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Almost half of US workers do not respect their boss and only half believe they are competent, according to an online survey released on Friday.

The study by Randstad USA, a unit of the world's number two staffing company Randstad NV, found that the growing financial crisis has seen companies focusing more on their bottom line at the expense of relations with employees.

"Employees' professional development and morale should always be a priority for employers and especially in an economic slowdown when employees may feel additional burdens," said Randstad director Eric Buntin.

The Internet survey of 2,337 people also found only 43 percent think their boss is open to new ideas and only 47 percent were willing to work overtime to impress their boss and create more job security for themselves.

Less than 30 percent believed their bosses were fulfilling their roles as motivators, role models or mentors.

"When it comes to impressing the boss to create more job security during hard times of economic uncertainty, the survey indicates women are willing to work harder," Buntin said. "A healthy employee-employer relationship greatly contributes to an overall positive workplace attitude."

The survey was carried out by Harris Interactive. Data was weighted to be representative of the total US population based on region, age, gender, education, household, income, and race.