More than half of Britons are dissatisfied with their job and salary is their greatest gripe according to research by Alliance and Lecester.
Just over half (51 per cent) of private sector employees who are unhappy with their job cite low pay as their biggest grumble, and more than a quarter of dissatisfied staff (28 per cent) are unhappy about their working hours – little surprise with Britons having the longest working week of any EU workforce. They also receive 13 fewer days of paid leave a year than the average EU worker.
The dissatisfaction with pay comes despite average earnings in the private sector increasing by 3.8 per cent in the year to May 2002.
Main findings
– Although 41 per cent of people are satisfied with their jobs, more than half (59 per cent) are unhappy with aspects of their employment.
– 51 per cent of dissatisfied staff blame their current salary, increasing to 58 per cent for those aged 25-34. Women are less satisfied with their salaries than men, with 53 per cent of discontented female workers blaming their pay compared to 49 per cent of men.
– Working hours are cited by 28 per cent of dissatisfied workers, rising to 31 per cent of men compared to 24 per cent of women.
– Working environment is the third largest cause of disenchantment, with 20 per cent of unhappy workers blaming their surroundings at work.
– Despite the spotlight in recent weeks on pension provision, only 14 per cent of unhappy workers cite this as a source of dissatisfaction in their jobs.
