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?
Switzerland is recognised as one of the world’s most competitive economies, due mainly to its highly developed services sector. The country is a significant player in global trade. Although home to many multinational companies, family-run small-to-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) make up over 99% of the nation’s enterprises.
On average, employees in Switzerland work the highest amount of unpaid overtime in the region, at over nine hours per week. What’s more, nearly a quarter (23%) of workers in the country don’t feel secure in their jobs, higher than both the European and global averages. Is there a connection between these two findings?
Over half (53%) of workers say salary is the most important aspect of their job. Yet a large proportion — 59% — of employees are regularly underpaid. That’s way ahead of the European (50%) and global (40%) averages. Plus, only 55% have access to their pay information online, some way behind their European (60%) and global (74%) counterparts.
Switzerland has the region’s lowest share of people who must attend the workplace every day — 31%, compared to 41% Europe-wide. 39% of employees have some degree of flexibility (close to European and global averages) and 27% have complete flexibility about where they work. In total, 63% are satisfied with the flexibility of their location and hours.
While 23% of workers in Switzerland don’t feel secure in their jobs, that rises to 31% of those in the largest firms (with 1000+ staff) and 34% of those working at home. If no pay rise was available, 28% would opt for extra days off and a shorter work week. Do these findings suggest a country with particularly high levels of job security anxiety?
Although 25% think their company has improved at gender pay equality in the past three years, only 23% think their firm has improved at DEI, behind the European (27%) and global (46%) averages. This matters: 71% say they’d consider looking for another job if their firm had an unfair gender pay gap, while 65% say they’d quit if there was no diversity & inclusion policy.
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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