Will 2012 become the year of employee backlash?

The spectrum this year is as wide and entertaining as ever, but this one bold prediction from Forbes‘ Judy Martin commands some attention—she says 2012 will be the year of employee backlash.

In an era where pencil-thin margins are generally the norm, the idea that employees have been squeezed harder than ever is almost a given. But Martin’s speculation poses an interesting question:

Will 2012 be the year that pressure on the workforce builds up to become a larger problem?

The employment situation

Jobs are still in short supply. Workers still count themselves lucky to be employed. And the workforce as a whole is still stretched to the limit. These things have not changed much in the past year.

The new consideration for all of us in the business world is boundaries—how long can employees be pushed this hard and still be effective?