual" environments in Germany and Belgium generate more recognition of work;
- There is a more "opportunistic" environment in the United Kingdom where employees are detached and potentially more volatile;
- Environments generating little recognition in Italy, France and Spain rely on very individualistic employee attitudes.
Antoine Solom, International Director, Ipsos Loyalty, emphasizes: "In crisis periods, it is important to not rely on 'default loyalty' but rather develop active, targeted employee policies, especially in the two key areas of well-being at work and professional development."