Zarah ChoudharyOnly half (52%) of workers in the UK believe that the way their employer promotes itself is aligned with its actions towards environmental, social and ethical issues, according to research from Opinium.
Among senior decision-makers this rises to three in five (60%), suggesting a disconnect between how they perceive their business’ actions compared to middle management (58%) or more junior employees and manual workers (46%).
One in eight workers (12%) said that their business acted in a way that was not aligned with how it promotes itself.
There is mixed sentiment among workers on how important their business’ approach to environmental, social, and ethical principles are to them, with 48% stating environmental, social and governance (ESG) is important, rising to 54% among workers aged 18 to 34.
However, 32% said they would leave their job if their employer’s commitment to environmental, social and ethical principles was not aligned with their own, rising to 43% of 18 to 34-year-olds.
One in five (19%) workers strongly agreed that they would like their business to focus more on making a positive impact.
Again, this is more of an issue for younger workers with over half (54%) of those aged 18-34 stating they agree, compared to 43% of those aged 35 to 54 and only one in three (34%) of workers aged 55-plus.
James Endersby, CEO of Opinium, said: “Businesses of all sizes are facing challenges at the moment, whether it’s escalating costs and rising tax bills, pressure on performance or a drive for efficiency and automation.
“As a result, it appears that ESG matters have fallen down the priority list somewhat.
“However, environmental, social and ethical principles are not just nice-to have initiatives – they are becoming essential to retaining and attracting talent, particularly among younger generations.
“With Gen Z set to make up a third of the global workforce by 2030, their demand for meaningful ESG action will shape the future of work.
“Our research shows that nearly half of workers aged 18–34 would be willing to leave their jobs if their employer’s ESG commitments do not align with their own values.
“This generation is vocal about their expectations for action, not just promises, and businesses that fail to meet these expectations risk not only losing talent but also damaging their reputation.”
