Employees in the North East the happiest at work

A study of 2,000 employees to mark ‘International Happiness At Work Week’ has found that 63% of employees are happy in their job, with workers likely to be the happiest at work between the ages of 23 and 38 years old.

When initially asked if they were happy at work, the study by John Cabot found the happiest regions in the UK when it came to work-place fulfilment were found to be:

1. North East – 91% (% of employees who stated they are happy in their jobs)
2. Yorkshire and the Humber – 83% 
3. Wales – 77%
4. South East – 75%
5. Northern Ireland – 74% 
6. Scotland – 67% 
7. North West – 66%
8. South West – 64%
9. West Midlands – 61%
10. London – 53%
11. East Midlands – 50%
12. East of England – 41% 

Hospitality and Events Management and Retail have the most unhappy staff of all industry sectors polled in the UK, whilst Marketing, Advertising and PR and Healthcare had the highest percentage of happy employees.

Happy employees admitted that their ideal commute time is between 15 and 30 minutes, with 89% stating that they are fortunate enough to have a ‘pleasant working environment’ and 70% stating that they feel they can ‘be themselves’ at work. Despite this, just over half of those who stated they were happy in the workplace admitted they felt they were ‘paid adequately’ (54%).

Almost all unhappy employees revealed that they don’t feel supported in the workplace or that they can’t be themselves (92% equally), with half of those having been in their jobs for between 10 and 20 years (50%). 

Additionally, when it comes to feeling it’s safe to speak up and challenge the way things are done in the workplace, men are more confident and secure, with 67% feeling confident enough to challenge regulations, compared to just 47% of women.

Mike Chidzey, Founder of www.JohnCabot.com, said: “It’s really interesting here to see what factors play a role in making someone feel happy or unhappy in the workplace. You’d think that money would play a large role, except only half who are happy feel they’re paid enough – yet, a short commute and the ability to be themselves is clearly important. 

“Those who are unhappy in their job roles or organisations should evaluate what makes them unhappy; is it material, or is it something they can easily resolve or do they need to move on and find something new? Sometimes it’s easy to fall into bad habits and stay put out of safety and security, but happiness is far more important in many instances.”

More information and results from the study can be found at: https://www.johncabot.com/corporate-events/team-building/happiness-at-work/