CIPD Good Work Index

Pay and benefits

• No major changes to pay satisfaction, but more staff (54%) feel able to keep up with bills without difficulty than in 2024 (50%).
• Ability to keep up with bills correlates with improved reported performance and higher likelihood of recommending one’s employer.
• Better pay satisfaction correlates with better reported performance, improved mental health and lower likelihood of quitting.

Work outcomes where employees are satisfied/not satisfied with pay (%)

Contracts

• Most staff are satisfied with their job irrespective of their contract type.
• Majority feel their contract status suits their personal circumstances well.
• A suitable contract type links to greater job satisfaction, lower intention to quit and a more positive impact on mental health.

Impact of employment suitability on reported outcomes

Work–life balance

• There is an unmet demand for a greater variety of formal flexible working arrangements (FWAs) – especially for a four-day week, compressed hours and flexi-time.
• 80% of those who have a formal FWA say that it has a positive impact on their quality of life.
• Most staff (70%) feel able to take time away from work to deal with personal matters. This informal flexibility correlates with better reported performance and higher discretionary effort.

Impact of informal flexibility and reported discretionary effort (%)

Job design and the nature of work

• 16% of staff have had job tasks automated by AI. 85% of those say this has improved their performance.
• Job autonomy remains high and correlates with increased reported performance and improved mental health. Positive engagement links to reduced intention to quit, improved reported performance and greater discretionary effort.
• Staff who see prospects for development and advancement are more likely to say they perform better, recommend their employer and give discretionary effort. They are also less likely to quit.

Impact of influence over tasks done on reported outcomes

Feeling when working and correlation with reported outcomes

How prospects for advancement and development correlate to reported outcomes (%)

Relationships at work

• Employees with positive views of their manager are more likely to say they perform effectively, less likely to say work has a negative effect on their health, and have a lower intention to quit.
• Employee ratings of line managers have improved since 2023, particularly around their support for L&D and openness on issues like mental health.
• This improvement correlates with more managers feeling they now have the training and time needed to manage staff well.

Line manager behaviour and correlation with achieving job objectives

Employee voice

• Most staff have access to team and manager meetings, but many lack other channels, such as online forums, all-department or all-organisation meetings.
• Staff rate managers more highly in their ability to encourage voice compared with 2023, but there’s room for improvement.
• Those who feel listened to and empowered to speak up by their managers are more likely to report better performance.

Different voice channels reported in organisations (%)

Reported outcomes when managers are good/poor at enabling voice channels

Health and wellbeing

• About a quarter of respondents say work has a negative effect on their mental health and similar report the same for their physical health.
• Excessive workloads, stress and exhaustion correlate with poorer mental and physical health. Poor relationships with colleagues and line managers are also likely to influence health issues.
• Those whose work affects their mental health negatively are more likely to quit, less likely to recommend their employer, and have lower job satisfaction.

How impact on mental health links to reported outcomes