Bristle while we work

A new survey suggests almost half of UK workers are unhappy, with so-called millennials the least satisfied. Are employers storing up a crisis? Michael Alexander reports.

Happy in your work? You could be one of the lucky ones.

A new survey suggests only about half of us are content – and productive – in our jobs. And experts have warned that could be damaging, not just for them and their families but for society in general.

The research, by recruitment agency Personal Group, found 52% of the UK’s 31.4 million employees reported they were happy at their work.

However, that still leaves a worrying 48% of workers who are cheesed off, while only half say they are productive in their jobs.

Lack of recognition, long hours and financial pressures are among the most common complaints from employees.

The problems run deeper, say the study’s authors, since the consequences of a disengaged, demotivated and lacklustre workforce are damaging not just for individuals but also for employers and the wider economy.

Junior workers are most likely to be disillusioned with their lot, the survey of 800 UK employees found.

Meanwhile, it’s the over-fifties – and in particular senior managers, directors and those who are selfemployed – who are keenest to get into work in the mornings.

Mark Scanlon, chief executive of Personal Group, said it was no surprise there were variations between those in different roles. “Directors and senior managers tend to be much more positive than more junior team members,” he added.

However, with happy workers said to be 12% more productive, he insists more should be done to encourage and inspire the disaffected if the widening UK productivity gap is to be bridged.

“There is growing evidence of the connection that happy and engaged employees are more productive,” he said.

“This could explain why those who are self-employed seem to be happiest and why the UK entrepreneurial and start-up scene is so successful – these people, unsurprisingly, tend to feel more invested in the business outcome.”

Once, it was assumed that simply having a job was enough to make people happy.

Figures last week showed UK unemployment fell from 4.8% to 4.7% between November 2016 and January 2017 – the lowest rate since 2005.

The proportion of people aged 16-64 who were in work remained at an alltime high of 74.6% as the number of people in employment rose by 92,000.

Yet wage growth has stalled dramatically since the financial crash of 2008 as the cost of living, post-Brexit vote, continues to increase.

The rise of part-time and zero hours contracts has also sparked debate. Some say they offer flexibility. Others are on the side of the trade union leaders, who claimed they “hark back to the times when people would stand at the factory gates waiting to be picked for a day’s work”.

Debbie Thompson, Unison Fife branch secretary and joint trade union secretary, says many factors can boost employees’ happiness, including team spirit and job security.

For her, the biggest source of grief is often workers feeling their ideas are being ignored.

The key for bosses is to pay attention to staff and try to be more empathetic,” she said.

“Employers can sometimes forget that employees have a life outside of work and might have issues going on there that affect their performance.”

And while money isn’t everything, it does help.

“If you look at what’s happening with utilities bills going up 15%, if everyone got a 15% pay rise that would be fine,” added Debbie.

“Instead we’re seeing pay rises of 1% and that doesn’t do it for me.”

More surprising is the suggestion in the survey that it’s younger employees who are most disillusioned.

From her 25 years with Fife Council, Debbie has found it’s the young entrants, who count themselves lucky to have secured a job, who are most dynamic and enthusiastic, while the older workers – many of whom have been through multiple bouts of organisational restructure – tend to be more cynical.

The Investors in People organisation says tried and tested methods of improving morale include giving employees more control over when they work.

Introducing home working can be a way to help desk-based employees maintain a healthy work-life balance, while providing schemes that help with childcare and caring responsibilities and providing incentives that encourage time off can enable staff to lead a more active and fulfilling life.

Living near work, having access to green spaces and working outdoors, learning new skills and positive feedback can also boost morale.

Breeding a workplace filled with unmotivated and unproductive staff could have big effects on society, experts are warning.