Many UK workers feeling less enthused about work

A new report looking into the quality of UK working lives has shown a negative shift in how people think about and value their work.

The CIPD’s Good Work Index 2023 surveyed 5,000 UK workers across seven key dimensions of good work:

• pay and benefits
• contracts
• work-life balance
• job design and nature of work
• relationships at work
• employee voice
• health and wellbeing

The findings revealed that while most people like their work and find it satisfying, as many as 6-9 million say they experience poor-quality work in some major respects.

Also, compared to 2019, workers are less enthused about work, less likely to perceive their work as useful and are more likely to see it as being purely transactional.

Jake Young, research associate at the CIPD, commented, “Despite the upheaval of recent years, most UK workers remain broadly positive about their jobs.

“However, there’s a mixed experience of job quality, especially between private sector and public sector roles, and as many as nine million people stand to have poor quality work in some key respects.

“Not all jobs can be transformed, but significant improvements in areas such as training, development, and people management should be possible.

“Our data suggests a slow slide into mediocrity, away from enriching and rewarding jobs and towards roles where many people are demotivated, lack commitment and are less productive.

“Work can and should be good for us. It’s vital that the Government and employers renew their commitment to good work as it’s fundamental to supporting individual wellbeing, fair society, productive organisations and a strong economy.”

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