WHITE COLLAR WORKERS PRIORITISING WELLNESS OVER PAY

According to a recent survey 65% of white-collar workers in Scotland are considering quitting or changing their jobs as wellness at work takes precedence over pay for most Scots. The figures come from a Censuswide commissioned by workplace wellbeing marketplace Juno, looking at morale within the white-collar workplace at large across Scotland.

Amongst the key findings, the survey states that 58% of all employees surveyed are currently suffering from low morale – largely due to a lack of work-life balance, 17% of workers now believe they work in a toxic environment – a further 19% believe that their employer does not care about their mental health. 

Only 48% of Scottish employees believe their employers respect their individual needs for example, childcare requirements, mental and physical health needs and wider wellness. In a jobs market where there are over 1 million vacancies, a majority of job-seekers said they are looking to work for a firm offering improved wellness packages, childcare support and work-life balance.

Scots are more driven by work-life balance than in anywhere else in the UK – with 35% of respondents listing this as their main priority for changing jobs, in contrast to 24% of UK-wide respondents

The findings of the report paint a dismal picture – with employees on mass suffering from burnout, low morale, while the numbers of those actively considering quitting their roles are very high – with nearly two thirds of all white-collar workers in Scotland considering quitting their jobs (including remote workers, hybrid workers and office workers). 

An astonishing 58% of all employees surveyed are currently suffering from low morale in the workplace – rising to 63% in the 45-54 age bracket. A further 38% of employees say their company has to operate at a reduced capacity due to shortages and 23% are seeing sales fall as they struggle to meet customer demand due to short staffing. 

For a number of companies, this is creating a vicious circle where staff shortages worsen employee morale, which then increases employee turnover, which then exacerbates the economic impact of shortages on commercial performance. 

Across the Scottish economy, this is accentuating issues around burnout, workplace toxicity and stress – 23% of employees across the white-collar economy now have a lack of care for the company they work for, 18% have said that their mental and physical health has suffered and 17% believe that they now work in a toxic environment. 

Around 16% of respondents said that salary demands were the primary reason why a potential candidate chose a different job offer (compared to a UK average of 24%). In addition, Scots are more driven by work-life balance than anywhere else in the UK – this was the primary reason for changing jobs in Scotland, with 35% of Scots listing this as their primary motivation to change roles. 

In addition, a combined 82% of respondents said that a better work-life balance or workplace culture at the rival company, improved access to benefits (i.e. childcare, healthcare) and access to wellness tools were the factors behind why a prospective employee chose an alternative role. Again, this compares to 58% across the wider UK – suggesting a drastic shift in priorities for Scots at work compared to the rest of the UK.

Ally Fekaiki, founder and CEO of Juno, commented: “What we’re seeing in Scotland is reflective of a wider trend we’re seeing across the UK and Europe – employees are not happy in general, and are looking for much greater control over their work-life balance, control and autonomy over the benefits they receive, and an end to the ‘at all costs’ approach to work which is leading to toxic workplaces and people, low morale and low motivation across the white-collar economy. 

For businesses looking to retain their staff, you must take their concerns regarding workplace autonomy seriously; it’s not just salary, but pastoral care and wellness that keep them motivated.”