* Home * My Feed * Saved The Telegraph (BUTTON) * News * Politics * World * Sport * Technology * Business * Money * Opinion * Obituaries * Travel * Culture * Lifestyle * Women * Family * Health and Fitness * Fashion * Luxury * Cars * Free Mobile App * Jobs * Financial Solutions * Rewards * Events * Dating * Offers * Shop * Garden Shop * Bookshop * Tickets * Puzzles * Fantasy Football * Voucher Codes * Work at The Telegraph * Telegraph Corporate * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe now * My Account My details My newsletters Logout Upgrade to Premium * Search * Video * Rewards * Subscribe - 30 days free * Login * Register * Search * Video * Rewards * My Account My details My newsletters Logout The Telegraph * Home * News * Sport * Business (BUTTON) ALL SECTIONS * News * UK * World * Politics * Science * Education * Health * Brexit * Royals * Investigations * Matt * Front Bench newsletter (BUTTON) More * Telegraph * News We're working harder, feel more stressed and have less security - but Brits are happier at work than ever before * * * * Save Businesswoman on a tablet British workers may be putting more hours in than ever, but most say they would enjoy working even without the money Credit: Alamy * John Bingham, Social Affairs Editor 23 July 2016 • 10:00pm (BUTTON) Follow Follow the author of this article * John Bingham Follow the topics within this article * Jobs and employment * Graduates * Happiness From Monday morning blues to clockwatching on a Friday afternoon, work is supposed to be the part of life we tolerate only because we have to pay the bills. But new research shows that even though Britons are putting in longer hours, feel more stress and, for many, are much less secure in their jobs than in the past, they are also happier at work than ever before. The striking paradox in attitudes to work is highlighted in new findings from the 30-year British Social Attitudes survey (BSA), the longest running and most authoritative barometer of public opinion in the UK. It found that almost two thirds of Britons are now so wedded to their careers that money is a secondary consideration, a view which has strengthened noticeably over the period of the financial crisis and subsequent recession. Experts argued the shift could be because people’s jobs have become more “interesting” and less rigid in recent years because of changes in the economy and the increase in graduate work. Commuters casting shadows Britons are so wedded to their careers that money is a secondary consideration Credit: Daniel Munoz/Reuters But psychologists said it also raises the possibility that what makes people happy has changed with career replacing family at the centre of their priorities. The most recent edition of the BSA shows that 62 per cent of people in the UK believe they would enjoy having a job “even if [they] did not need the money”. That includes 14 per cent – or one in seven – who strongly agreed with the statement. When the same question was asked in 2005, only 49 per cent agreed overall. Only nine per cent agreed strongly. "There is a common pattern of people working harder but being more happy"Kirby Swales That finding was, in turn, virtually unchanged on the level seen in 1997 (48 per cent). The figures, published by NatCen Social Research, show a striking contrast between the experience of the recent economic downturn, sometimes known as the “Great Recession”, to that in previous periods of economic uncertainly, when it comes to enthusiasm for work. The proportion saying they would enjoy employment even if they did not need the money slipped from 54 per cent in 1989 to 48 per cent by 1997, during the early 1990s recession, in line with what might be expected during a period of higher unemployment. By contrast, it rose sharply during the recent downturn. The report argues that the changes in the workplace, with many employees experiencing less rigid working conditions than in the past, could be part of the explanation. Commuter waits on the street The workplace has become less rigid Credit: Brent Lewin/Bloomberg The number of graduates in the workforce – a group more likely to say they would work even if they did not have to – has more than doubled since the mid-1980s. Kirby Swales, director of the NatCen Survey Centre, said there was evidence that both white collar workers and those in manual or routine jobs are “buying in” to their work more than in the past – but often for different reasons. “There is a common pattern of people working harder but being more happy,” he said. “It could be at the lower end the job satisfaction is driven by fear of recession but at the managerial end it is more driven by the changing nature of work … and people are willing to work harder.” The study includes detailed questioning about people’s own working life. They were asked a whether they considered their job well paid and secure as well as aspects such as being “interesting”, if it made them feel “useful” or allowed them to work independently. Overall it shows that job satisfaction has increased over the last two decades but job security has not – and actively deteriorated for those in traditional working class “routine” or “semi-routine” posts. "For all the talk of work-life balance, there isn’t much indication that we are getting it"Dr Stephanie Morgan Those in professional jobs report having much more freedom and flexibility than they did a decade ago but those in some routine jobs said the opposite. Yet both groups are more likely to report working longer hours and feel stress at work than in the past. “We find that there has been an increase in those that are saying willing to work hard,” said Mr Swales. “It does seem to be increasingly accepted among people that they have to go that extra mile and they accept that work is a bit more stressful and a bit more imposing on their work-life balance but if that is associated with more autonomy there are plenty of people choosing to do that.” Dr Stephanie Morgan, an occupational psychologist at Kingston Business School in London said the findings suggest that for some people, work has overtaken aspects of life such as family as a priority source of happiness. Office workers from above People get pride from their work Credit: Alamy While more people report feeling stress, for those in fulfilling jobs that stress could actively be linked with happiness and feelings of pride in their work. “For all the talk of work-life balance, there isn’t much indication that we are getting it,” she said. “But it has been accepted that [work itself] is part of being happy. There has been a lot more talk of having an identity at work and getting meaning out of work and being able to continue when we retire, having relationships and seeing people and all the important things which come from having a job. “Certainly the indications from this suggest that people are actually working longer hours and feel less secure – and those two things are probably linked and therefore mustn’t be neglected. “But people are enjoying the work and are saying that they would do it even if they didn’t have to … maybe the balance is considered to be acceptable. It might not be a perfect balance but if you are enjoying the work and go home and go home and in the hors you have you are a better partner and parent [maybe] that is considered sufficient.” * * * * Follow Telegraph News * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Instagram READ MORE ABOUT: * Jobs and employment * Graduates * Happiness * Show more Follow Telegraph News * Follow on Facebook * Follow on Twitter * Follow on Instagram IFRAME: https://widgethost.barnebys.com/widgets/28/?w=300&h=460 News latest 1. Zizzi will source its mozzarella from Wales 21 Dec 2018, 12:28pm Zizzi and Ask Italian begin using Welsh mozzarella rather than Italian amid fears of food shortages over Brexit 2. 01:19 Live: 21 Dec 2018, 12:22pm Live Gatwick reopens as military equipment is deployed to stop further drone disruption - latest news 3. 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