Job quality is severely impacting workers’ health, with 1.7 million people in the UK reporting work-related conditions in the past year.
According to the Institute for Employment Studies, half of UK workers report having to work more hours than they are contracted or expected, the highest rate in Europe.
Its report, Exploring the interactions between job quality, industries and health, also found that rising work intensity and job strain mean that around half of the UK workforce feels exhausted.
Employees in transport and storage, construction, commerce and hospitality reported the poorest health quality across a range of indicators. These employees make up around a quarter of the workforce. Poor job quality was more likely to be present for groups already disadvantaged at work, including those with chronic health conditions, younger people, older workers and women.
The four aspects of someone’s role that have the strongest links to negative health outcomes were: job security or precarity; excessive and/or irregular hours; demands and control at work; and relationships and support.
Job quality and health
Government to link ‘good’ work to good health with employment reforms
The report, produced for the Commission for Healthier Working Lives, looks at how UK working conditions compare with other nations across Europe.
Three-fifths of the UK workforce report having to work to tight deadlines and two-fifths working at high speed, both among the highest rates in Europe. Meanwhile, just one-third of workers say they have control over how they work – the lowest rate in Europe.
Although work tends to support the health of the majority of people, a “significant minority” face risks linked to their working conditions, according to IES.
One in eight workers have insecure roles; one in six regularly work long hours; one in nine work night shifts; and one in six irregular hours. Furthermore, one in six workers regularly faces bullying or harassment in their place of work.
The government’s forthcoming Employment Rights Bill has pledged to improve work quality across a number of areas, such as the right to a predictable working contract and a ban on certain insecure contracts.
The IES points out that certain occupations, such as teaching and nursing, face particularly severe risks of burnout, which affects more than two-fifths of these workforces.
“While many employers are actively improving working conditions and job quality, it is hoped that this research can help focus efforts on continual improvements in supporting good practice and good work,” the report says.
Jonny Gifford, principal research fellow at the IES, said: “There is extensive evidence that work can either support people’s wellbeing, or harm it. Job quality makes a huge difference.
“Most UK workers are not in jobs that harm their mental or physical health, but some risk factors have become more common or are more pronounced for the UK than our European peers. Problem areas to prioritise now are long hours, work intensity and a lack of control or work autonomy.”
Sacha Romanovitch, chair of the Commission for Healthier Working Lives, added: “Good work benefits individuals, businesses, and society. The Employment Rights Bill demonstrates the government’s ambition to raise workplace standards.
“And while many employers are already taking steps to support the health of their workforce, there is room for employers and industry bodies to work together across sectors to make effective support the norm. Sharing proven approaches and practical solutions will be key to achieving this.”
Romanovitch urged the government, as one of the UK’s largest employers, to “test and evidence what works at scale… particularly in areas like education and health”.
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