Demotivation and its respective causes and effects can vary between individuals, with some individuals experiencing brief spells of demotivation for specific reasons, whereas others can feel demotivated for much longer periods of time and may feel like they have no goals, future aspirations or desires for achievement at all. The way that work-related demotivation occurs, and for how long it persists, depends on a variety of factors. For example:

1. A lack of desire to do the job - the job doesn't interest the individual enough for them to care about how the work should properly be done or what the end product is.

2. A lack of visible reward - poor pay or a lack of incentive can often create demotivation in the workplace. Employers who offer poor pay may find that their employees lack motivation, due to feelings of resentment or from the desire for another role in a company that treats them more fairly.

3. Poor management -  can have a negative affect on the workforce and, managers who lack an ability to inspire and motivate their workforce may find themselves unable to resolve the situation.

4. Personal issues - employees can feel demotivated at work if they have been experiencing issues in their personal lives, issues with their health or mental health, or even financial problems. Such personal issues can dramatically affect employees if nothing is provided by the employer to help, Demotivation and lack of input, attendance or interest in work can then persist.

5. Feeling unappreciated or unheard - employees can lack motivation when they feel like their opinions, views, desires or beliefs are going unnoticed or ignored. Equally, demotivation can occur when an employees' skills, abilities and contributions go unrecognised by management.

6. Lack of goal or visible achievement - employees can become demotivated when they can't see the result that their hard work is having, when there isn't a goal or target set for them to work towards, when the job role becomes monotonous and where there is a lack of change, variety or possibility for achievement Any of these issues can cause demotivation to occur.

7. Lack of assistance - when employees face a situation where they need extra staff to help complete the work, if they are working on more than their own job requirements, or if they are expected to cover the work of others, without the prospect of the situation being resolved by management via a sturdy plan of action, then employees can become demotivated, angry, resentful and will lack the desire to keep going.

Employees with low levels of motivation might tend to exhibit signs of their lack of motivation such as working at a slow rate or procrastinating their tasks, spending time away from their desks or areas of work, or in choosing to utilise their time elsewhere - such as socially or via means not related to the output of their role (such as browsing the internet).

Unmotivated people are often unfocused and will not put energy, time or their will into their work. Demotivated employees are often not concerned with the outcome, efficiency or accuracy of their work, for whatever reason they do not feel the need or have the imperative to do so.

Demotivation in the workplace can be a serious issue and the demotivation of some can often have an effect on the motivation levels of others and thus the organisation as a whole. Demotivated individuals can prevent others from fulfilling their role or from maintaining focus or concentration on their own tasks. This often results in other, more hard working employees, 'carrying' the burden, i.e. re-doing or completing the work that the demotivated employee has not completed correctly. This behaviour can have the negative effect of resentment, or the feeling of 'if they are not trying why should I' mindset. Either way it is potentially damaging and detrimental for the organisation and can prevent the organisation from reaching targets, producing quality work or meeting important deadlines.

According to research, stress, fear or anxiety are also major contributing factors when it comes to demotivation in the workplace. Consistent pressure put upon employees by management to perform better or to speed up their output can have the effect of leaving employees feeling that they are never quite good enough. These issues demotivate from the root and will lead to an organisation loosing talented workers.

A lack of job security or a culture of fear from leaders can also create a tense atmosphere, where employees are rushed and find it hard to concentrate to the level that the detail of the job might require.

Employees can also become demotivated if they believe they are not being heard, their hard work is not being utilised to its full potential or they are lacking any kind of career prospects or promotional opportunities within the workplace. Issues outside of the workplace such as family problems can also contribute to demotivation at work by the individual.

Some evident signs of a demotivated employee include:

1. Absenteeism - high levels of days off caused by stress, medical issues, family or home problems, mishaps, tiredness or persistent lateness. All these issues indicate that the individual might be affected by the pressure of work or that they are not as committed to their role and to the organisation as they should be. Often an organisation with a very relaxed approach to absenteeism gives some employees the opportunity to take advantage.
2. A poor attitude at work - a poor attitude towards other employees, towards their work or their leaders, or towards the organisation as a whole can create a lot of tension and stress. Employees with a poor attitude can create problems for other employees, or can create a lack of team coherence or a negative vibe in the workplace.
3. Poor work - when an individual who is capable of producing a good standard of work persists in producing a poor quality of output, output that lacks effort and care, then it shows that the individual is demotivated with the task at hand. This can also have a negative knock-on effect for colleagues and leaders.
4. Negative input - this occurs when an employee's contribution to discussions or meetings is to offer negative, derogatory or unpleasant responses or opinions, it is often a sign that the person could feel the same about their work, their role, their managers and the organisation as a whole. This can often causes internal conflict, resentment and pressure.
5. Boredom - When an employee carries out their role with a dull, bored demeanour, or if they don't give any other input to the organisation, this can also cause demotivation to spread. Often those bored or demotivated will be unwilling to assist in helping their colleagues.
6. Lack of engagement within their teams - whether on a work level or social level, when an individual withdraws from any activity that involves other members of staff, such as lunches, work party's, team building exercises or days out, then this highlights an issue that the individual might have with the workplace, or their colleagues, which are again signs of demotivation.
7. Non-work related activity - a decrease in producing a quality output of work and an increase in activity that isn't work based, such as browsing the internet or phone can not only have a detrimental affect on the company's output but can also breed a culture of laziness and a lack of drive.

The above factors illustrate a variety of the signs that demotivation at work can illustrate. Leaders and HR should endeavour to look out for and monitor any of these signs within individuals or departments, in order to attempt to resolve the issue and prevent the escalation of the problem.