People in human resources jobs and other positions are losing faith in whether their pay accurately reflects how hard they work.
That is according to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's (CIPD) Employee Attitudes to Pay survey, which reveals that 48 per cent of workers have had their pay frozen, while five per cent have seen it cut.
It also revealed that only 19 per cent of people who did receive a pay rise felt that it reflected how well they have worked.
Charles Cotton, rewards advisor at the CIPD, said that while it is encouraging to see employees realign their expectations, companies must also do more to keep people happy.
"Employers must try harder to explain what performance the organisation values and how it will reward and recognise this," he explained.
"If not, levels of motivation and productivity could fall, perpetuating a vicious circle that could hold back both organisational performance and wider hopes of economic recovery."
It comes after the Federation of Small Businesses said that decreasing wages could hinder future investment in smaller firms.
