The adjective 'undermanned' describes a situation, team, or organization that does not have a sufficient number of employees or personnel to function effectively. It signifies a lack of staff, leaving existing employees overworked, struggling to meet demands, and potentially impacting efficiency, safety, or quality. This condition can result from various factors, including budget cuts, staffing shortages, recruitment difficulties, or unexpected absences. The consequences of being undermanned can range from delayed project completion to decreased morale and increased stress amongst the existing workforce. This lack of adequate personnel creates a situation where resources are stretched thin and tasks may not be accomplished to the required level or on the intended timeline.
Undermanned meaning with examples
- The fire department was severely undermanned during the peak of the wildfire season, forcing firefighters to work grueling shifts and prioritize calls. Limited resources delayed responses to emergencies. The community's safety was compromised as the existing staff were unable to cover every incident efficiently, stretching them and limiting their ability to handle the workload.
- Due to budget constraints and a hiring freeze, the hospital's emergency room has been consistently undermanned. Nurses and doctors were constantly overwhelmed, leading to extended wait times for patients. This undermanned situation put patient care and staff well-being at risk, leading to significant consequences.
- The shipping company's undermanned warehouse struggled to process the increased holiday volume. Packages were delayed, creating logistical issues, because there were not enough staff to load the trucks. The lack of workers resulted in customer complaints and increased stress on the existing employees struggling to keep up with orders.
- The small tech startup found itself undermanned after a wave of resignations. Developers were assigned multiple projects and constantly working overtime. The limited staff struggled to keep up, resulting in delays to crucial deadlines and a decline in product quality which jeopardized their market reputation.
- The school's undermanned support staff struggled to provide adequate assistance to students with special needs. The low number of educational assistants impacted individual attention, and the children's ability to make progress in classes. The lack of staff hindered the children's abilities to learn and advance.
Undermanned Synonyms
depleted leanly staffed short-handed thinly staffed under-resourced understaffedUndermanned Antonyms
adequately staffed fully staffed overmanned overstaffed sufficiently staffed well-staffedUndermanned Crossword Answers
11 Letters
SHORTHANDED
12 Letters
SHORTSTAFFED UNDERSTAFFED