Work

Environment
Survey
Report of Results 2011

Finding Patterns in Employee Attitudes

 Work
Environment
Survey
Report of Results 2011

Finding Patterns in Employee Attitudes

10 COMMUNICATION
The basic concept of communication is straightforward –
one person shares information with another person...employees and
senior leaders may have very different perspectives on communication.

14 SATISFACTION & COMMITMENT

Over one-third of a person’s life is dedicated to the
workplace. For most people, work is something that defines
who they are and how they spend their time.

20 SUPERVISION
Supervisor relationships are essential to understanding how
employees think and feel about their jobs and their organization.

24 WORKLOAD & WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Oftentimes, having a heavy workload can negatively impact an
employee’s time for family, friends, hobbies and community interests.

30 WORKPLACE HEALTH AND SAFETY

Workplace health and safety is an area that covers a wide range of
issues that can affect employees.

34 STRATEGY ORIENTATION
Government departments and central agencies are required to develop
strategic plans that outline their goals and objectives for a three-year period.

36 LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Individuals must take personal ownership of their own learning and development.

40 SOCIAL RELATIONS
The term “co-workers” typically refers to employees who work in the
same division or work unit of a department.

43 RESULTS
Work Environment Survey: Report of Results 2011

57 Q + A
Frequently asked questions regarding the Work Environment Survey
The information included in this
document is vital to the Government
of Newfoundland and Labrador’s
human resource planning, which in turn
continually improves our public service
working environment and allows us,
as employees, to better serve the public.
 finding patterns in employee attitudes
thanks to the more than 3500 dedicated public employees
who completed the 2011 Work Environment Survey.
Without their cooperation, this valuable work could not
have been accomplished.

The survey was produced by the Public Service Secretariat

in collaboration with the Newfoundland and Labrador
Statistics Agency.

From start to finish, great care was taken to provide a quality

Work Environment Survey. The survey questions were developed
by the Public Service Secretariat using current academic
research combined with practical advice from public sector
employers across Canada. The Newfoundland and Labrador
Statistics Agency administered the survey, employing industry
leading methodologies for data collection and confidentiality.
The document in your hands was created by Public Service
Honourable Thomas W. Marshall, Q.C. Secretariat employees.
Minister of Finance
President of Treasury Board Thank you to all of the valued employees who contributed
Minister Responsible for the their time and energy to the Work Environment Survey.
Public Service Secretariat The information in this document is vital to the Government
of Newfoundland and Labrador’s human resource planning,
which in turn continually improves our public service working
environment and allows us, as employees, to better serve
the public.


your public service.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 05

 In 2011, the Public Service Secretariat (PSS), in
partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador
Statistics Agency (NLSA), conducted the Work
Environment Survey (WES) in the core public
service. Approximately 8,000 employees across
government departments and central agencies
were surveyed and over 3,500 (44%) participated.
Employees received their questionnaire by mail.
Completed questionnaires were returned to the
NLSA for processing.

The WES measures various attitudes and opinions

using 70 statements about the workplace. These
statements measure employee attitudes about
their job, sense of commitment, supervisor, co-
workers, senior leaders, communication, health and
safety, learning and development, compensation,
workload, work-life balance and strategic plans.
The WES focuses on these particular aspects
of the workplace because of their relevance to
human resource management within the core
public service. Using a 5-point scale, survey
participants rated each statement according to
their level of agreement, which could range from
“Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”.

In addition to the survey, 11 focus groups were

conducted to further explore several topics from
the WES. Participants were randomly selected and
they volunteered to take part in a relatively small
focus group (typically 3-6 participants).

06 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 a topic of interest. Survey results have played
an increasingly important role in supporting
decision-making, policy development and
planning in the area of human resource
management. Results have also supported the
development of government’s Human Resource
Management Strategy.

For many individuals, the workplace offers

more than just the opportunity to earn
money and make a living. It is a place where
one can be a productive member of society;
where friends and acquaintances are made;
and where people find a sense of belonging.
Employees are the driving force of every
workplace. Nothing gets done without them.
The relationship between people, work and
the workplace has been the subject of many
Each group discussed a topic or set of topics with studies over the last century. Organizations
a facilitator and sessions typically lasted 45 to are interested in what employees think, feel
90 minutes. Discussions centered on personal and do while at work because their well-
experiences related to communication and trust, being is critical to organizational success.
workload and work-life balance, health and safety, This perspective is what guides a great deal
strategic planning or supervision. Participants of human resource management theory and
included administrative professionals, human practice. The challenge for organizations is to
resource professionals, managers, directors, apply this research in ways that will enable
executives and various consultants, planners and employees to feel valued and effective in
specialists. the workplace.
It is important to realize that the survey results
do not tell everything there is to know about the
workplace. Organizations are constantly changing
- whether it is through the coming and going of
employees, new leadership, shifting work priorities
or building upgrades. The lives of employees also
change over time. Marriage, families, deaths, illness
and good fortune are all things that can affect the
thoughts and feelings of individuals. The survey
results reflect all these variations and varieties of
experience that can occur in life and at work but
they cannot explain why employees think and feel
the way they do.

Taken as a whole, the WES gives a sense of what

employees are thinking at a point in time. This type
of information can be very helpful in determining
human resource planning priorities. WES results
are particularly useful in identifying questions
that require further research to better understand
why employees think or feel a certain way about

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 07

 PROCESS OVERVIEW
The Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency (NLSA) is responsible for administering the Work
Environment Survey (WES). There is a great deal of planning and effort that goes into making the WES
happen. Many decisions are made from the time the survey starts to the reporting of its results. All
information is collected under the authority of the Statistics Agency Act to ensure the protection of privacy
and confidentiality of everyone who takes part in the survey. The following is a basic overview of the
steps used by the NLSA to administer the WES.

MAIL OUT SURVEY FRAME

Using the mailing list from the survey frame, People who are eligible to take part in the survey are
questionnaires are sent to all of the employees on identified. This list of people is called a survey frame.
the list. Questionnaires are printed, put into addressed For the WES, the NLSA receives a survey frame from the
envelopes and distributed using government’s client. A lot of time is spent validating the survey frame
internal mailroom. In 2011, approximately 8,000 to ensure that information contained in the frame is
questionnaires were prepared for the mail out. accurate and in-scope.

DATA COLLECTION DATA ENTRY

The longest part of the survey is data collection. Completed questionnaires are transported to
Employees receive their questionnaire, make a a secure area for processing. Questionnaires
decision to participate, fill out the questionnaire, then remain unopened until they arrive at the restricted
return it to the NLSA. This process can take as little processing facility. Data is entered by hand into the
as a couple weeks or as long as a few months. CATI system. At this point, data can only be entered
and not extracted by staff performing the data entry.

08 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 CLIENT NEEDS PROJECT FILE

All new clients are required to complete a form that Once a client form is submitted, a project file is
outlines the objectives for a survey. Clients identify created that will cover all aspects of the survey
what questions need to be answered, the specific from start to finish. This helps track decisions and
topic(s) that will be addressed and how the collected timelines during the survey process and can provide
data will be analyzed and used. an overview of the survey for future reference.

CATI QUESTIONNAIRE

The questionnaire is implemented into a Computer A questionnaire is developed in consultation with

Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system, which the client based on the needs and objectives for the
will contain all the data collected for the survey. To survey. This can be a lengthy step depending on the
protect confidential and personal information, the CATI questionnaire being developed.
system has its own secure network that is separate from
all other government networks. The computers connected
to this network cannot use e-mail or the Internet.

DATABASE REPORTING

Survey data is extracted from the CATI system by WES data is analyzed in-depth. Basic and advanced
an authorized official to check the data for errors, statistical tests and procedures are used to assess the
consistency and completeness. Then the data are survey data. General survey results are prepared for
coded for statistical analysis. The WES data now the core public service and presented in the report
belongs in a database that can only be accessed you are currently reading.
in a secure area by a very limited number of
people who manage the WES.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 09

 COMMUNICATION: AN
The basic concept of communication is straightforward – one person shares information with another person. Since
the arrival of the Internet and the World Wide Web, communication has become easier than ever. Yet, despite its
apparent simplicity, communication is often mentioned as a challenge for many organizations. Several focus groups
were conducted with employees at all levels to better understand why communication seems so challenging.
A number of topics were addressed by focus group participants but one thing became very clear: Employees and
senior leaders may have very different perspectives on communication and how it happens in the organization.

SEEING THROUGH THE COMMUNICATION LENS

Analysis of data from the Work Environment Survey organizational communication. For example, a senior
has demonstrated that employee attitudes towards leader might send out an e-mail message and expect
communication and senior leaders are closely related. it to be read by others. Similarly, some employees
Employees who think communication is good are receive a lot of information within their department
likely to have similar thoughts about their leaders. but they expect the important messages to stand out.
There are a few observations to make here. First,
communication is a fundamental building block of
organizational culture. Employees view their workplace
through the lens of communication. This suggests
the importance of senior leaders staying focused
on what gets communicated, when, how and why.

Second, the relationship between employees and senior

leaders can impact attitudes about communication.
In fact, there is evidence to suggest that working and
interacting with senior leaders has a positive impact on
the perceived quality of communication. Being able to
understand and relate to senior leaders may be a critical
factor to improving organizational communications.

Another observation is that effective communication

does not necessarily mean pushing out lots of information
to employees. A number of executives identified the
many ways in which they communicate with staff but
were frustrated by the fact that many employees were
still not satisfied with communication. The difference
between departmental efforts and employee attitudes
may be based on the expectations that people have for

MIXED
Executives had mixed feelings about the BlackBerry, which allows them to send
and receive e-mails while away from the office. The practical nature of the
BlackBerry makes it easy for senior leaders to manage work on the go, whether
they are in meetings, at home or traveling outside of the province. It also seems

FEELINGS
that e-mails are often the easiest way to communicate with executives. As such,
executives tend to receive a lot of e-mails – some have reported receiving over a
hundred e-mails every day. “I spend lots and lots of time trying to read and respond
to e-mails in a timely manner,” one executive said, “If [people] are e-mailing

10 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

NOTHER PERSPECTIVE
COMMUNICATING OUR EXPECTATIONS CLEARLY
Employees have indicated the importance of feeling “in Managing expectations and keeping them realistic
the loop” when it comes to departmental matters. They may be crucial to improving communication. In several
expect organizational communications to be clear and focus groups, a number of participants highlighted
employees want opportunities for feedback. And when that employees should be aware that they work for the
employees do provide feedback or ask a question, they public service and that not all information can always be
look for a response. During a focus group, one employee communicated effectively. One departmental executive
explained that responses from others do not have to be noted that, “Employees express frustration that they
immediate but the response should not be forgotten. “I can turn on the radio and hear that the department
can appreciate someone saying ‘Leave that with me’ as is taking a new direction… without ever having heard
long as they… make a decision by next week. And if by of it.” Organizational priorities can change quickly in
next week you can’t have a decision, just let me know.” response to public issues. Changing priorities are
common to public service organizations and they can
be difficult to communicate depending on the issue at
hand, who is involved and how quickly a department
needs to respond. Executives also point out that there
are many factors and considerations that influence
decision-making in the organization. According to the
Work Environment Survey, 41% of employees agree
that essential information flows effectively from senior
leadership to staff. This result is similar to the average
of other jurisdictions across Canada. Employees may
sometimes feel like they are not getting enough
information about certain decisions in their department.
But as one executive said, “That can happen to
me, too.” This is the nature of large organizations.

you, they want your input or a decision so you have to respond.” It is also common for executives to check their
BlackBerry frequently throughout the day in order to keep up. One individual described their morning routine as
waking up, checking their BlackBerry and then going to the washroom. The technology of the BlackBerry has clearly
affected the workplace. As a communication tool, it has opened up the gates by dramatically increasing the level of
access employees and executives have with each other. However, it seems that the higher volume of communication
has had some negative consequences for executive workloads. “You will see us checking our BlackBerry in the
parking lot, on the stairs, [and] running between meetings,” said another executive, “It’s an almost impossible task.”

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 11

 MOVING BEYOND
PERCEPTION BARRIERS
When information is not available, people will often various levels of the organization, from employees to
make assumptions to fill in the gaps based on their directors to executives, a pattern seems to emerge. Ask
experience and understanding. Survey results and a typical employee where communication issues come
focus group findings indicate a level of frustration from and they might mention their supervisor but will
with information moving slowly throughout the likely refer to executives. If you talk to directors, some
organization. In some cases, there may be a real of them perceive a communication gap with their
breakdown in the flow of communication. But there executives. Ask executives about communication issues
are times when people make false or unrealistic and some of them will acknowledge information gaps
assumptions about how, when and why information with central agencies. Regardless of whether or not these
should be shared by senior leaders. Many of the gaps actually exist, what is interesting is that each level
assumptions that employees make are based on how of the organization tends to think that communication
they perceive their work environment. Perceptions issues, to some degree, come from somewhere “higher” in
reflect how people understand themselves, the organization. What makes this all the more interesting
others and their environment – so if something is is that individuals at each level of the organization tend
misunderstood then the perception may be off-track. to think their own efforts to communicate are adequate.
By examining the perceptions of communication at
It can be difficult to share information effectively when
assumptions and expectations about communication
are taken for granted. One focus group participant shed
some light on the assumptions that some people make
using the example of sending an e-mail. “As soon as I
push send, I know that you know.” The assumption that
communication has occurred can be one of the biggest
barriers to effectively communicating with others.

12 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

ALWAYS IMPROVING OUR
Perhaps the most obvious point about communication
practices is that they must be used in a way that makes
sense to employees. E-mail might be an easy way to

COMMUNICATION PRACTICES communicate but it may not be the most effective

approach for every situation. Although senior leaders
might expect employees to read important messages
Communication practices are another critical factor for about the organization, these can get lost among the
effective communication. One of the most common forms other e-mails that fill an inbox. Staff meetings can
of communication today is e-mail. While some argue that be a very effective communication tool but employees
e-mail has made information sharing easier, it has not expect these meetings to be meaningful. A recent study
necessarily made communication more effective. One by the Public Service Secretariat found that employees
employee said that it can be difficult to distinguish what thought staff meetings were a good thing. However,
is important and what is irrelevant when everything is this attitude was underlined by an expectation that
communicated by e-mail. “The onus is on the employee to staff meetings should not be held for the sake of having
prioritize it, read it and understand it.” Another employee them. If staff meetings are relevant to employees,
observed past practices, saying, “When things were really they can have a positive impact on attitudes toward
important you got a letter or had a meeting.” Direct and communication in general. Study participants who
timely communication from senior leaders can go a long thought that their staff meetings were open, roundtable
way to making employees feel informed and connected. discussions were more likely to have a positive
One director talked about a time when her Assistant attitude toward departmental communications than
Deputy Minister attended a staff meeting to explain a those who were not satisfied with their staff meetings.
departmental decision and recalled the positive impact
it had on her staff. “One staff meeting and that puts a
human face on the decision and the executive,” she said.

Departmental senior leaders have made strong efforts

to improve communications by introducing practices
including newsletters, more frequent staff meetings,
videoconferencing, annual departmental meetings and (in

IN THE REAL WORLD

some cases) internal websites or Intranets. These forms of
communication are often used for practical reasons. For

COMMUNICATION
example, departments with regional offices have noted
the value of videoconference technology to better connect
with staff outside of St. John’s. Similarly, having hundreds

IS COMPLICATED
of employees in a department can make it difficult for
senior leaders to personally involve themselves with
every staff member. This is why annual or semi-annual
departmental assemblies can be invaluable opportunities
for senior leaders to socialize and talk with employees.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 13

 SAT
ISF
ACT
ION

14 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Finding Satisfaction &
Commitment in the Workplace

A lot of attention has been paid to the Things that interfere with job performance,
importance of work and the significant role it such as poor communication, inadequate
plays in the lives of most people. Early academic equipment and supplies, restrictive budgets,
studies in organizational psychology found lack of help from others, lack of employee
that the thoughts and feelings employees had skill, ambiguous or conflicting job duties, tight
about their work and the workplace also had deadlines and poor working conditions, all
a tremendous impact on many aspects of the have a negative impact on job satisfaction.
organization. Job satisfaction and organizational Research suggests that poor supervision often
commitment have been frequently studied hinders employee job performance, which
to understand how employee attitudes affect suggests that good supervision is essential to
organizations. As early as the 1920s, employers job satisfaction.
began to introduce new ways to effectively
manage the workforce. Policies regarding Several academic studies indicate that job
compensation, hours of work, job duties, social satisfaction is also influenced by employee
interaction and even music in the workplace personality. This line of thinking stemmed
began to emerge. These and other policies from observations that some employees were
were developed with the intent of making always unhappy about their job, even when
employees happier and more comfortable in they changed jobs. Personality traits that
the workplace. After all, a happy employee was have been studied by researchers include a
thought to be a productive employee. Human person’s sense of control (i.e., whether or not
resource management has become increasingly a person controls his or her own fate) and the
sophisticated over the years but the goal has tendency to experience negative emotions
not changed: improve the quality of employees’ (i.e., anxiety, depression, etc.). In both cases,
working lives so they can be efficient and employees who feel they are in control of their
effective in the workplace. life and experience fewer negative emotions
are more likely to feel satisfied in their job.
The concept of job satisfaction is straightforward Academic research also supports the idea that
– it is the extent to which employees like or job satisfaction occurs when job characteristics
dislike their job. According to the survey results, fit well with personal qualities. Person-job fit
75% of employees are satisfied with their job. occurs when employees have a job that suits
Work that requires a variety of skills, has impact their skills, interests and needs for growth and
on others, requires autonomy and provides development.
employees with feedback is likely to give
employees a sense of satisfaction. Other areas
of work can also affect job satisfaction.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 15

 COM
If job satisfaction refers to the relationship between
employees and their job, then organizational
commitment illustrates the relationship employees
have with their organization as a whole. Committed
employees are ones who stay with the organization

MITM
during good times and bad. They will attend
work regularly, put in a full day’s work (and then
some), protect organizational interests and help
the organization achieve its goals and objectives.
Committed employees identify themselves as being a
part of the organization, which has obvious benefits

ENT
to the employer. According to the survey, 72% of
employees are proud to tell people that they work
for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Having employees who can be trusted and depended
upon can make it easier for supervisors and senior
leaders to successfully run an organization.

However, commitment can have negative

consequences, too. Employees who are devoted to the
“status quo” of their organization can hinder progress,
change and innovation. Committed employees will
also often spend more time in the workplace. This
can improve productivity but it may come at the
cost of personal time for families, friends, hobbies
and community involvement. Despite these less
desirable outcomes, some academics point out that
the opposite of commitment is alienation, a feeling of

I'm proud to tell

people I work in
the public service. I'm interested
in the work
that I do.

16 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

isolation in the workplace. Employees who feel The inability to distinguish engagement
isolated are likely to leave the organization. from satisfaction and commitment raises
In this regard, the level of commitment the question of whether or not engagement
employees have to the organization is an is merely a repackaging or repurposing of
important part of how employees experience older but otherwise well-defined concepts.
the workplace. Employees who are satisfied with their job
and committed to the workplace are expected
Although still discussed by academics, to be happier, more productive and less likely
satisfaction and commitment seem to have to leave their job. No matter what label is
been replaced by the concept of “employee used, many organizations continue to search
engagement” in many organizations. Employee for ways to improve how they manage their
engagement is often defined in terms that workforce. By recognizing the importance
are very similar to descriptions of satisfaction of job satisfaction and organizational
and commitment. Furthermore, many studies commitment, employers can better understand
of employee engagement appear to use their workforce. Hopefully this understanding
measures of organizational commitment (but can lead to workplace improvements that will
not job satisfaction) to assess the “level of benefit employees, their work and their sense
engagement” in the workplace. Engagement of well-being.
is also often given credit for outcomes that
have traditionally been associated with
satisfaction and commitment. These outcomes
include fewer turnovers, less absenteeism,
improved productivity, employees going “above
and beyond” their required duties, improved
personal well-being and an overall sense of
life satisfaction.

My work gives
My organization me a sense of
is a great accomplishment.
place to work.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 17

 Putting your heart into it
When asked if their work was meaningful in the Work Environment
Survey, a resounding 84% of employees agreed that it was. Work can
be meaningful in many different ways. Some employees find meaning
in helping others or supporting their family. Others find meaning in their
ability to do their job well. There are some that think public service is
meaningful while others are satisfied by the challenges of their work.
All of these examples highlight the fact that employees can find
meaning in their work for very distinct reasons and still have a
sense of satisfaction with their job.

18 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

84%
AGREE

10%
NEUTRAL

6%
DISAGREE

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 19

 su·per
02
A good supervisor knows how, when and what to
communicate with employees. Many of the managers and
directors in the focus group agreed that communication
is critical to their role. This is particularly important when
setting expectations and goals for the work that is done

01 by employees. Supervisors need to consider where the

team is going, how to get there, and what each employee’s
Supervisor relationships are essential to priorities are in their position. As one director stated
understanding how employees think and feel during the focus group, “A good supervisor is somebody
about their jobs and their organization. Since who is able to look at the task at hand, ask what are the
they are often the first point of contact for resources… and how do we make effective use of those
employees, supervisors can have a great deal resources? How do we maximize the potential of our
of influence on the day-to-day experience employees?”
of their staff. They help employees find and
navigate the various programs, services and Feedback can be an effective way for supervisors to
benefits offered by the employer. provide guidance to their employees. According to the
Work Environment Survey, 57% of employees agree that
During a focus group with directors and their supervisor gives them useful feedback on their job
managers across government, it became performance. A recent academic study showed that many
apparent that they saw their role as a common forms of feedback were not actually effective.
supervisor to be a privilege. Without a doubt, Feedback that was general, abstract and delayed resulted
supervisors can have tremendous impact on in improved employee performance only 30 percent of the
the organization through their relationships time. It appears that effective feedback must be immediate,
with staff. As one focus group participant said, specific and constructive if the goal is to support and
“Good supervisors respect you, they value your develop employees.
opinion, they work just as hard as you, they are
interested and knowledgeable about the work A few supervisors who were based in St. John’s discussed
they are doing and this is what makes them the challenge of providing feedback to employees located
good at what they do.” in regional offices. “It’s complicated when the staff you
supervise aren’t with you. All of my staff are outside the
Academic research has demonstrated that, Confederation Building, most of them off the Avalon
depending on the relationship they have with Peninsula, so I have to supervise remotely,” said one
employees, supervisors can be the biggest supervisor. “I find the [onus] is particularly on me and my
source of job support and job stress in the role to ensure that information is shared equitably.” Setting
workplace. A great supervisor can make any up ways to share information and have regular meetings
job worthwhile, but weak supervision can can go a long way to ensure regional employees feel
impact employees, yielding higher rates part of the group. As one supervisor said, “[Show] you’re
of absenteeism, turnover, sick leave and interested in what they’re doing, even though you’re not
grievances. there face to face.”

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 vi·sion
supervision  /’su:pә‘vɪʒ(ә)n/ noun. 1 superintendence,
overseeing the performance of (a process, a task, etc.).   
2 critically watching and directing the actions or work
of (a person, a worker). [origin 1615-25; Medieval Latin
supervīsiōn-(stem of supervīsiō) oversight]

03
Supervisors often have multiple roles in the
workplace in addition to managing their
employees. Many supervisors will be tasked with
managing their own work, operational functions
(e.g., monitoring budgets, leave, health and safety)
and strategic functions (e.g., workforce planning,
strategic planning, annual reporting), sometimes
all at the same time. Balancing all of these 04
priorities is part of the challenge for anyone who Current research by the Public Service
takes on a supervisory role. Secretariat suggests that supervisors can
positively impact an employee’s sense of job
The high demands placed on supervisors suggest satisfaction, commitment, career development,
that workload management is crucial for effective health and safety awareness and organizational
supervision. Delegation of work can significantly understanding. Developing and supporting a
improve supervisor workloads but this approach relationship with employees should always be
should be taken with some caution. Giving too a priority for supervisors. Good relationships
many additional tasks will increase the workload require persistence – it is not enough to
of employees. Giving tasks that are too difficult establish a good relationship without
will frustrate employees, straining the supervisor- supporting it over time. The potential impact
employee relationship. Effective delegation occurs of supervisors on employee well-being makes
when employees are given tasks that offer just the good supervisors vital to the success of any
right amount of challenge. organization.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 21

 Ideas for Effective Supervision

• Remind yourself and your staff that you • Being a good supervisor is not
work for the public service. Your role the same as being a good friend.
is to serve the interests of government, Don’t allow social relationships
your department and the general public. inside or outside of the workplace
to cloud your judgment as a
• Know your organization’s policies and supervisor.
procedures and expect the same of your
employees. • Give credit where it is due
but make sure that recognition
• Leverage what people do well – every is meaningful. Employee
employee has a unique skill set that expectations can range from
may or may not be evident in their receiving a private “thank you”
current job. Learn about your employees’ to being acknowledged
strengths and weaknesses. in more public ways in front of
their peers and executives.
• Know what to delegate and when to
delegate it. Supervisors who delegate • Have an “open door” policy –
all of their tasks to employees may encourage employees to speak
contribute to workload and work- freely with you by
life balance issues. Be considerate listening to them and respecting
of employee knowledge, skills what they have to say.
and abilities when delegating tasks.
• Check in with employees on a
• Avoid micromanaging whenever regular basis. Pay attention to
possible but ensure that expectations what employees are doing and
for work are clear and understood by show interest in their work by
employees. asking questions.

• Support your employees by coaching

them. Let them make mistakes but
address performance issues when they
happen.

22 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

How to Support Your Supervisor

• Realize that supervisors are busy people.

They are often supporting other employees
and departmental executives on any number
of organizational issues. If you are looking for
feedback, let them know what you need but
also ask when you might get feedback.

• Ask your supervisor if there is anything you

can do to support them. This can encourage
supervisors to delegate work and it may
lead to valuable learning opportunities
for employees.

• Turn complaints into ideas. Complaining

about workplace issues may help vent your
frustrations but it will not lead to change.
Offer constructive advice or ideas to your
supervisor on how things could be better
rather than focusing only on the negative side
of your issues.

• Discuss your job expectations, as well as

your career goals, with your supervisor. It
is your responsibility to develop a work
plan and learning plan in consultation with
your supervisor.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 23

 Managing the
Pressures of
Work and Life
In today’s fast-paced world, work and life no longer
seem to be separate things. Oftentimes, having a
heavy workload can negatively impact an employee’s
time for family, friends, hobbies and community
interests. Likewise, family responsibilities, volunteer
commitments and other lifestyle factors can limit an
employee’s time at work. Work and life are two areas
that need to be balanced in order for a person to feel
happy, healthy and productive.

24 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 25
 Workload and has estimated that health costs related to poor work-
life balance could be as high as 18.8 billion dollars. In

Work-life Conflict addition to poorer health, there is evidence to suggest

that work-life conflict can also result in less effective
parenting, family dysfunction and marital breakdown.
Workload is often seen as the amount of work that
an employee must do within a certain period of Issues related to workload and work-life balance
time. According to the survey, 59% of employees were discussed during several focus groups and
are satisfied with their workload. But there are participants noted that work demands will often
a number of personal factors that can affect increase as employees move into more senior positions
workload, including one’s knowledge, skill, ability, in their field. This seems to be the case at all levels
memory and attention to a task. Organizational of the organization, from administrative professionals
factors such as vacancies and management style to executives. As one employee said, “To go up [in
can also contribute to workload issues. There the organization], you do more work.” Focus group
are even some employees who will deliberately participants were proud of their work ethic – for many,
take on extra work – dedication, promotions and it was their ability to do a good job that opened career
recognition can motivate this behavior. Clearly opportunities within the organization. However, finding
there are many reasons why employees might the time to pursue career goals often comes at a price.
experience workload stress. “There’s a little bit of sacrifice that goes with it,” said one
individual, “You’re trying to balance everything in your
Workload can make it difficult for employees to life… and it’s just a constant struggle.”
fulfill their family responsibilities and personal
commitments. Ideally, employees would be able During a focus group with executives, the struggle to
to meet their work commitments, as well as maintain a sense of balance between work and life was
have the flexibility and support to focus on their a major topic of discussion. Between early mornings,
personal lives. Balancing work commitments with non-stop meetings, brief lunches, afternoons filled with
other priorities in life is often referred to as work- paperwork and late evenings, executives find it difficult
life balance. However, there are many times when to maintain a personal life. “I tremendously enjoy all
work and life interfere with each other and this is the challenges completely,” said one individual, “[But]
when work-life conflict occurs. Current academic my ability to have a personal life is limited”. Another
research suggests that work-life conflict is common executive spoke of his inability to have personal
to many employees and oftentimes it is work that interests outside of work because of workload – in fact,
interferes with personal and family time. the individual said he would be embarrassed to let
employees realize how much time he spends working
When work and life responsibilities are in conflict, at home after hours. For executives, senior leaders and
employees can experience symptoms of stress. many other employees, the boundary between work and
Common signs of stress might include difficulty life is blurred. Personal time seems always intertwined
concentrating, moodiness, aches and pains, with work responsibilities even when employees make
procrastination, poor sleep and poor diet among an effort to keep them separated.
others things. And the effect of stress from poor
work-life balance has wide-ranging social and
economic impacts. In Canada, federal research

26 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Impact of Technology work-life balance are more likely to experience less
turnover, higher productivity and more commitment
from employees.
The role of technology in the workplace was an
interesting topic of discussion among focus group Of course, flexible work arrangements need to be
participants. Computers, e-mail and BlackBerry devices considered by management to determine the impact
have had a significant impact on workloads and work- on the organization’s ability to provide services,
life balance. Without a doubt, these technologies have administer programs and meet deadlines. Sometimes
made it easier to get work done. Word processors jobs require employees to be at work during certain
are faster and easier to use than typewriters. E-mail hours, which can make it difficult to attend to personal
makes it easier to communicate with co-workers and or family matters. Having supportive supervisors
senior leaders. And it would be absurd to expect most and senior leaders can make a big difference for
employees to do their job without the aid of computers employees. Listening to employees, answering
and computerized equipment. Technology has clearly questions, as well as setting goals and expectations
advanced the workplace but it also has a downside. for work are some ways that management can support
Focus group participants felt that their ability to work employees. It is particularly important for management
faster and better has only increased the expectation to effectively implement work-life policies and
that more work can and should be done in shorter programs. For example, compressed work weeks might
periods of time. Technology has created a new standard be problematic if a supervisor allows every employee
for work but there is a sense that some employees are to have the same Friday or Monday as their day off.
simply trying to keep up with their workloads. However, a supervisor could potentially extend office
hours with little to no impact on business if employees
were scheduled to take their day off on different days

Flexible Work of the week.

Arrangements There is no single solution to fixing workload issues

and work-life conflict. Employees can experience issues
Academic research suggests that organizations play with workload and work-life balance for many different
an important role in supporting employees to balance reasons. Although they are different, workload and
their work and life responsibilities. According to the work-life balance are often closely related. Relevant
survey, 57% of employees have support at work to policies and programs are important but they cannot
balance their work and personal life. Flexible work have impact without the support of supervisors and
arrangement policies and programs are helpful for senior leaders to implement them effectively. The
employees to manage the time they spend in the organizational, social and economic impact of stress
workplace. In studies by Health Canada, employees that can result from heavy workloads and work-life
who use flex-time, compressed work week and/or conflict can be substantial. Employees, supervisors
e-work (e.g., working from home) arrangements were and senior leaders must work together to identify
more likely to cope better with heavy workloads. reasonable solutions to workload and work-life
Organizations that support and promote employee balance.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 27

 A sense of balance
When asked if they were satisfied with their work-life balance in
the Work Environment Survey, 72% of employees agreed they were.
Finding the right balance between work and personal responsibilities
is necessary for a happy, healthy life. Stress from workload and
work-life conflict is estimated to cost billions of dollars in Canada
every year in healthcare and dependent care. Flexible work
arrangements and a supportive organization can make all the
difference. Allowing employees to take care of their personal lives
would mean less turnover, more productivity and higher commitment
in the workplace.

28 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

72% 14% 13%
AGREE NEUTRAL DISAGREE

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 29

IMPORTANT
Workplace health and safety
is an area that covers a wide range of issues that can affect
employees. Perhaps the most common stereotype about health
and safety is that it deals with workplace hazards, which can include
equipment, hazardous materials, dangerous work conditions and
emergency procedures. These are all important aspects of health
and safety. Some less obvious, although no less important, issues
can include workplace stress, harassment, discrimination, mental
health and workplace violence.

The degree to which employees are aware of health and safety issues
in the workplace was addressed by the survey. Overall, it appears that
approximately 90 percent of employees believe they are aware of
workplace hazards and their role and responsibility for protecting their
own health and safety. Of course, there is some concern that employees
can easily take health and safety for granted. In discussing health and
safety issues with human resource managers responsible for integrated
disability management, one individual noted, “Sometimes you don’t
know what you don’t know.”

This may be the case particularly for employees who work in a typical
office environment where workplace hazards may be less obvious
than hazards posed when working with machinery, handling toxic
substances, interacting with wildlife or handling prisoners.

30 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Supervisors play a critical role in ensuring that employees are
aware of health and safety issues, including what to do in case
of an emergency. In many cases, according to human resource
managers, employees see their supervisor as the person responsible
for health and safety in the workplace. Executives can also play
an important role by showing their support for health and safety
initiatives. By participating in relevant meetings, committees and
North American Occupational Health and Safety Week activities,
supervisors and senior leaders can lead by example.

Departments can also rely on the Strategic Human Resource

Management Division to provide sound advice on health and safety
issues. Specifically, Managers of Integrated Disability Management
play a key advisory role in workplace health and safety issues.
They develop and monitor programs, policies and other initiatives
related to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, sick leave,
workplace ergonomics, worker’s compensation and helping
employees return to the workplace after an injury or illness.

Employees have perhaps the most important role in health and

safety matters. Each person is responsible for the well-being
of themselves and others in the workplace. Whether it means
learning first aid, getting involved in fire safety or taking part
in health and safety committees, employees can find ways to
make their workplace safer for everyone.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 31

 88% 8%
AGREE NEUTRAL

4%
DISAGREE

32 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Safety first
When asked in the Work Environment Survey if they were aware of risks and
hazards in their workplace, 88% of employees agreed they were. Some risks and
hazards are more obvious than others. Operating heavy equipment, working in
construction areas and handling toxic substances are situations where most
risks and hazards are clear. In fact, safety training would be required in these
and other similar examples. However, the common office space that many
employees work in is not without its own dangers. Floors can be slippery, chairs
and desks can have poor ergonomics, parking lots can be dark after hours, office
heaters can cause fires and ordinary equipment can lead to serious electric
shock. Employees should take the time to assess the risks and hazards of their
workplace. The worst dangers are the ones that go unnoticed.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 33

 STRATEGY
ORIENTATION

Government departments and central agencies A number of planners were interviewed in

are required to develop strategic plans that outline a focus group about the planning process
their goals and objectives for a three-year period. and the challenges they face. Some practical
These plans present the Minister’s message about challenges were related to planning three
the department to the public and support the need to six years in advance, which can be
and requirement for transparency in government. complicated by new priorities that emerge
Ideally, plans are used as the basis for operational after the plan has been developed. Perhaps
plans within the department, which include work the most important challenge was that many
plans for departmental branches, divisions and employees seemed to misunderstand the
each employee. planning process. However, planners were
very clear that employees should have the
Strategic orientation refers to employees’ opportunity to provide input during the
understanding of the organization’s strategic planning process.
plan. Statements in the survey focused on the
link between the work of employees and their It was pointed out in focus groups that
department’s objectives. Key issues looked at by planning today is very different from when
the survey included the link between work and it was formally introduced several years
organizational outcomes, communication and ago. The planners interviewed felt that their
awareness of the objectives and identification departmental leadership better understands
with a strategic plan. the difference between strategic plans and
operational plans. Planners said there should
According to the Work Environment Survey, be a cascading down from the strategic
46% of employees say they are familiar with their plan to the internal plans for departmental
organization’s strategic plan. Employees who are branches, divisions and staff. The strategic
aware of their organization’s strategic directions planning process is still fairly new to
are better able to understand and, in some cases, departments but planners had a very positive
inform organizational decisions. Research suggests outlook for better integrating planning
that those who are aware of the organization’s plan processes in the future. As one planner
tend to have an increased sense of job satisfaction said, “We’ve come a long way in six years.”
and commitment. Not surprisingly, those who are
familiar with strategic plans tend to be managers,
directors and executives – these are often the
individuals who are mostly involved in developing
the plan for their department.

34 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

TIPS FOR
PLANNING
• Establish a planning committee that includes employee
representatives from the department. Representatives should
be responsible for collecting information within their division.
• Explain the purpose of strategic planning and what
employees should expect to see in the final product.
Manage expectations for what will and will not be
included in the plan.
• Planning committees should prepare a preliminary list of
departmental issues and priorities. This list will be reviewed
by senior leaders.
• Senior leaders and planning committees should discuss
departmental planning priorities once they have been
identified. Promote organizational understanding by sharing
with employees the reasons why only certain things end up
in the strategic plan.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 35

 LEARNING + DEVELOPMENT

Knowing
Your Role in
Learning and
Development

Individuals must take personal ownership of their own

learning and development. Through self reflection and the
support of your manager or supervisor, you can identify your
areas of strength, and prioritize the areas you wish to further
develop. This approach will assist you in identifying and
prioritizing your learning needs as well as supporting the
requirements of your department and the organization.

Identified individual learning may be supported through your

department’s learning plans, the Strategic Human Resource
Management Division for your department or the Centre for
Learning and Development.

The Centre for Learning and Development (CLD) has

developed competency models for specific occupational
groups within Government. They are: Executive Learning
and Development, Administrative Support Professionals
and Information Management Professionals. Competency
models are currently being developed for Human Resource,
Financial and Policy Professionals. Each model identifies core
competencies relevant to the role, accompanied by specific
behaviours.

By recognizing the key behaviours of these occupational

groups, individual professional development opportunities
are more clearly identified.

Source: Quarterly (Fall 2011). Centre for Learning and

Development, Public Service Secretariat.

36 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 37
 53%
AGREE

17%
NEUTRAL

31%
DISAGREE

38 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Seeking the right opportunity
When asked in the Work Environment Survey if they were satisfied with
learning and development opportunities at work, 53% of employees agreed
that they were. Finding the right opportunities can be difficult but there are
resources that employees can use to help meet their learning and development
needs. One resource is the Centre for Learning and Development, which
provides corporate-wide learning opportunities and consultative services
to promote leadership and responsible management.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 39

 SOCIAL RELATIONS
The term “co-workers” typically refers to employees who work in the same division or work unit of a department.
But a more general definition would suggest that co-worker relationships occur whenever there is some
form of contact between two or more employees. This means that co-worker relationships can exist between
staff, managers, directors and executives. It also means that employees from different divisions, branches or
departments can be co-workers. Work Environment Survey results indicate that co-worker relationships are
positive for the vast majority of employees. Co-workers are characterized as being good communicators,
respectful, helpful and team players. In fact, over 90 percent of employees said they have a positive working
relationship with their co-workers. It is clear that employees tend to have a healthy, positive attitude toward
the people they work with. Social relationships are also common among co-workers.

40 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

In fact, it seems that social relationships among co-workers are essential to a healthy workplace.
A recent study by the Public Service Secretariat examined the impact of social and work relationships
on various attitudes toward job satisfaction, supervisors, co-workers, senior leaders and communication.
Social relationships influenced attitudes in each of these areas. On the other hand, work relationships
overall appeared to have very little impact on workplace attitudes. Co-workers are more than just people
who work for the same organization. They are a source of community in the workplace. Compared to work
relationships, it is the informal, social relationships that make the workplace a vital part of employees’ lives.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 41

 REPORT OF RESULTS 2011
Survey responses were collected using a 5-point rating scale
that ranged from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree” with
a middle point that indicates neither agree nor disagree. For
the purpose of this report, survey results were aggregated into
three general responses: Agree, Neutral and Disagree.

42 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
JOB SATISFACTION DISAGREE

14%
19%

2. I have opportunities
1. Innovation is for career growth
valued at my work. within the Government
27%
20% of Newfoundland
60% 59% and Labrador.

11% 8%

10%
9%

3. I know how my
work contributes to 4. The work that I do
the achievement of my gives me a sense of
department/agency/ accomplishment.
organization’s goals.

80%
83%

13% 13%

14%
16%
5. I am inspired to 6. My job is challenging
give my very best. in a good way.

73%
71%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 43

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
JOB SATISFACTION (CONTINUED) DISAGREE

7% 8%

8% 8%

7. I know what is 8. My job is a good fit

expected of me in with my skills and
my job. interests.

84%
85%

6%
5% 15%

9. I am interested in 10. I have support at

the work that I do. work to provide a high 20%
level of service.

65%

89%

10%
12%

6%

13%

11. The work that I do 12. I am satisfied

is meaningful. with my job.

75%

84%

44 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
SUPERVISOR RELATIONSHIP DISAGREE

6%
15%
11%

13. My immediate 14. I receive meaningful

supervisor treats me recognition for work
with respect. well done. 23%

63%

82%

13% 13%

14%
16. My immediate
15. My immediate
supervisor seems to
supervisor manages 24%
care about me
people effectively.
as a person.

63%
73%
33% 28%

12% 12%

16%

20% 18. I can disagree with

17. My immediate
my immediate supervisor
supervisor is a good
on work-related issues
communicator.
without fear of reprisal.

67%

30% 73%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 45

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
SUPERVISOR RELATIONSHIP (CONTINUED) DISAGREE

14%
19%

17% 20. My immediate

19. My immediate
supervisor gives me
supervisor assigns
useful feedback on my
work fairly.
job performance.
57% 24%
69%

14% 13%

21. I have opportunities 19%

19% 22. I am satisfied with
to provide input into
the quality of
decisions that affect
supervision I receive.
my work.

68%
67%

46 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
ORGANIZATIONAL COMMITMENT DISAGREE

10%
16%

11%

24. I would prefer to

23. I am satisfied in my 13%
stay with the Government
work as a Government
of Newfoundland and
of Newfoundland and
Labrador, even if offered
Labrador employee.
a similar job elsewhere.

79% 71%

18%
19%

25. I am proud to tell 26. I would recommend

people that I work for 10%
the Government of
the Government of Newfoundland and 13%
Newfoundland and Labrador as a great
Labrador. place to work.

68%

72%

17% 16%
19%

27. I will probably

look for a new job
28. I am satisfied with
outside the Government
my department/agency/ 21%
of Newfoundland and
organization.
Labrador in the
next year.

64%

64%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 47

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
COMMUNICATION SATISFACTION DISAGREE

21% 21%

29. I am satisfied 30. I am satisfied

with the types of with the amount of
50% information my 46% information
department my department
communicates communicates
to staff. to staff.

29%
33%

18% 19%

41%
31. Essential 42% 32. I am satisfied with
information flows
the way my department
effectively from senior
communicates with staff.
leadership to staff.

39%
41%

48 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
CO-WORKER RELATIONSHIPS DISAGREE

7%
12% 5%

9%

33. My co-workers are 34. My co-workers treat

good communicators. me with respect.

79%
87%

12% 9%
5%

6%

35. I like to socialize with

36. My co-workers and I
my co-workers in the
work well as a team.
workplace.

81% 87%

8% 6%
3%
4%

38. I have positive

37. My co-workers are
working relationships
helpful to me.
with my co-workers.

88%
91%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 49

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
HEALTH & SAFETY AWARENESS DISAGREE

8% 6%
4%
4%

40. I am aware of my
39. I am aware of the role and responsibility
risks and hazards of my for protecting my personal
work environment. health and safety in
the workplace.

88%
90%

16%

41. My department
seems committed to
ensuring my health 18%
and well-being.

66%

50 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
WORK-LIFE BALANCE DISAGREE

16% 14%

29%
30%

42. My work interferes 43. My work interferes

with activities with my time for
outside of work. family and friends.

54% 56%

10%

24%
12%

44. I have support at 45. I am satisfied with

work to balance my work the number of
and personal life. hours I work.
57%
19%
78%

14%

14%
46. I am satisfied with
the balance between my
work and personal life.

72%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 51

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
ORGANIZATIONAL TRUST DISAGREE

17%
21%

47. Senior leaders in

48. Senior leaders in
my department look out
46% my department treat
for the best interest
employees with respect.
of employees.
59% 25%

32%

21% 21%

49. Senior leaders do a 50. Senior leaders in

good job of leading my department appear
53% to be honest with
my department.
54% employees.

25%
26%

20%

51. I have confidence in

the senior leadership
of my department.
54%

26%

52 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
WORK LOAD DISAGREE

18% 27% 21%

53. I often find it hard

40% 52. I often feel physically to concentrate at
tired because of my work because of
workload. my workload.

41%
52%

19% 22% 20%

37%

54. I am often hurried 55. I often find it hard to

or rushed to get my get my work done
work done. on time.

44%
58%

19%
21% 19%

56. My workload often 57. I am satisfied with

prevents me from doing my workload.
my work well.
59%
22%

60%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 53

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
COMPENSATION SATISFACTION DISAGREE

10%
17%

58. I am satisfied with my 45% 59. I am satisfied with

49%
salary or hourly wage. my pension plan.

42%
38%

13% 17%

61. I understand how

48% 60. I am satisfied with my salary or hourly
my insurance benefits. wage is determined.

28%
55%
39%

54 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
STRATEGY ORIENTATION DISAGREE

19% 23%

39% 63. I receive regular

62. I understand how
updates on my
my work supports the
department’s strategic plan
strategic directions 14%
67% (or business plan
of my department.
or activity plan).

38%

21% 25%

37%
65. I played a role,
64. I am familiar with whether large or small,
46% my department’s strategic in the development of my
plan (or business plan department’s strategic plan
or activity plan). (or business plan
or activity plan).

32%

38%

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 55

 AGREE
NEUTRAL
LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT DISAGREE

13%
18%

66. I get the training 67. I have a role in

and development supporting my work-
26%
I need to do my job. related learning and
62% 17%
development needs.

65%

17% 19%

68. My department 69. My department

supports my helps me meet my
63% work-related learning work-related learning
and development. 20% 58% and development needs.
22%

17%

70. I am satisfied
with the learning
and development
opportunities
53% available at work.

31%

56 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

 Q+A
What is the Work Environment Survey?
The Work Environment Survey (WES) is a corporate
employee survey developed by the Public Service
Secretariat (PSS) and administered by the
Newfoundland and Labrador Statistics Agency
(NLSA). The WES measures employee attitudes
about work and the workplace using a paper-
based questionnaire. Currently, it is the only
government-wide employee survey conducted
within the Government of Newfoundland and
Labrador. What are the goals of the WES?
Foremost, the WES is designed to support
the effective management of employees in
Who is the Public Service Secretariat? departments and central agencies. This can be
The PSS team is responsible for setting the achieved by using the WES results to identify
general conditions of employment for all questions regarding why employees responded
employees within the core public service. the way they did in the survey. These sorts of
As a central human resource agency within questions are best answered by further research
government’s Executive Council, the PSS supports specific to the department or central agency.
the Treasury Board Committee of Cabinet. The
PSS also develops and interprets human resource The WES is also designed to support
policies, negotiates with unions on behalf of government-wide organizational research being
the government and defines human resource conducted by the PSS. Of particular interest
management programs, procedures and practices. are the relationships and differences between
employee attitudes being measured by the WES.
Survey results and findings have played a role in
Who is the Newfoundland and Labrador human resource planning, policy development
Statistics Agency? and decision-making. Results have also
supported the development of government’s
The NLSA team administers the WES on behalf of
Human Resource Management Strategy.
the PSS. It is the central statistics agency for the
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is
In addition, the WES provides employees with a
a division of the Economics and Statistics Branch
unique and safe way to express their opinions
of the Department of Finance and the provincial
about the workplace.
equivalent of Statistics Canada. The NLSA is
mandated and guided by the Statistics Agency
Act. This legislation provides the legal authority
When was the survey conducted?
to carry out statistical functions and guarantees
confidentiality of all information collected and Data was collected for the WES between
stored by the NLSA. February and April of 2011.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 57

 Why is there a tracking number on my
questionnaire?
All surveys from the NLSA have a questionnaire

Q+A
tracking number. This number is used exclusively
by the NLSA to administer the survey. The tracking
number is random and cannot be used by anyone
outside of the NLSA.

It allows the NLSA to follow up with individuals

who did not return or receive a questionnaire. This
helps to ensure that the NLSA receives the highest
number of responses from employees. The number
also eliminates the need for respondents to put
any identifying information on the questionnaire,
Who takes part in the survey? How many?
which is important if a questionnaire was ever
Employees within the core public service take lost or stolen. In addition to protecting privacy, the
part in the WES. The core public service refers to tracking number improves data quality by allowing
government departments and central agencies. the use of administrative files rather than self-reports
Several criteria are used to identify eligible for demographic information. Finally, the tracking
employees – these criteria are primarily focused number is necessary for developing a report of results
on the terms and conditions of employment, as for each department. Without the tracking number,
well as employment status. Generally, those who the NLSA would not know what questionnaires
are not eligible to participate include students, belonged to what department.
politicians, political staff and inactive employees.

In prior years, the WES was completed by a How is my confidentiality and privacy
random sample of employees. However, this guaranteed?
most recent survey was conducted as a census.
The NLSA has enhanced levels of physical and
This means that every identifiable and eligible
electronic security in place in addition to policies
employee would have received a questionnaire.
and procedures on handling, storing and accessing
For this survey, 7,988 employees were sent a
confidential information. Survey results are only
questionnaire and 3,532 were returned. The
ever reported in aggregate form, which means your
response rate for this year’s WES is 44.2 percent.
responses and other personal information will never
be identified.

Is the WES anonymous or confidential?

NLSA employees and those identified under the
Under the Statistics Agency Act all information Statistics Agency Act are subject to severe penalties
is kept confidential and used only for statistical for inappropriately accessing and/or disclosing
purposes. No information will ever be shared or confidential information. Penalties include fines,
released that could identify individuals. However, imprisonment and/or termination of employment.
in order to administer the survey properly, the These penalties also apply to anyone who coerces
NLSA must know the identity of employees who or attempts to coerce an NLSA employee to access
are eligible to take part in the WES, as well as and/or disclose confidential information. For further
those who complete the questionnaire. As a information, please refer to the Statistics Agency Act,
result, the WES is confidential but not anonymous. which is available on the House of Assembly website.
The NLSA takes your confidentiality very seriously. (www.assembly.nl.ca/legislation/sr/statutes/s24.htm)

58 WE ARE | FINDING PATTERNS IN EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES

Who has access to my survey
information?
Access to survey data is restricted to a very small
number of NLSA employees and those identified
under the Statistics Agency Act. Statistical analysis
and reporting is completed by a single authorized
individual who is subject to the strict policies,
guidelines and legislation of the NLSA.

Can the WES be completed electronically? What attitudes does the WES measure?
Not at this point in time. Surveys that are done The survey measures employee attitudes on 12
by e-mail or through online websites (i.e., Survey workplace-related topics that include: 1) Job
Monkey, Kwik Surveys, etc.) do not meet NLSA satisfaction, 2) Supervision, 3) Organizational
standards for confidentiality and data quality. The commitment, 4) Communication, 5) Co-workers, 6)
NLSA is currently identifying ways that will allow Health and safety, 7) Work-life balance, 8) Senior
electronic surveys to be administered in the core leadership, 9) Workload, 10) Compensation, 11)
public service. Until then, surveys administered by Strategic plans and 12) Learning and development.
the NLSA will be via mail and/or telephone.

How does the WES measure employee

Are the survey results accurate? attitudes?
The accuracy of survey results depends on Attitudes are measured using a series of 70
how many employees participate. Statistically statements about work and the workplace. Survey
speaking, the government-wide results respondents indicate their level of agreement with
presented in this report are accurate within a each statement using a 5-point rating scale that
few percentage points. Departmental survey ranges from “Strongly Agree” to “Strongly Disagree”
results are typically less accurate, to varying with a middle point that indicates neither agree
degrees, in comparison to the government-wide nor disagree. The survey takes approximately
results. This is because any given department 10-15 minutes to complete.
or central agency has fewer employees than the
entire core public service and response rates
vary by department. Can the survey results be used to
evaluate my department?
The WES is not designed to evaluate the
How are the results communicated effectiveness or efficiency of specific initiatives
to departments? developed and implemented by a department.
The PSS communicates government-wide survey It is recommended that organizations undertake
results in this report, which is available online appropriate evaluation activities to assess the
and through hardcopy. Departmental results process and/or impact of specific programs,
are communicated differently. The PSS shares policies and other initiatives intended to affect
aggregate results with the senior leaders of the workplace. Surveys in general are typically
a department or central agency. It is then the not capable of establishing “cause and effect”
responsibility of senior leaders to communicate relationships between departmental efforts
departmental results with their employees. and outcomes.

WORK ENVIRONMENT SURVEY | WE ARE 59

 Finding Patterns in Employee Attitudes

A digital copy of this publication is available at

www.exec.gov.nl.ca/exec/pss/publications/WES2011.pdf

Visit us at www.gov.nl.ca/WeAre
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador