UK: Do employers care about the environment?

June 28, 2022

New research reveals that only 23% of UK workers think their employer cares a lot about protecting the environment.

Only 23% of UK workers think their employer cares a lot about protecting the environment, but it would increase job satisfaction for 63% of workers if their organisation did. That is according to new research carried out with 2,000 UK workers by youdo, a mobile app that connects employees, wellbeing, and environmental and social initiatives.

The youdo research, carried out among 2,000 UK workers and presented in a new report, Healthy People, Healthy Planet, reveals employee job satisfaction is greatly influenced by company approaches to the environment and wellbeing, particularly for those aged under 35 years. When UK workers were asked if they would be more or less satisfied in their job knowing their company cares about its impact on the environment, 69% 16-24-year-olds agreed they would be more satisfied in their job compared to 56% of 45 years and over.

George Chaytor-Norris, Co-Founder and CEO of youdo, commented: “Sustainability and society is on the minds of employees — and they expect their employer to take responsibility for both minimising their environmental impact and helping others in need. Job satisfaction is often relegated to the realm of what is being done and where and how it is being done, which is a short-sighted view and one that doesn’t account for the influence of personal factors.

“Employees are prioritising work-life balance and a desire to give back to others and contribute to helping the environment. Getting to know employees holistically lays the optimal foundations for lasting wellbeing and environmental strategies and is a motivator for employees to stay at an organisation and engage.”

The youdo research reveals there are key ways to increase employee engagement in environmental initiatives to boost loyalty and retain talent:

• Make initiatives relevant – only 18% of workers say company initiatives around wellbeing and the environment are very relevant to their personal interests
• Offer the schemes they value – 84% of workers say they want to be involved in initiatives in their organisation, with over a third (34%) specifically wanting to help the environment
• Give employees ownership – a significant number of workers want to take an active role in helping their company drive initiatives, top ways include contributing ideas (50%), voting on ideas (37%)

youdo is a mobile app that connects employees, wellbeing, and environmental and social initiatives. Employees are empowered to do what they love with like-minded colleagues, with every activity earning Earth Tokens, which can be redeemed as donations to environmental and social impact projects.

Categories : Around the Industry

Tags : Employee Employers Environment Job Satisfaction Research youdo