'Wake up call' | Half of UK office workers feel they aren't paid fairly

With households feeling the squeeze from soaring energy bills and rapidly increasing interest rates, almost half (49%) of UK workers feel they’re not being paid fairly for the hours they work, research has revealed.

Global recruitment specialists, Michael Page found that, despite eye-watering price rises which show no sign of easing, seven in ten (69%) workers say they have not seen their pay increase in line with inflation – leading to a similar proportion also reporting concerns around the cost of living (71%). New data from Michael Page Pulse paints a picture of dissatisfaction and concern among the nation’s workforce and may ring alarm bells for businesses which are already struggling to attract staff.

The research, which was based on an Opinium survey of 5,000+ UK office workers, highlights a disconnect between workers and employers when it comes to sharing financial success, with over half (55%) of respondents saying their company has performed strongly financially and should be sharing more of the revenue with employees.

The data also uncovered geographical differences in office workers’ satisfaction with their salary. The region which reported the highest levels of dissatisfaction was the North West of England, with only 36% saying that they felt their pay was fair, compared to 63% of workers in the Capital.