More than half of U.K. workers would be willing to turn their backs on an employer they consider unethical regardless of salary, according to a survey by talent consultancy Robert Half. For people under 35, the figure rises to almost two-thirds.
The same study showed that nearly half the under-35s surveyed would be ready to quit their jobs if they thought their organization wasn’t doing enough to promote environmental, social or governance issues, such as reducing carbon emissions.
“ESG has become a critical part of the recruitment process –- both for attraction and retention,” Matt Weston, senior district director at Robert Half, said in a statement on Wednesday. “With so many employees willing to vote with their feet, transparent and effective ESG programs are no longer a ‘nice to have’ – they’re a must.”
The news comes amid what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation, with workers quitting their jobs in historic numbers as economies bounce back from the pandemic. Previous research by Robert Half found that nearly a third of U.K. workers could leave their jobs in the first six months of 2022, equivalent to 9.4 million workers, with London and the South-East at the highest risk.
The research is based on a survey of 2,000 U.K. employees and was conducted in December, weighted to be nationally representative.
© 2022 Bloomberg L.P.
