Fair Work Convention Co-Chairs, Mary Alexander and Professor Patricia Findlay have written the foreword in CIPD Scotland’s Survey Report Working Lives Scotland 2025.
This is the sixth CIPD Working Lives Scotland report, which continues to provide significant and valuable insight into workers’ experiences of fair work as well as how workplaces in Scotland are progressing on their fair work journey. What happens in our workplaces is vital, not just to our economy but to the wellbeing of our society, the lives we lead, our health, the quality of our family life and our scope to participate in community life.
This annual survey helps build the evidence landscape on the fairness of work, continuing to tell the story of changing conditions of work and the factors influencing it. The Fair Work Convention recognises CIPD Scotland’s continuing support for fair work and its willingness to invest in data gathering that aids the development of evidence-based policy interventions.
It is well known that job satisfaction and work engagement have a strong relationship with and often directly impact physical and mental health and wellbeing. This, in turn, can affect individual and organisational performance. Yet, consistent with the 2024 data, the survey found a quarter of Scottish employees saying work has a negative impact on their mental or physical health, showing
there is still progress to be made in this area. The report also shows that high workloads, long commuting times and caring responsibilities have a negative impact on work–life balance. Home and hybrid working patterns are unchanged from last year, but a gap remains between ways of working and preferences – there is significant unmet demand for some flexible working options, primarily the four day week, compressed hours and flexi-time. Employee voice scores and manager ratings are improving, but nearly a fifth of all Scottish employees report no access to any voice channels, including one-to-one meetings with managers or team meetings, a concerning finding that has been consistent over recent years.
Fair work offers all individuals an effective voice, opportunity, security, fulfilment and respect and is increasingly recognised as a key driver for business success and broader economic prosperity. Improving fair work balances the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers and generates benefits for individuals, organisations and society.
Significant changes to employment law are currently being legislated for by the UK Government that will help with the journey towards fair work. Minimum standards and their enforcement are necessary and provide a solid and secure foundation to progress fair work, but are perhaps not sufficient. In the coming year, employers should be supported to respond positively to the new regulations created by
the Employment Rights Bill. This is also an opportunity to raise awareness of the benefits that fair work and positive industrial relations can bring to businesses to support positive and consistent outcomes for employers and workers and help employers build strong and resilient businesses for the future.