PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release: 20th December 2007
Jo Little > T 1-800-352-1793 > E jo.little@i-to-i.com
STRESSED, DEPRESSED AND IN NEED OF A REST
UK workers to quit jobs to beat the winter blues
UK employers could be set to receive a flurry of resignation letters in 2008, according to the latest research from meaningful travel specialist i-to-i.
Results from the company’s annual career breakers survey show that more and more British workers are gearing up to ‘auld lang resign’ in the New Year - swapping their current posts for new jobs, further study or even a spot of foreign travel.
According to i-to-i’s research, almost one in three (31 per cent) employees could be heading for pastures new and looking for a career change in 2008. Topping the poll of potential quitters are office staff with nearly a third, a whacking 28 per cent of office workers, considering leaving their jobs in the next few months.
The top five list of would-be resigners is as follows:
Most likely quitters 2008
1) Office workers (28 per cent)
2) Retail workers (19 per cent)
3) Health workers (17 per cent)
4) Teachers (15 per cent)
5) Media professionals (11 per cent)
Stress and the city
The i-to-i research revealed a startling number of anxious employees feeling overworked and underpaid:
• Over a third (36 per cent) say their workplace is often a pressurised environment.
• Over half (51 per cent) feel they are not rewarded fairly for their hard work.
• One in six (16 per cent) feel guilty about taking their annual leave entitlement.
• A quarter (23%) worry when they do take time off about what their workloads will be like when they get back in the office.
i-to-i founder Deirdre Bounds comments: “It’s well documented that Brits work some of the longest hours in Europe, so it’s perhaps not surprising that people are beginning to feel burnt out. Nearly half of workers questioned (48 per cent) said they’d experienced work-related stress and one in six (16 per cent) actually feel guilty about taking time off!
“We also found that over two thirds (72 percent) don’t plan on doing their current type of job for the rest of their lives, and one in four (22 per cent) are keen to take a career break. So with Christmas being traditionally a time when folks take stock of their lives, employers could be seeing a stack of situations vacant in January!”
I can’t get no…job satisfaction
Much of the nation’s job dissatisfaction seems to arise from people ‘falling into’ careers rather than doing something they really want to do, a plight affecting just under half of UK workers (44 per cent). What’s more, a whopping three quarters (76 per cent) feel that if they took some time out this year, they would have the space to reflect and decide on what they really want to get out of life.
New Year, new challenge?
Taking time out to reflect may have topped the workers wish list for 2008, but it was closely followed by the real need for action as according to the research, this year’s would be career breakers are also pledging to:
1) Travel
2) Develop new skills
3) Change career
4) Give something back to people and communities
Deirdre adds: “The latest research reflects a growing trend that we’ve seen at i-to-i over the last few years. More and more people are waking up to the fact that taking a bit of time out can give you some vital breathing space and help you achieve the Holy Grail for any worker - a more fulfilling work life balance.”
“At i-to-i, January is by far one of our busiest months, as people suffering from the post-Christmas blues decide to take the plunge, quit their job and do something meaningful abroad. And if our latest statistics are anything to go by, employers better beware!”
Ends
Research was carried out by Survey Monkey amongst 1,000 UK workers.
For further press information, please contact Jo Little on 1-800-352-1793 / or jo.little@i-to-i.com
EDITOR’S NOTES
1. i-to-i is a volunteer travel and TEFL training organisation based in Leeds, UK; Denver, USA; Melbourne, Australia and Co. Waterford, Ireland. Each year it sends around 5,000 volunteers to work on 500 projects in over 30 countries worldwide and trains a further 15,000 people to teach English as a foreign language.
2. i-to-i is a founding member of the Year Out Group, associate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office ‘Know Before You Go’ Campaign, member of the Federation of International Youth Travel Organisations and has training accreditation from the Open and Distance Learning Quality Council.
