A call has been made to improve the quality of jobs in the North after new research found workers were feeling increasingly unhappy about the world of work.
The study by HR body CIPD of nearly 1,000 employees in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber found a significant rise in the number of people complaining of having unmanageable workloads, and those saying that their job had an adverse affect on their physical and mental health. Workers in the region are also less enthused about their jobs compared to the ratings returned the last time the study was carried out four years ago.
The study also found a big gap between the quality of working life in the public and private sectors, with public sector workers less satisfied with pay than private sector workers and more likely to feel stressed.
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CIPD is calling on employers in the North East - as well as the Government - to renew their focus on providing good work and improving job quality, calling for employers to offer more flexible working options, and to find ways of developing staff so that they are more professionally fulfilled.
The report comes as record unemployment figures in the North East have sparked a debate about the world of work in the region, with some believing that the low numbers of people out of work are masking problems with low-paid and part-time work.
Daphne Doody-Green, head of CIPD in Northern England, said: "This research demonstrates that workers - and particularly those in the public sector - are becoming increasingly dissatisfied and disengaged with work. Employers need to assess the quality of their jobs and consider implementing changes that will create a happier, healthier and more productive workforce.
"To help, we are working with the Northern metro mayors - in Greater Manchester, Liverpool, North of Tyne and West Yorkshire - to support and develop their Good Work Charters, which provide a framework for employers, and access to resources, to help improve their employment practices. Work can, and should be, a force for good, and while not all jobs can be transformed; significant improvements in areas such as flexibility, development and people management can play a huge part in improving job quality."
The study questioned people on areas including pay and benefits, work-life balance, relationships at work, and health and wellbeing. Though two-thirds of respondents in the North were satisfied with their job and relationships with managers and colleagues are mostly strong, the effect of work on both mental and physical health has worsened compared with previous years.
The North reported the most negative scores for the impact of work on people's mental and physical health, and also had the lowest scores for employee engagement.