EMBARGOED UNTIL 00.01 HRS MONDAY 11 JUNE 2001
British workers are more and more dissatisfied with their long working hours and growing work pressures, and this is having serious repercussions on their motivation at work, says independent research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council as part of its £4 million Future of Work programme. The findings, based on 2,500 employees in a new, national survey, show that the most dissatisfied workers are those who are highly qualified and/or form the 'elite' part of the workforce.
A report on the findings, to be presented to the annual ACAS conference in Harrogate on Thursday, June 14th, shows that growing dissatisfaction with working hours is linked with feelings of being pressured and exhausted by the demands of work. Feelings of work stress have also been growing.
The survey results are compared with that of a similar survey in the early 1990s. They show that only 20 per cent of male employees who took part in the 2000/2001 survey were either 'completely satisfied' or 'very satisfied' with their working hours. This compared with 35 per cent in 1992. Female employees, meanwhile, are rapidly converging with men. In 1992, 51 per cent were satisfied, but this had plummeted to 29 per cent in the later survey, and workers of all ages, in private and public sectors, were affected.
Dr Michael White, from the Policy Studies Institute (PSI), is co-director of the research. He says: "Time, not money, is for many the barrier to enjoying that richer life which people are increasingly aware of through education, the media and the Internet."
The implications for employers are considerable. Employees who are dissatisfied are twice as likely as their more contented colleagues to be seeking a change of job, while their willingness to go on doing their best at work, irrespective of the consequences for personal life, has declined as steeply as satisfaction with working hours over the past decade. "Employee motivation will continue to ebb away unless employers wake up to the new reality," warns Dr White.
The survey, which was designed by PSI and a team from the London School of Economics, found that people work long hours for a number of reasons: in part to earn extra money (30 per cent), while staying late could also improve their chances of promotion (14 per cent). But most people working long hours said they had little choice: 58 per cent said it was simply required by the job while 14 per cent said they could lose their job if they refused.
The long hours culture is more embedded for managers, those in professional jobs, and people with higher level qualifications. Where manual workers once clocked up the hours, the more elite group is now twice as likely as manual workers to be in the 'long hours' group and they are the most dissatisfied with their hours and workload. The great majority of employees, however, whether manual or professional, are not prepared to take a cut in pay in order to reduce their hours.
A surprise outcome from the survey was that professionals and the highly-qualified were less likely to give the interest of their work as a reason for tolerating long hours than people without such qualifications and in lower level jobs. The latter were found to be more likely to accept long hours in return for interesting and satisfying work.
Dr John Knell from the Industrial Society, who is involved with the research, says: "This survey cuts through some of the good news agenda about UK workplaces. A number of key workers can now officially be declared under strain and at risk. Managers and professionals as a whole, and a fifth of new working graduates, are creaking under the pressure of longer hours and work strain. The magnitude of change captured by this survey over the last eight years suggests that we may be close to reaching a breaking point in the willingness of the UK workforce to tolerate the new deal at work".
For further information contact Michael White at PSI. Tel: 020 7468 2246 (Work), 020 8346 1630 (Home) Email: whitem@psi.org.uk. John Knell can be contacted for comment at the Industrial Society. Tel: 020 7479 2193 or 07970 246072 (Mobile), Email: jknell@indsoc.co.uk. or, Lilian El-Doufani or David Ridley in ESRC External Relations Division. Tel 01793 413118 or 413032.
NOTES FOR EDITORS
1. The ESRC is the UK's largest funding agency for research and postgraduate training relating to social and economic issues. It has a track record of providing high-quality, relevant research to business, the public sector and government. The ESRC invests more than £46 million every year in social science research. At any time, its range of funding schemes may be supporting 2,000 researchers within academic institutions and research policy institutes. It also funds postgraduate training within the social sciences, thereby nurturing the researchers of tomorrow. The ESRC website address is http://www.esrc.ac.uk
2. The Future of Work Programme was launched by the ESRC in October 1998 and is helping to rectify the gaps in our knowledge. Comprising 27 projects and involving more than one hundred leading researchers across the UK, this is the most systematic and rigorous enquiry of its kind, providing evidence-based research for a better understanding of the changing world of work in a period of rapid social, technological and economic change. For further details about the contact Professor Peter Nolan Tel 0113 233 4504
3. REGARD is the ESRC's database of research. It provides a key source of information on ESRC social science research awards and all associated publications and products. The website can be found at http://www.regard.ac.uk.
4. The Industrial Society are the UK's leading thinkers and advisers on the world of work. Everything it does - from consultancy to research, from training to advocacy, from education to advisory services, is driven by our commitment to improve working life. It is a wholly independent, not-for-profit body and holds Royal Charter status. Their members include companies of every size, from every sector of the economy, along with public sector organisations, charities and trade unions. The Industrial Society can be found at www.indsoc.co.uk
5. ACAS is an independent statutory body, not subject to direction from any Minister as to how it exercises its functions. It is directed by a Council consisting of the ACAS Chairman and employer, trade union and independent members. The ACAS mission is to improve the performance and effectiveness of organisations by providing an independent and impartial service to prevent and resolve disputes and to build harmonious relationships at work. For press enquiries please contact: Tricia Collins at ACAS. Tel: 0191 269 6060(Direct Line)