Bringing work home: Dining room tables among the places doubling up as office desks for half of workers

Half of people working at home are doing so in the kitchen, on a dining table or in the corner of a room used for other purposes.

This is one of the results from the Skills and Employment Survey 2024, the longest-running and most detailed academic study exploring UK workers’ experiences. Bringing together academics from Cardiff University, UCL, Nuffield College Oxford and the University of Surrey, the survey is now in its fourth decade of data collection with eight surveys in the series.

Taking place every six years or so, the 2024 survey offers the latest insights into how the world of work has changed since the pandemic.

Key findings include:  

Location of work: When working at home, a quarter of workers do so (27%) in spaces intended for other purposes such as the kitchen or dining room, a fifth (22%) have a workstation in the corner of a room, 6% share an office with another member of the household and 45% have a home office of their own. Those contributing more to the household budget, residents of larger homes and those spending more time working at home are more likely to have the resources and space to create a home office. As a result, men are more likely than women to have a dedicated office and women are more likely to work in spaces intended for other uses such as the kitchen or dining room.

Workplace abuse: More than one in seven (14%) of UK workers experienced some form of workplace abuse in the year leading up to the survey, including bullying, violence and sexual harassment. Occupations facing the greatest risks of abuse include nurses (32%), teachers (28%) and others working in the public sector. Risk is also elevated for night workers (24%) and it is much greater for women (19%) than for men (10%).

AI: The adoption of AI is accelerating rapidly, with the share of users surging from 15% to 24% between the third quarter of 2023 and the second quarter of 2024. While AI user share was above 10% in two-thirds of occupations, use was concentrated in high-paying, high-skill roles and among men, younger workers and those with university-level education.

Unions: The perceived influence of unions on the organisation of work has increased since 2006. More than a third of employees (36%) working within non-unionised organisations say they would vote to establish a union if they were given the chance. This figure increases to around a half (51%) among those aged 20-29. It rises even further among both the LGBTQ+ community and those whose health severely limits their activity. In both cases, six out of ten would vote to establish a trade union.

Skills and Employment Survey project lead Professor Alan Felstead, who is based at Cardiff University, said: “The world of work has changed much since our last survey in 2017. For example, where we work has changed, the use of AI has accelerated, task discretion has fallen and there has been growth in industrial unrest. This survey examines how these changes have affected workers’ lives.

"Probably one of the most dramatic changes has been the shift of work into the home triggered by the lockdown restrictions. But not everyone can work in this way. Around two-fifths (38%) of the employed population still work in fixed places of work such as offices, factories or shops. Even where working at home is possible, some employers have issued return to the office mandates and are on a collision course with their employees. Around two-thirds of homeworkers told us it is an essential or very important part of the employment package.

“But there are challenges with working at home, particularly for people who cannot create a home office such as those who live in smaller homes or shared accommodation. Overall, these survey results show that money and power matter in who gets the opportunity to work at home and whether these workers are subsequently able to create an office within the home. Policy, therefore, needs to focus on promoting all forms of flexible working and not just working at home which tends to favour the better off. ”

Professor Francis Green of UCL, who led on the study into workplace abuse said: “Workplace abuse has lasting damaging effects on victims, including loss of commitment and poor health.  Yet our survey finds that every year abuse at work is far too common, especially in the public sector. Sexual harassment is endured most by women and by LGBTQ+ workers. Employers need to be aware of the risks that stem from unequal power at work, to instil a culture of respect, and set up proper human resource policies to address problems. Our report also calls on the Office for National Statistics to monitor trends in each form of abuse.”

A total of 5,469 people were surveyed for the study – through a mixture of detailed in-person interviews and online surveys. The nationally representative survey focused on working adults aged 20-65 living in the UK.

The survey also sheds light on:

Meaningful work: Only 5% of workers question the value of their jobs. Women and older workers report higher levels of meaningfulness than men and younger workers. The highest levels of meaningful work are found in health, education, and construction, while the lowest are found in accommodation, transportation, sales, and financial services.

Task discretion: The ability of employees to take decisions about their immediate job tasks has been falling since 2012. In 2024, around a third (34%) of employees had a great deal of influence over what tasks they did, how they did them, how hard they worked and to what standards compared to 44% in 2012. The decline was particularly sharp for those in associate professional, caring and sales occupations and for female employees.

Skills: The demand for graduate level qualifications continues to increase. In 1986, one in five workers reported that they would need a graduate level qualification to get their current job. By 2024, this figure had risen to almost half (46%). Despite this, the over-qualification rate has continued to decline in recent years. Since reaching a high of 39% in 2006, the percentage of workers who have qualifications above the level currently required has exhibited a small but steady decline, such that by 2024 the over-qualification rate had fallen to around 35%.

Job quality and the gender gap: There has been a gradual narrowing of the gender gap in job quality across a number of dimensions. The pay gap has fallen steadily, but in addition the gap in the physical environment of work, in working time quality, and in job skills has narrowed.  In 2001, many more men than women reported that their health and safety was at risk, but by 2024 perceived risk was the same for both sexes. In other dimensions, notably job security and work intensity, the gender gap has been modest.

Professor Ying Zhou of Surrey Business School, who investigated people’s experiences of meaningful work said: “Those who can apply their skills, exercise initiative, and count on supportive managers are far more likely to find their work meaningful. In contrast, pay hardly makes any difference. This study suggests that work is most meaningful when it satisfies fundamental human needs for competence, autonomy, and relatedness, while also delivering tangible benefits to others. It underscores the importance of policies aimed at enhancing intrinsic job quality and protecting jobs in sectors that directly contribute to public health and well-being.”

Professor Duncan Gallie of Nuffield College at the University of Oxford led on the study into participation at work. He said: “The involvement of employees in decisions about how their jobs are done and about organisational changes affecting their work has vital consequences for their wellbeing and for work motivation. Yet, in recent decades, despite a crisis in productivity and rising work stress, British employers have reduced employees’ discretion over their jobs and their ability to influence organisational decisions. The decline in employee participation has affected both those in higher and in lower class positions. But the reduction in discretion at work has affected particularly female employees.”

The Skills and Employment Survey 2024 has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), Department for Education, Acas and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland.