A new study suggests that the majority of Britons who work for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are highly satisfied with their roles.
According to research carried out by SME call centre platform AlldayPA, almost three quarters (73 per cent) of SME workers feel that their job role has become more interesting over the past two years, while more than half (53 per cent) feel that training and advancement opportunities are improving in their workplace.
The survey, which quizzed some 500 SME workers, set out to determine the impact of the introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) on employee satisfaction.
It found that, since the introduction of the NLW in April 2016, 62 per cent of workers felt happier and more satisfied with their roles – while many more felt that the NLW had inadvertently created more opportunities for them in-house.
However, the survey also found that workers generally felt as if their roles had become ‘insecure’ in recent years.
The findings come just days after the NLW for people aged 25 and over was increased to £7.83.
Reuben Singh, CEO of AlldayPA, said that workplaces were “evolving as a direct result of the NLW.”
He said: “In many cases, it is no longer cost-efficient to have people performing the most basic tasks. Instead, many of these roles are being automated or given to younger trainees, with more expensive staff asked to take on more demanding and rewarding tasks and responsibilities in order to maximise salary increases.
“In the short-term this is creating some uncertainty and change, but it is also leading to workers over the age of 25 being encouraged to take on more fulfilling jobs. As a result, we are seeing an increase in training being provided by employers and an increase in workers’ roles and responsibilities.”
