According to a large survey of the workplace, more than one-seventh of UK employees has experienced some type of abuse.
The Skills and Employment Survey, conducted every six years by Cardiff University, UCL and Nuffield College in Oxford and the University of Surrey (and other academic institutions), has revealed some interesting findings.
The survey revealed that nurses (32%), educators (28%) as well as other workers in the public sector are at the highest risk of being abused. The risk is also higher for night workers (24%), and for women (19%) compared to men (10%). The incidents included bullying, violence, and sexual harassment.
Prof. Francis Green, of UCL, said that workplace abuse can have a damaging impact on the victims.
“Yet, our survey found that abuse at work occurs far too often every year, especially in public sector.” He said that women and LGBTQ+ workers are the most likely to experience sexual harassment.
Employers need to be aware that unequal power can lead to problems. They should instill a culture of respect and create human resource policies for addressing these issues.
The report urges the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to track trends for each type of abuse.
The survey revealed that the way we have worked since the pandemic has changed dramatically. More than half of employees are using areas intended for other uses to do their work.
A little over a quarter (27%) of workers work in the kitchen or dining area, while a fifth (22%) has a desk in a corner. 6% of employees share an office with a family member. Fifty-five percent of workers have their own home office.
Researchers concluded that employees with larger homes or who contributed more to household budgets would have more resources and space for a home office. The researchers concluded that they would be more likely to be men.
The adoption of artificial intelligent is also increasing rapidly. It increased from 15% to 24% between the third and second quarters of 2023.
AI is mainly used in highly-paid, high-skilled occupations. Also, men, young workers, and those with degrees are more likely to use AI.
Degrees up for demand
The survey revealed that despite the fact that many employers are focusing on apprenticeships and early career paths, there is still a high demand for graduates’ level qualifications.
In 1986, only 1 in 5 workers required a degree to do their job. By 2024, that number had increased to nearly half (46%).
The number of workers with graduate or higher qualifications has decreased slightly. It is now down to 35% in 2024, from a peak of 39% back in 2006.
The Skills and Employment Survey also revealed a shift in perceptions about unions. A third of non-unionised employees (36%) said that they would vote for a union, if given the chance. The younger workers aged 20-29 were more likely than older workers to support unionisation (51%).
Six out of ten LGBTQ+ employees, as well as the same percentage of employees who have health problems that limit their ability to work, are interested in forming a union.
The survey also covered job quality, gender (finding that the “gender gap” has gradually narrowed between men and woman), and meaning found by employees in their work.
Health, education and construction are the industries with the highest meaningful work levels, while accommodation, transport, sales and financial services are amongst those with lowest.
Employee autonomy declines
Researchers found that employees’ ability to make decisions regarding their jobs has declined since 2012. Only 34% of workers reported that they had a lot of influence on the tasks that they perform and the way they complete them.
Professor Duncan Gallie of Nuffield College, University of Oxford said: “The participation of employees in decisions regarding how their jobs are performed and organisational changes that affect their work have vital consequences for their well-being and motivation at work.
“Yet in recent decades, British employers, despite an increase in work stress and a crisis of productivity, have reduced the discretion and ability of employees to make decisions about their job and organisation.
The decline in employee participation has impacted both higher and lower class employees. “But the loss of discretion has affected female employees in particular.”
Professor Alan Felstead, Cardiff University, led the Skills and Employment Survey in its entirety. He added, “The world of employment has changed significantly since our last survey, which was conducted in 2017. The world of work has changed since our last survey in 2017. For instance, we now work from different places, AI is more prevalent, task discretion is decreasing, and industrial unrest has increased.
He warned about the dangers and inequalities of many employee working arrangements.
“Even when working from home is an option, some employers are imposing a return to office requirement and are in conflict with their employees. He said that two-thirds (or more) of home workers told him it was an important or essential part of their employment package.
There are some challenges to working from home, especially for those people who do not have the space or resources to create an office at home. This includes those living in small homes or sharing accommodation.
The survey shows that power and money are important factors in determining who is able to work from home, and whether they can create an office at home. The policy should therefore focus on promoting flexible working in all its forms, not just at home, which is a form of working that tends to favor the more privileged.
The research was supported by Acas, Department for Education and Economic and Social Research Council.
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