Number of ‘Green Cut’ workers on the rise

Just over a quarter of workers are willing to take a salary cut in order to move to an environmentally conscious company or an NGO (non-governmental organisation).

The findings, compiled by Totaljobs, revealed that an additional 28% said they would consider quitting their job to work for an organisation they considered to be more environmentally friendly than their current one, a figure that jumps to 50% when applied to millennial workers, aged between 23 and 38.

On average, workers were willing to accept a salary reduction of £8,100 per annum to take up a greener role and again, the numbers were driven by age.

Interestingly, millennials were willing to take the greatest hit, suggesting they would drop their salaries by an average of £11,400, which is three times the amount (£3,800) that Gen X – those aged 38-54 – would be willing to take.

As many as 6 in 10 of all UK workers now actively investigate a potential employer’s environmental impact as part of their job application process, with another significant jump (rising to 72%) when applied to the millennial workforce.

Lynn Cahillane, Head of Marketing at Totaljobs, said, “Our research demonstrates just how important environmental concerns are to the UK workforce and how they expect their employers to contribute towards stopping the climate crisis. For employers, this presents a unique challenge, but also an opportunity.

“With a widely reported skills shortage, employers have the opportunity to showcase a clear commitment to reducing carbon emissions and help tackle the climate crisis. A step, which could make the difference in attracting the UK’s most sought-after workers.

“As well as its growing role in attracting talent, companies also need to address their practices to ensure they are retaining staff too. The findings tell us that people are prepared to leave their job for a greener role, so businesses that can’t communicate their environmental record could potentially suffer. On the whole, UK decision-makers are confident they have the right plans in place, but with one in ten confessing that they ‘would not know where to start’ – there is still room for greater education.”

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