November 17, 2022

Imposter syndrome stands in the way of people aiming for a ‘portfolio career’

A new report from the UK’s Department for Education claims that over half of adults in England (52 percent) would consider developing a portfolio career if they had more confidence in their own abilities. The figure rises to 71 percent for those working in HR, and 45 percent of workers would do so if they suffered less from so-called imposter syndrome. The research comes as the Department for Education launched a new campaign earlier this year calling for skilled workers to pass on their valuable experience by teaching in further education (FE). The campaign promotes the flexibility of teaching part-time in FE, enabling industry professionals to ‘change lives without changing careers’ by passing on their work-based skills and knowledge to the next generation of learners in their field alongside their current job. More →

May 10, 2022

Imposter syndrome afflicts most people, but very few talk about it

by Neil Franklin • News, Wellbeing, Workplace

Three in five workers experience imposter syndrome with women and younger people disproportionately more likely to have feelings of self doubt, according to a new report from jobsite Indeed. The findings from Indeed’s Working on Wellbeing report are based on a YouGov survey of 2,500 UK workers around mental health and highlight how workers still are not getting the support needed from their employer. More →

January 14, 2021

Over two-thirds of British office workers currently suffer from imposter syndrome

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Working culture

Asana, the work management platform, has launched a new research study, which highlights the increased levels of imposter syndrome, anxiety and burnout now being felt by British office workers. At a time when many workers are now facing the reality of a new national lockdown, over two-thirds (69 percent) claim they are currently suffering from imposter syndrome, and nearly half (45 percent) say this has increased while operating in a remote working environment. More →

October 9, 2020

Working from home seems to relieve the burden of imposter syndrome

by Neil Franklin • Flexible working, News, Working lives

In a new study of around 2,000 workers conducted in partnership with the University of Nottingham, Totaljobs claims to have seen a 57 percent decrease in feelings of imposter syndrome compared to a similar survey last year, with just 3 in 10 workers in 2020 finding themselves experiencing feelings of what the study describes as Imposter Phenomenon. The 2019 study claims that 7 in 10 workers in the UK had suffered from complex ‘imposter’ feelings that can sabotage careers and harm our mental health. More →

November 6, 2023

Many business leaders inadvertently create a culture of fear at work

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

A new poll of workplace leaders suggests there is an environment of unconscious fear in modern-day leadership, leading to toxic culture, stunted growth, performance and productivity, and decision inertia. The global study of 2,500 emerging leaders in corporate businesses by consultant Margot Faraci, claims that around one quarter (23 percent) of UK leaders are unconsciously creating an environment of fear with direct reports. Globally, this figure rises to one in three (30 percent), indicating a growing worldwide phenomenon of fearful leadership. Fearful leadership carries significant implications for team morale, performance, and overall well-being within organisations. It’s often attributed to past experiences, creating an ongoing cycle of leadership driven by fear. More →

June 8, 2022

Burnout doesn’t have to be the inevitable outcome of proving your value at work

by Dr Sahar Yousef • Comment, Wellbeing, Workplace

Research from Asana shows that three quarters (75 percent) of UK knowledge workers experienced burnout in 2021. Perhaps even more concerning is that over a third (36 percent) of workers believe burnout is inevitable to career success. This worrying and unsustainable trend shows that for many employees, constantly checking email, working weekends, and burning out seems to be the best way to show their value at work. More →

April 6, 2022

Structural and cultural change are what we need to escape the wellbeing rut

by Simon O'Kane • Comment, Flexible working, Wellbeing

Wellbeing has been one of the largest challenges to the UK workforce over the last several years. A recent study by the Mental Health Foundation and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), states that mental health problems cost the UK economy at least £117.9 billion every year – around 5 percent of the UK’s GDP. Companies recognise the urgency to help: British employers planned to increase spending on employee mental health and wellbeing by 18 percent from 2021 to 2022. But the long and short of the issue is that this progress is being outpaced by accelerating burnout rates among workers. More →

April 5, 2022

Hybrid working burnout is inevitable, say third of workers

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing

Over one in three (36 percent) UK workers believe burnout is an inevitable part of their career, according to new data based on 2,000 UK knowledge workers. The figure, which rises to 41 percent of managers was noted by UK workers as a natural part of career progression by those who had experienced it. UK employees are feeling isolated at home when part of a hybrid working culture and they’re struggling to balance priorities and establish clear boundaries. More →

April 30, 2021

UK businesses improve their work culture to focus on wellbeing and flexibility

by Jayne Smith • Flexible working, News, Wellbeing, Working culture

Slack, a messaging app for business, has released new research looking into how UK businesses can change their approach to employee experience as lockdown eases, in order to help uphold culture, create flexibility, and maintain productivity. More →

October 30, 2020

Trust from the boss outweighs all other factors for employee happiness

by Jayne Smith • News, Working culture, Working lives

While some organisations have welcomed remote working with open arms, other employers have struggled to trust their employees to work autonomously with some even ramping up on surveillance to track exactly what their workforce is doing. This may however be problematic for organisations looking to attract and retain talent as, according to a recent report from UK-based tech-for-good developer, Culture Shift, almost all (93 percent) of Britain’s workforce say having an employer that trusts them is important for their overall happiness at work. More →

March 11, 2020

Office politics major source of work related stress

by Jayne Smith • News, Working lives

Perkbox commissioned a new study of 1,815 employed people to present a examination into the changing landscape of work-related stress in 2020. The study compared results to 2018 data in order to identify how sources of work-related stress and the solutions offered by employers are changing. The study claims that 79 percent of adults in employment commonly experience work-related stress. More →

September 3, 2019

Half of people have quit job due to poor work relationship with boss

by Neil Franklin • News, Workplace

New research published by Totaljobs claims that nearly half (49 percent) of workers claims that they have quit a job due to the work relationship with their boss going sour and fewer than one in five (18 percent) feel they can trust their boss. Only a third (34 percent) of workers said they felt confident they could approach their manager about a work-related issue, dropping to just 1 in 5 (20 percent) when raising a personal problem. More →