Exploring the interactions between job quality, industries and health
A report for the Commission for Healthier Working Lives
There is a range of evidence that good work is protective and supportive of our health and wellbeing, while poor-quality work can be harmful – in some cases, as bad as not being in work at all. In 2022/23, 1.7 million workers in Great Britain reported work-related ill health, underlining the need to address job quality issues that affect health.
Underneath this, however, it is often less clear the extent to which different aspects of job quality may affect our health, how prevalent these issues are, and how impacts vary for different industries and groups. This paper seeks to clarify the evidence on these areas to support the Commission for Healthier Working Lives. Its findings on job quality and health also offer timely insights which can inform the Government’s Employment Rights Bill, helping to strengthen protections for vulnerable workers.
A rapid review of the evidence identified four key aspects of job quality with the strongest links to health. These were:
- Job security and precarity
- Excessive and/or irregular hours
- Demands and control at work
- Relationships and support
The research also found that:
- Three fifths of the workforce report having to work to tight deadlines and two fifths at high speed, both of which are among the highest rates in Europe.
- Just one third of workers say they have control over how they work – the lowest rate in Europe.
Much of the responsibility for improving job quality lies with local actors – in particular, employers, workers themselves and their representatives. But public policy also has an important role to play. Policy interventions to address poor-quality work need to be targeted at those industries, employers and groups where risks are greatest, with tailored measures to address specific challenges. These points, along with insights that we can draw from overseas, will be developed in upcoming reports for the Commission for Healthier Working Lives.