One in four of the UK workforce are not satisfied with their job – and almost one in three (30%) do not feel engaged with their employer, according to a new report from the TUC.
The ‘What do workers want’ study is based on a YouGov poll of more than 2,857 workers, published in the run-up to the annual TUC Congress next week in Brighton.
The main gripe among employees is increased workload, with 46% complaining of this. This is followed by pay rates not keeping up with the cost of living (42%).
Rising stress levels, long hours and lack of career development are also cited as problems.
A significant minority of the workforce complain of serious problems at work. One in seven respondents claimed they had been bullied in their current job. Unsafe working practices and discrimination were also identified as major issues.
One in five (21%) said that unions were ‘no longer relevant in today’s world’ and a quarter thought that unions ‘held back companies in today’s competitive world’.
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TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: “There are some challenging figures here for British employers with a quarter of the workforce saying they are not satisfied with their jobs and almost one in three saying that their employers do not engage with them.
“While most employees are reasonably content with their lot, there is clearly a minority who are suffering from real problems such as bullying, dangerous workplaces and unfair discrimination.”
