British employees are less happy at work than staff in countries such as India, the Philippines, the US, and South Africa, a new survey has revealed.
The global study of 70,000 workers by consultancy WorkL found UK staff reported lower job satisfaction, higher anxiety, and poorer perceptions of employer care than the international average. Lord Price, former Waitrose boss and founder of WorkL, warned that workplace unhappiness is contributing to Britain’s long-running productivity slump.
“Happier employees are more productive, take fewer sick days, and give extra effort,” he said, calling workforce wellbeing a strategic imperative for the UK economy.
The findings come as the government seeks to boost output per worker, which lags behind other G7 nations. UK productivity fell 0.5% between 2019 and 2024, compared with a 9.1% rise in the US over the same period. Public sector productivity remains 4.2% below pre-pandemic levels, though recent data shows a 2.7% rise in early 2024.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has pledged to make productivity growth a key priority, warning that weak output “directly affects every working family” struggling with rising costs.
Alongside falling productivity, the UK faces declining workforce participation, with more people leaving work due to poor health, burnout, or inflexible arrangements. Lord Price urged employers to rethink working patterns to retain talent and attract more people into fulfilling jobs, calling it “a solution to one of the UK’s most pressing economic challenges.”
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