Two fifths feel undervalued and believe they are better than their boss – particularly high earners and those in large firms

New independent research among over 2,000 UK adults commissioned by Studio Graphene, has revealed how satisfied full-time workers across the country are in their job. It found:

30% of full-time employees in the UK plan to change jobs in 2019 – this rises to 39% among 18-34 year olds

33% would take a lower salary if they could have a more satisfying role or better work-life balance

Two fifths (39%) do not feel valued by their employers

Those who work in a large company (47%) are far more likely to feel this way than those in small companies (29%)

The same number (39%) do not feel their capabilities are being properly utilised in their current job – again the figure jumps within large firms (45%) and even higher (46%) among those who earn over £75,000 a year

38% believe they could do a better job than their line manager – a massive 58% of high earners (£75,000 a year and above) said this

Among the other grievances that UK full-time employees have:

A third (34%) feel they have not developed professionally over the past 12 months



36% are not happy with their work-life balance – the figure drops to 26% for those in micro businesses and 29% within small companies



34% of employees say they have no freedom to express themselves at work

Studio Graphene’s research demonstrates that large sections of the UK’s employment sector are unhappy in their role, with 30% planning to find a new job next year and 34% feeling they did not develop professionally in 2018.

The survey also shows that there are a particularly high proportion of dissatisfied employees within large organisations (those with more than 250 employees) compared to micro (one-nine) and small (10-49) businesses.

For example, 45% of people working in large firms feel their capabilities are being wasted – in micro and small businesses the number drops to 31% and 29% respectively. Similarly, 47% of those in large enterprises feel undervalued by their employer; just 29% of those in small companies said the same.

High salaries do not rid employees of their concerns either. Almost half (46%) of people who earn over £75,000 said their skills are not properly utilised at work, with even more (58%) saying they could do a better job than their manager. Furthermore, 50% of high earners are not happy with their work-life balance and 44% would take a pay cut to address this.

Ritam Gandhi, founder and director of Studio Graphene, said: