UK job quality unaffected by pandemic – so far

Surprisingly, recent data has shown that UK job quality has not been affected by the pandemic, however, it does seem to be falling short on a number of key measures.

That’s according to the CIPD’s latest Good Work Index report, which delves into the current state of work in the UK by measuring seven dimensions of job quality (such as pay and benefits, work–life balance, and health and wellbeing).

Surveying 6,257 workers, these are the main findings:

• One in four said work is bad for their physical or mental wellbeing (23% and 25% respectively). In 2020, 26% and 27% of workers said this.
• Only half (52%) said work offers good opportunities for development, comparable with 48% that said the same in 2020.
• 30% report unmanageable workloads, similar to the 32% that said this in 2020.
• One in four (24%) report poor work–life balance, finding it difficult to relax in their personal time because of work – the same figure as 2020.

Mel Green, research adviser at the CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, commented, “While the pandemic has had a huge impact on people and business, our data shows that there hasn’t been a dramatic shift in job quality. There are a number of possible reasons for this and it may well be that we are still in the calm before the storm.

“Employers should not, though, see this as an opportunity to take their foot off the pedal. In fact, our report highlights that there is much work to do to close existing gaps and improve job quality across the board.

“A strong economic recovery post-pandemic is not just about more jobs, but better jobs too. It may not be realistic to make all jobs great in all ways, but there are several dimensions to job quality and by being more creative with job design and HR practices, employers can and should make work better for everyone.”

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