Commenting on Cardiff
University's Skills and
Employment Survey, which
offers detailed insights into the world of work since the
pandemic, TUC General Secretary
Paul Nowak
said:
“This report shows our world of work
is fundamentally changing. It's time our labour laws were dragged
into the 21st century too.
"That's why the Employment Rights Bill
is so important. It will help to protect staff from abuse and
harassment at work at a time when it is
rife.
"It will also boost
family-friendly and flexible working to help more workers fit
work around their lives.
"And it will help give more workers
voice at work through a union too."
ENDS
Notes to
editors:
Key findings from the report
include:
-
Location of work: When working
at home, a quarter of workers do so (27%) in spaces intended
for other purposes such as the kitchen or dining room, a fifth
(22%) have a workstation in the corner of a room, 6% share an
office with another member of the household and 45% have a home
office of their own. Those contributing more to the household
budget, residents of larger homes and those spending more time
working at home are more likely to have the resources and space
to create a home office. As a result, men are more likely than
women to have a dedicated office and women are more likely to
work in spaces intended for other uses such as the kitchen or
dining room.
- Workplace abuse: More than one in seven (14%) of UK
workers experienced some form of workplace abuse in the year
leading up to the survey, including bullying, violence and sexual
harassment. Occupations facing the greatest risks of abuse
include nurses (32%), teachers (28%) and others working in the
public sector. Risk is also elevated for night workers (24%) and
it is much greater for women (19%) than for men (10%).
- AI: The adoption of AI is accelerating rapidly, with the
share of users surging from 15% to 24% between the third quarter
of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024. While AI user share was
above 10% in two-thirds of occupations, use was concentrated in
high-paying, high-skill roles and among men, younger workers and
those with university-level education.
- Unions: The perceived influence of unions on the organisation
of work has increased since 2006. More than a third of employees
(36%) working within non-unionised organisations say they would
vote to establish a union if they were given the chance. This
figure increases to around a half (51%) among those aged 20-29.
It rises even further among both the LGBTQ+ community and those
whose health severely limits their activity. In both cases, six
out of ten would vote to establish a trade
union.
