Where are the nation’s happiest employees?
Nearly three-quarters of UK employees are satisfied in their current job roles, according to new research detailing the importance of location to worker happiness.
According to a study of more than 2,500 individuals by business psychologists OPP, 71% of UK employees say they are content in their existing jobs.
Employee fulfilment is growing, but there are a number of major factors based on region. It seems that the majority of Britain’s satisfied employees are happy in the roles, not only because of the job itself, but also due to its location.
Results reveal that 77% of the UK’s happiest workers are based in Norwich, whilst 76% are in Liverpool and 74% in Birmingham. Newcastle and Cardiff on the other hand showcased much lower figures, with just 64% of employees stating that they are satisfied at work in those cities.
It’s clear that employee contentment is growing by the minute across the UK however, with 36% of all those asked stating that they feel more fulfilled at work than they did last year.
Head of Research at OPP, John Hackston, revealed that job satisfaction “doesn’t fully translate into feeling successful at work”.
He highlighted the importance of good communication and how it can influence performance, decision making processes, and an overall understanding of an organisation’s strategy.
“By addressing the factors that affect workplace satisfaction, businesses can help their employees achieve their full potential,” he added.
The top three factors influencing job satisfaction were changes in management (22%), workload (26%), and salary increases (25%).
The study states that workplace disappointment occurs regularly amongst employees working in the finance sector, with 18% describing themselves as extremely or quite discontented. Retail, catering and leisure, as well as the utilities and manufacturing industries closely shadow these figures; with 16% of staff in both sectors stating they feel unhappy at work. Surprisingly, industries that are alleged to be the most demanding produced the most satisfied workers.
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