Workers making personal sacrifices for promotions and pay rises

The research from HiBob analyses people’s understanding of how promotions are achieved, revealing a worrying culture of overtime linked to the desire for promotions and pay rises. Over half (55%) of British workers think employees should be expected to make some personal sacrifices of time or convenience to earn raises or promotions, and six in ten (58%) are willing to do this themselves.

Four in ten (42%) working Brits say they are motivated to stay in their current job for the foreseeable future because of the current state of the economy, and therefore they turn to their existing employers for promotions and pay rises. 

50% expect a pay rise in their next performance review, and almost a third (31%) expect a promotion. These expectations may be misaligned as only 40% of people received a raise in their previous review and just a quarter received a promotion in their last review.

However, workers support the Right to Disconnect 

Despite willingness to work overtime to get pay rises and promotions, 72% of workers strongly approve of Labour’s proposed Right to Disconnect Law, also known as the right to switch off.

Ronni Zehavi, CEO and Co-Founder at HiBob comments: “Today’s research reveals a dangerous work culture exposing how employees think they can progress in the workplace. The overwhelming support for the proposed Right to Disconnect clearly indicates a nation that wants to put a stop to working hundreds of unpaid overtime hours each year but can’t see a non-legislated way out of overtime in the hope of progression. 

“It is nothing short of ironic that people are working unpaid overtime to try and earn more money, and employers need to wake up and show a duty of care to their people. Without this, they will lose their most talented people to competitors with better work-life balance, assuming they don’t burn out before then.” 

The research shows workers are also willing to learn a new skill (67%), take on new responsibilities (65%) and supervise more people (45%) in order to progress within their company. A quarter (26%) of people would change location workstyle (i.e., change their remote/hybrid/office set up); and over one in ten UK workers (13%) would cancel or change vacation or time off plans in order to progress within their company.     

When the economy improves, a third of workers will look to leave their jobs

While the economy today keeps 42% of Brits in the same role, there is a significant risk for businesses that do not invest in their people when the economy improves, as over a third (38%) say they would be likely to look for a new job when the economy is better. 

Training and a clear path for development are tried and tested ways to keep employees happy in their roles, yet 20% of employees say their company does not offer any form of training or development progress, and 20% cannot see a clear path for career progression.  

Ronni continues: “The current economic climate has seen many employees stay where they are, however, the battle for talent is very much still on. Companies that do not prioritise employee wellbeing and development can expect to say goodbye to their most talented staff when the economy picks up. Promoting the right to disconnect is a powerful tool for improving employee engagement and retention. It sends a strong message that the company values its people’s wellbeing and is committed to creating a sustainable work environment.”

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.