BY Fraser Tennant
More than one in four UK workers are “not performing their best at work”, with increasing automation a key concern, according to a report published by Deloitte this week.
In its ‘Voice of the workforce in Europe’ report, Deloitte highlights that 32 percent of UK workers say they are not stimulated by what they do, with 36 percent stating what they do is not meaningful. In comparison, on average, just one in four European workers (24 percent) say they are not stimulated by what they do, and fewer than one in five (18 percent) believe what they do is not meaningful.
“For the UK to remain a globally competitive economy, more must be done to address productivity in our workplaces and the ever widening skills gap,” said Anne-Marie Malley, UK human capital leader at Deloitte. “Businesses are facing an uphill struggle to address these factors which is leading to dissatisfaction, disengagement and despondency among employees. Employers must offer more support to strengthen their worker’s skills and communicate the value their roles are bringing to their company, the economy and ultimately society as a whole.”
The Deloitte report research also highlights that almost half of UK workers are already feeling the impact of automation, with 44 percent of workers stating that some of the tasks they did five years ago have been automated and are now done by robots or software, up from a European average of 38 percent of workers. Additionally, 34 percent in the UK say that entire business processes relevant to their job have been automated over the past five years, up from 30 percent of overall European workers.
Overall, workers across Europe appear relaxed about the future impact of automation. Regarding their own jobs and how they will evolve over the next 10 years, about three-quarters (76 percent) of respondents say they only expect slow, small, or no change at all. In the UK, four in five (83 percent) do not expect any major changes to their job over the next decade.
“The reality is that the future of work is now, and automation is already impacting day-to-day roles,” said Ms Malley. “Awareness will provoke action, so it is important for businesses to educate workers on how their roles will be augmented by technology over the next decade.”
Deloitte’s research was based on the attitudes and views of more than 15,000 people across 10 European countries, including 2043 from the UK.
Report: Voice of the workforce in Europe
