A recent study has found that two-thirds of UK knowledge workers have an unhealthy relationship with work.

The study was processed by HP and named the HP Work Relationship Index, intending to catalogue employees’ relationships with work worldwide. The research surveyed over 15,600 respondents across the knowledge sector in 12 countries and argued that its findings reflected a systemically unhealthy working dynamic across the global knowledge industries.

Other eye-catching findings included that only one-quarter believe they actively have a healthy relationship with work, almost three quarters of respondents (74 percent) said they would take a pay cut to be happier at work, and only one quarter of UK knowledge workers consistently believe their company provides them with the tools they need to be successful at work.

Neil MacDonald, UK&I Channel Director at HP, said:

This research highlights the opportunity business leaders have to strengthen the world’s relationship with work – in ways that are good for both people and business. It is our role as leaders to demonstrate and encourage workers to find the balance between productivity and happiness. The most successful organisations have healthy cultures that enable employees to excel in their careers and thrive outside of work.”

The study examined more than 50 factors behind employees’ relationships with work, such as “the role of work in their lives, their skills, abilities, tools and workspaces, and their expectations of leadership”. The study also explored how work affects employee “well-being, productivity, engagement and culture”.

HP’s study found alarming results about how lacking a healthy relationship to work can impact a person’s physical, mental and emotional well-being.

57 percent of respondents said they struggle with their self-worth and mental health, with their self-esteem affected by their dynamic at work. This triggers a chain reaction, with 45 percent saying their personal relationships with friends and family suffer as a result, while more than half said they are too “drained to pursue their personal passions”, as the report says. Almost two-thirds report trouble with maintaining healthy eating, exercising and getting sufficient sleep (65 percent).

HP also found that when employees are unhappy or disengaged, it can have negative consequences for the business — alarming given HP recorded that almost half of UK knowledge workers feel disconnected at work (49 percent). As well as the inevitable impact on employee performance, unhappiness at work leads to adverse outcomes for retention — 91 percent of respondents said they consider leaving their employer when unhappy.

HP’s recommendation for business leaders is a greater emphasis on emotional intelligence, stressing that trust and emotional connection with employees are invaluable as our ideas of work have evolved post-pandemic.

HP cited six key factors to help business leaders cultivate healthier relationships with work for employees; prioritising fulfilment through increased voice and agency, more transparent and empathetic leadership, visibly emphasising putting people first and placing their teams at the centre of decision-making, investing more in holistic training and support, investing in the right tools for successful hybrid working, and flexible hybrid workspaces to demonstrate trust in employees and fostering a positive work experience.

A Significant Week for Studies on the Past, Present and Future of Work

HP’s research hasn’t been the first published this week that offered insights into how our concept of work is changing.

A study by insurance broking and risk management firm Gallagher recorded that the majority of UK businesses are reducing their office space post-pandemic following the rise of hybrid working.

Gallagher found that 63 percent are now changing office space due to shifts in ways of working. That figure constitutes over a fifth of businesses planning on moving to smaller offices (21 percent), over one-third considering moving to shared office space, and seven percent of businesses having already changed office space.

The scale of the post-pandemic shift in working is illustrated by over two-thirds of UK businesses having introduced hybrid working because of employee demand for greater working flexibility (69 percent). Furthermore, three-fifths of business leaders said they wished they to a hybrid model pre-pandemic because it’s been such a success, while three-quarters said employees have improved their efficiency.



from UC Today https://ift.tt/x2GFK9k