Discover invaluable insights to improve your employees’ experience
We aim to provide some of the answers following one of the largest international surveys of its kind. This ADP Research Institute® study provides insights into the hopes, desires and needs of over 34,600 workers in 18 countries.
While 40% of workers globally report being regularly underpaid, most people (37%) are working six to 10 hours per week for free – that’s at least three full days a month.
25% of respondents around the world work more than one job. 42% do so to earn enough to live on, 31% to finance a better lifestyle, 23% to fund retirement and 21% to repay debt.
Once again, people are more likely to say they feel supported by colleagues than by their managers when it comes to mental health at work. 75% of 18- to 24-year-olds say their work suffers due to stress — the highest of any age group surveyed.
Nearly a third (28%) of the world’s workers think AI will replace some of their existing functions, while around a fifth believe the new technology will save them time every day.
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After a challenging few years, Europe’s key economies in our study — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK — show signs of gradual recovery.
Although Europe remains an attractive place to work or set up a business, it’s clear more needs to be done when it comes to progressive employment rights and policies.
From paying people more fairly for the work they do to making meaningful headway on employees’ career prospects, European business leaders could devise ways to improve their employees’ experience and, therefore, their ability to attract and retain talent.
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While around 70% of workers around the world are satisfied with being able to access their pay information online, that figure falls to just 56% for European employees.
Only 53% of workers in Europe think they’re paid fairly for the work they do lagging the global average of 67%. A quarter of Europe’s workers don’t think they’re paid fairly at all.
Only 38% say their employer provides this, while 61% of workers globally benefit from such advice. No surprise then that only 39% say they’re satisfied with the financial advice their employer offers.
Over a fifth (21%) of Europe’s workers think AI will replace some of their existing functions, while 13% believe AI will save them time every day. Both these numbers are lower than the global average. Do Europe’s workers appreciate the potential of AI?
Of the fifth of Europe’s workers who have more than one source of income, 38% say this is so they can make enough to live on. What more can European employers do to take the financial pressure off their staff?
Only 47% of Europe’s workers are satisfied with their career progression. The global average for this topic is 64%. What’s more, nearly two thirds (59%) of Europe’s employees don’t feel secure in their jobs. Is there a connection?
The UK, with a population approaching 70 million, is considered a major international trading nation with the second-largest economy in Europe.
However, with stalled economic growth and inflation and interest rates both above government targets, businesses and their workers still face considerable cost-of-living pressures.
37% would accept a one-off payment to help with the cost of living if a pay rise wasn’t possible. But many more women (42%) than men (33%) say so.
Nearly half (49%) of women and 32% of men rank ‘flexibility of hours’ as most important in their job. Even more mothers (55%) than fathers (34%) agree.
42% think ‘people skills’ will be the most important skill, while 23% think AI will replace some of their existing job functions in the next few years.
Only 74% of workers have access to their pay information online – and even fewer (59%) of 18-24-year-olds can access their pay data.
Only 32% of UK workers think their employer is better at gender pay equality than three years ago, a small share compared to the global average of 46%.
While 63% of men think they’re paid fairly for the work they do, only 53% of women agree. And 28% of women (compared to 17% of men) are dissatisfied with their wage.
Over a quarter (28%) of UK employees work between six and 10 unpaid hours a week. That equates to nearly a third of people putting in three free days of work a month.
While mental health and stress are rightly being addressed in the workplace, only 21% of workers say their company is implementing HR policy changes to help neurodiverse staff.
If pay rises are proving a stretch this year, what alternatives would workers around the world accept? Find out in our global guide.
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