UK workplaces are among the worst in Europe for long hours, tight deadlines and limited autonomy, without being any more productive, says report prepared as new Labor government plans tougher rules for employers.
Three-fifths of the workforce reported tight deadlines and two-fifths had to work at a high pace, among the highest proportions in Europe, while only a third could choose their pace of work, the report says .
The report was produced for the Commission for Healthier Working Lives – a body set up by the UK think tank Health Foundation with union representation – to improve the working conditions required under new employment legislation.
“The problem areas that must now be prioritized are long working hours, work intensity and lack of control or autonomy at work,” wrote one of the report’s authors, Jonny Gifford, a researcher principal at the Institute for Employment Studies.
Another co-author, former IES chief Tony Wilson, left the body in October to become a senior adviser to the UK Department of Work.
Some businesses are worried about the direction the new government will take.
The Confederation of British Industry warned on Monday that tougher employment rules risked exacerbating problems caused by a sharp rise in social security contributions and the minimum wage, which it said would reduce employment, wages and long-term investments in the economy.
The report said conditions varied by sector and were generally worst in construction, transportation, warehouses, retail and hospitality. Among professional roles, nurses and teachers reported particular tension.
Much of the data comes from a 2021 European Union survey on working conditions. Brits report better-than-average relationships with colleagues and managers, but fare less well otherwise.
“By almost all measures, the UK ranks among the worst in Europe in terms of workplace demands, workplace monitoring and workplace strain,” the report said, adding that around the half of Britons say they are exhausted by work.
Work stress has increased over the past 25 years, the report adds.
“Given the UK’s lower labor productivity compared to comparable countries such as France and Germany, these conditions do not appear justifiable from a performance perspective,” it concludes.