Care analysis: How will UK attitudes to work affect the care sector in crisis?

A report recently published by the Policy Institute at King’s College London highlights the UK public rank among the lowest internationally for the importance they place on work.

The findings flag indications that the care sector needs to fundamentally rethink future workforce planning, raising questions including:

• What are the implications of work having less importance, on the care sector?
• Are millennials as committed to care work as baby boomers?
• Will the UK’s declining sense of ‘work as a social duty’ impact the care sector?

Overall, this data highlights long-term shifts in preferences for work-life balance across a range of countries. Over the last 40 years across many major economies, more people now say that it would be a ‘good thing’ if less importance was placed on work.

Below we highlight some key findings from the report.

What are the implications of work having less importance on the care sector?

"43% of people in the UK say it would be a good thing if less importance were placed on work."

The report reveals the UK is more focused on getting its work-life balance right than many other nations, and has a particularly favourable view of people who don’t work.

The UK is among the least likely to say work should always come first, even if it means less leisure time. This has risen from 26% in 1981, to 43% in 2022.

Caption: 'how important it is in your life: Work (% who say very/rather important)'

Are Millennials as committed to care work as baby boomers?

"52% of Millennials said it would be a good thing if less importance were placed on work – up from 31% in 2005."

There has been a notable shift in attitudes by generation, with millennials becoming much more likely to say they’d welcome a decline in the importance of work, and much less likely to say work should always come first.

Caption: 'How would you feel about the following statements? Do you agree or disagree with them? Work should alway scome first, even if it means less spare time (% who strongly agree/agree by generation in Britain) - Why is the UK favourable to people who don’t work?'

The UK public ranked as one of the lowest countries to agree (with 40%), that those who don’t work turn lazy.

"Yet there is a gender divide in the UK, with men (48%) considerably more likely than women (32%) to hold this opinion."

Caption: 'Indicate whether you think it would be a good thing, a bad thing, or you don’t mind? [on the statement] Less importance placed on work'

Will the UK’s declining sense of ‘work as a social duty’ impact the care sector?

"60% of people in the UK say work is a duty towards society, placing the country on par with Australia (61%), Spain (59%) and the US (59%)."

There is some pessimism about the link between hard work and success. Among a smaller sample of 18 countries, the UK ranks 12th for the belief that, in the long run, hard work usually brings a better life. 39% of people in the UK lean towards this view, notably below the US, where 55% hold this opinion. However the UK ranks higher than Germany, where 28% feel this way.

Caption: 'How would you feel about the following statements? Do you agree or disagree with them?Work is a duty towards society (% who strongly agree/agree)'