“Employers should also focus on communicating the value of their total reward package to employees. For example, public sector employers should highlight the enduring advantages of remaining in the public sector, such as better pensions, greater flexible working opportunities, better occupational sick pay, and access to occupational health services.”

The survey finds that job satisfaction, which is calculated through subtracting those that are dissatisfied from those that are satisfied is broadly similar to last quarter (+35 from +34 last quarter). Job satisfaction in the public sector has fallen to +30 from +38 and in the voluntary sector to +39 from +44. There has been a slight increase in job satisfaction in the private sector to +34 from +33.

For the first time, the survey provides a new overall ‘employee engagement’ score, which is calculated by clustering a number of wider measures of engagement together (including job satisfaction, understanding of organisational purpose, willingness to go the extra mile).

At +10 this more rounded score is unsurprisingly lower than that of job satisfaction and provides a good measure of individuals’ engagement with organisations currently. Against this measure, public sector workers are by far the most disengaged (-12), with voluntary sector workers by far the most engaged (+33), followed by private sector employees (+13).

Low levels of job satisfaction and engagement in the public sector are likely to be influenced by rising levels of job insecurity, with over a third of public sector employees (35%) thinking it likely they could lose their jobs compared to 30% last quarter.

Voluntary sector workers are marginally more pessimistic about their job security, with 28% saying it is likely they could lose their jobs, up from 27%. In all 19% of private sector employees think it likely they could lose their jobs, unchanged from last quarter.

Willmott continued: “The heightened level of uncertainty around job security in the current economic climate puts an even greater importance on the extent to which employers communicate and consult with staff.

"There is no such thing as over communicating and employers can help prevent rumour and anxiety by providing regular updates on business challenges or proposed changes that will impact employees.

"Just as importantly consultation with staff needs to be genuine which means taking account of employees’ views before and not after decisions are made.”