Study of Working Life in Britain Today 2023

Working Life in Britain Today is a long-running study of working people which focuses on the work that people do and how working life has changed.

About the study

Working Life in Britain Today is a long-running national study of working people aged 20-65. The survey focuses on the work that people do and how working life has changed over time.

The 2023 survey is the latest in a series of studies which began in 1986.

Why take part?

Taking part in the survey is voluntary but we strongly encourage you to do so because your experience helps provide a true picture of how work is organised in Britain today.

The high quality findings from this research are used to inform government policy or many aspects of working life. Previous surveys have been used to examine how the content of jobs is changing, what skills are used at work, and who is affected most by change.

Those who are eligible and agree to take part in the survey will be given a £10 voucher as a ‘thank you’ for sharing their views. This can be spent in a wide range of high street stores.

Why have I been selected to take part?

We want to speak to people aged 20-65 who are in paid work.

Your address has been selected at random from a list of all addresses in Great Britain for inclusion in the survey. To ensure our results are accurate, we rely on the voluntary co-operation of people living at the selected address. Where there are multiple adults living at your address, up to two may be asked to take part in the study.

We are interested in speaking to people from all parts of the country and in all types of jobs. We cannot substitute another address tor yours as this would bias the survey results, so your participation is very important.

What will it involve?

An interviewer from NatCen will call at your address in the next few weeks. They will ask a couple of questions to determine if anyone in your household is eligible to take part in the study and, if they are, arrange a time to interview up to two people in your household. The interviewer will show you Photo ID so you know who they are.

During the interview, you will be asked for details on what you do at work, what skills you use, how you work, as well as any recent changes to your work.

Who is carrying out the research?

The National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) are conducting this study. They are part of a wider research team including academics from Cardiff University; University College London; Nuffield College, Oxford; and the University of Surrey.

The research is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Department for Education (DfE), and The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas).