Provided by: RS Risk Solutions Ltd
Britons Less Likely to Place Importance on Work, Global Study Found
A recent study by the policy institute at Kings College London found that Britons are less likely to place importance on work compared to other countries. Specifically, nearly one-fifth of British people said that work was not important in their life, the highest proportion among the 24 countries polled, including the US, China, Japan, France and Sweden.
Findings Explained
The analysis was carried out as part of the World Values Survey, a widely used academic social survey that has run since 1981. Across the 24 countries polled, several metrics such as the following showed that UK citizens place the least, or among the least, emphasis on work:
• Almost three-quarters (73%) of UK citizens agree that work is “very or rather important in their life,” significantly lower than several other countries and the lowest overall. By comparison, 96% of people in Italy and 94% of people in France agreed with this statement.
• Only 22% of UK people think work should always come first, with only Australia, Canada and Japan less likely to hold this view.
• Only 40% of UK citizens think that non-working individuals turn lazy, the second lowest rate, indicating the UK has one of the most favourable views of those who don’t work.
Historically, UK workers have been a “work-first” nation, but the surveys findings indicate this may be changing. Some of this could be attributed to generational differences. While most generations opinions on the importance of work remained stable, the attitudes of UK millennials born in the early 1980’s to mid 1990s have changed. Specifically, just 14% of millennials stated that work should always come first, a significant drop from 41% in the 2009’s equivalent survey.
The drastic change could be linked to the “Great Reshuffle” following the COVID-19 pandemic—where workers sought new jobs for a better work-life balance and more appealing flexibility options—and, more recently, the “quiet quitting” trend.
Employer Action
Overall, workers are moving towards putting less emphasis on their working lives, which could negatively impact organisational productivity. As such, it’s critical that organisations of all types and sizes scrutinise ways to engage their workforces. By focusing on employee engagement, organisations can help combat the new workplace attitudes and shift of views on the importance of work.
Contact us today for additional workplace engagement strategies and resources.
