3 days ago
Workers in Britain more miserable than India and the Philippines
British workers are more miserable than those in India and the Philippines amid fears growing workplace unhappiness is fuelling the UK's productivity crisis.
New figures released on Friday revealed that UK staff felt more anxious about their work and less happy in their working environments than those based in the US, South Africa, Kenya and the United Arab Emirates as well as the Philippines and India.
British workers also had lower job satisfaction than their counterparts in many other countries including the US, India and the Philippines, according to the global survey of 70,000 staff by WorkL, a consultancy.
WorkL asked people to rank their workplace wellbeing – which included whether they believed their employer cared if they were happy – and the UK scored below the global average.
Lord Price, the former Waitrose boss who founded WorkL, said the figures explained why Britain was struggling with stagnating productivity.
'We know from extensive research that happier employees are more productive than their unhappy counterparts. They give extra discretionary effort and have few sick days,' he said.
He added that achieving a happier workforce would help to fix Britain's productivity challenge, making it a 'strategic imperative for the UK economy'.
The survey results come after the Chancellor this week promised to use her next Budget to try to drive up the country's productivity. UK output per worker has for years lagged behind other G7 nations, holding back the economy by acting as a brake on company profits and staff wages.
Figures from the Resolution Foundation earlier this year revealed that the UK's productivity slumped by 0.5pc between 2019 and 2024. In the more buoyant US economy, for example, productivity has risen by 9.1pc over the same period.
Some sectors have struggled more than others. Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last month suggested total public sector productivity last year was 4.2pc lower than before the 2020 pandemic.
However, there have been some recent signs of progress. The ONS figures from last month revealed that public sector productivity was up 2.7pc in the first quarter of the year compared with the same period a year earlier.
Rachel Reeves has signalled this would be a major focus for her. This week, she said Britain's productivity problem 'directly affects every working family in Britain who feel they are squeezing every penny to make ends meet'.
Alongside falling productivity, Britain has also faced a slump in working-age employment as more people have dropped out of the workforce since the pandemic.
Lord Price – who ran Waitrose from 2007 until 2016 – said the rise in worklessness was 'worrying', adding: 'Too many people are outside the labour market due to burnout, poor health or inflexible working arrangements.
'By rethinking how, when and where work is done, we can draw more people into fulfilling employment, retain valuable skills and unlock economic growth. This isn't just good for individuals, it's a solution to one of the UK's most pressing economic challenges.'
