Turkey’s blue collar workers cite poor conditions as main reason to find new job: Poll

ISTANBUL

A majority of blue collar workers have named poor working conditions as the biggest reason to find a new job, according to a survey by Eleman.net, a leading recruitment website for this group of laborers.

The survey participants were asked through the website why they left their previous jobs. 

Some 30 percent of the 12,535 job seekers said they changed jobs due to unhealthy and poor working conditions. Inefficient payment policies followed this with 24.58 percent, according to the survey. 

Some 15.44 percent of the job seekers cited their bosses’ behaviors as a problem and 15.31 percent said their current job did not comply with their career plans, while 9.61 percent said a long commute was a problem and 5 percent cited their co-workers’ behavior. 

“The survey results have shown that blue collars are generally not happy with their working conditions… They want to get better working and work safety conditions and to be heard by their employers,” said Eleman.net Executive Director Savaş Ünsal, in a written statement on Aug. 20. 

Turkish workers remain the most underprivileged in Europe, according to data from the OECD, as workplace accidents and deaths are very common. 

In Turkey, 41 percent of employees work very long hours, by far the highest rate in the OECD, where the average is 13 percent. Overall, more men work very long hours; in Turkey 45 percent of men work very long hours, compared with 31 percent of women.

Another important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardize safety and increase stress. People in Turkey work 1,855 hours a year, more than the OECD average of 1,765 hours.