The CIPD Good Work Index is an annual benchmark of job quality in the UK. Each year, we survey more than 5,000 workers from different sectors and occupations about key aspects of their work and employment. The resulting data and our analysis provide evidence-based insights for people professionals, employers and policy-makers to improve work and working lives.

The report gives an overview of how employees view aspects of their work and what factors most influence whether their experience is positive or negative. Crucially, it highlights significant associations between those factors and outcomes such as reported performance, engagement, discretionary effort, health and intention to quit.

While based on UK data, the findings, their implications and the recommendations for work and people practices should be of relevant interest wherever you are based. Download the full report

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Latest findings

Pay and benefits

  • No major changes to pay satisfaction, but more staff (54%) feel able to keep up with bills without difficulty than in 2024 (50%).
  • Ability to keep up with bills correlates with improved reported performance and higher likelihood of recommending one’s employer.
  • Better pay satisfaction correlates with better reported performance, improved mental health and lower likelihood of quitting.

Work outcomes where employees are satisfied/not satisfied with pay (%)

Work outcomes where employees are satisfied/not satisfied with pay (%)

Contracts

  • Most staff are satisfied with their job irrespective of their contract type.
  • Majority feel their contract status suits their personal circumstances well.
  • A suitable contract type links to greater job satisfaction, lower intention to quit and a more positive impact on mental health.

Impact of employment suitability on reported outcomes

Impact of employment suitability on reported outcomes

Work–life balance

  • There is an unmet demand for a greater variety of formal flexible working arrangements (FWAs) – especially for a four-day week, compressed hours and flexi-time.
  • 80% of those who have a formal FWA say that it has a positive impact on their quality of life.
  • Most staff (70%) feel able to take time away from work to deal with personal matters. This informal flexibility correlates with better reported performance and higher discretionary effort.

Impact of informal flexibility and reported discretionary effort (%)

Impact of informal flexibility and reported discretionary effort (%)

Job design and the nature of work

  • 16% of staff have had job tasks automated by AI. 85% of those say this has improved their performance.
  • Job autonomy remains high and correlates with increased reported performance and improved mental health. Positive engagement links to reduced intention to quit, improved reported performance and greater discretionary effort.
  • Staff who see prospects for development and advancement are more likely to say they perform better, recommend their employer and give discretionary effort. They are also less likely to quit.

Level of AI automation and impact on reported performance

Categories of tasks automated by AI

Impact of influence over tasks done on reported outcomes

Impact of influence over tasks done on reported outcomes

Feeling when working and correlation with reported outcomes

Feeling when working and correlation with reported outcomes

How prospects for advancement and development correlate to reported outcomes (%)

How prospects for advancement and development correlate to reported outcomes (%)

Relationships at work

  • Employees with positive views of their manager are more likely to say they perform effectively, less likely to say work has a negative effect on their health, and have a lower intention to quit.
  • Employee ratings of line managers have improved since 2023, particularly around their support for L&D and openness on issues like mental health.
  • This improvement correlates with more managers feeling they now have the training and time needed to manage staff well.

Line manager behaviour and correlation with achieving job objectives

Line manager behaviour and correlation with achieving job objectives

Employee voice

  • Most staff have access to team and manager meetings, but many lack other channels, such as online forums, all-department or all-organisation meetings.
  • Staff rate managers more highly in their ability to encourage voice compared with 2023, but there’s room for improvement.
  • Those who feel listened to and empowered to speak up by their managers are more likely to report better performance.

Different voice channels reported in organisations (%)

Different voice channels reported in organisations (%)

Reported outcomes when managers are good/poor at enabling voice channels

Reported outcomes when managers are good/poor at enabling voice channels

Health and wellbeing

  • About a quarter of respondents say work has a negative effect on their mental health and similar report the same for their physical health.
  • Excessive workloads, stress and exhaustion correlate with poorer mental and physical health. Poor relationships with colleagues and line managers are also likely to influence health issues.
  • Those whose work affects their mental health negatively are more likely to quit, less likely to recommend their employer, and have lower job satisfaction.

How impact on mental health links to reported outcomes

Our report provides details of these and other findings along with analysis and recommendations to help people professionals, employers and policy-makers gain evidence-based insight and take appropriate action to improve outcomes for individuals, organisations and the economy.

CIPD Good Work Index 2025 | Report

Download the full report
PDF document 2.5 MB

CIPD view on good work 

The CIPD Good Work Index captures data on seven dimensions of 'good work' for use by people professionals, employers and policy-makers to understand the links between good work and individual wellbeing, organisational productivity and growth. The seven dimensions are: 

  • Pay and benefits
  • Contracts 
  • Work–life balance  
  • Job design and the nature of work 
  • Relationships at work 
  • Employee voice 
  • Health and wellbeing.

The CIPD believes that good work is fundamental to individual wellbeing, supports a strong, fair society, and creates motivated workers, productive organisations and a strong economy.  

We define ‘good work’ as work that:  

  • is fairly rewarded  
  • gives people the means to securely make a living  
  • provides opportunities to develop skills and a career and gives a sense of fulfilment  
  • delivers a supportive environment with constructive relationships  
  • allows for work–life balance  
  • is physically and mentally healthy for people  
  • gives people the voice and choice they need to shape their working lives  
  • is accessible to all.  

Good work is influenced by a range of factors, including HR practices, the quality of people management and by workers themselves. 

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