Job security is a top priority for workers at the moment, according to a new survey by job site Indeed.
Over 14,000 employees and 3,500 employers across 14 countries were surveyed as part of the study, including 1,000 employees and 250 employers in Ireland.
The survey measured the experiences of people across areas such as job security, motivation, teamwork, pandemic supports and work/life balance.
The study found that for 71% of workers in Ireland, a secure, stable form of employment will be one of their top priorities for 2021, while 60% said they would sacrifice perks in order to attain it.
This mirrored the global trend, which also saw 71% of employees agree that job security was a priority, with 56% prepared to sacrifice perks for it.
The study showed that 2 in 3 employers in Ireland have already cut perks for their employees due to the pandemic.
Overall Irish employees maintained an optimistic outlook about their working experience during the pandemic, with 73% stating that they are motivated to do their best in their job, while 62% felt the challenges the pandemic brought were a useful learning opportunity for their career.
More time with family, more opportunities to work from home, and greater work/life balance had the biggest impact on their personal circumstances this year, a sentiment that was shared globally.
However, one cause for concern was that 23% of Irish workers said their mental health declined, above the global average of 19%.
Many felt appreciative of their colleagues, 71% of Irish workers felt their team really pulled together to weather the crisis, while 86% of employers echoed this sentiment.
Over 57% of employees said their colleagues helped them manage this challenging period, while 60% felt supported by their employer this year.
Most Irish employers (60%) believed that greater consideration will be given to wellbeing and mental health in the workplace next year, as well as more focus on hygiene and safety in the workplace (48%) and greater awareness of the challenges of care-giving outside
Derek Diviney, Vice President at Indeed said this year has been one of the toughest on record for workers across the board.
"Many have faced redundancy, furlough or have struggled to work from home while balancing caregiving duties.
"The key trend we are seeing this year is a recognition of the human side of work.
"Suddenly we were all reminded of the personal circumstances and challenges we all face day to day, and where our work fits into that," he said.
