While most of us are just happy to have a job, The Work Foundation has taken a brave stance by insisting that UK plc needs 'good' jobs.
What do they mean by good jobs? Well, they should involve the employee being valued and appreciated, and should provide interest and fulfillment, job satisfaction, autonomy, decent working conditions, good morale and teamwork, effective management and staff development. Quite a tall order, by anyone's standards ...
But according to The Work Foundation, poor quality of jobs can at least partly explain many persisentent workplace issues, including sickness absence, poor retention, low levels of motivation and difficulties hiring the right people.
Stephen Bevan, managing director, The Work Foundation, said: "As organisations prepare for recovery after the recession, the need for the government to take a lead in supporting employers to tackle the root causes of lost productivity and ill-health will become more and more acute."
Bevan added: "We need one centralised body with a clear identity and a clear remit to work in partnership with employers to crack many of the UK's persistent job quality problems."
