A new study has unveiled Edinburgh as the happiest city to work in the UK, surpassing London, which ranks second, followed by Bristol.
Conducted by office furniture specialists, Furniture At Work, the research assessed workplace happiness across major cities, taking into account factors such as average salary, cost of living, and flexible work opportunities.
This comes amid a challenging period in the UK labour market, where more employees are staying in their current roles despite an alarming rise in mental health-related absences. Reports reveal that 51 percent of long-term sick leave is attributed to mental health issues.
In response to growing concerns over workplace mental health, flexible working has become a legal right in the UK, following reports that it has increased job satisfaction by 65 percent. However, beyond flexible work arrangements, factors like commute times and the cost of living are also major contributors to workplace happiness.
The study ranked cities on a range of workplace and lifestyle indicators, with Edinburgh emerging as the happiest place to work. The Scottish capital ranked highest for life satisfaction, a metric that evaluates happiness, anxiety, and overall contentment. Additionally, Edinburgh secured second place for the highest average salary among the cities surveyed.
London and Bristol ranked second and third, respectively, while Liverpool, Portsmouth, and Bradford were found to have the lowest levels of workplace happiness, with challenges linked to workplace mental health and overall dissatisfaction.
The UK’s Happiest Cities to Work in (Index Score):
- Edinburgh – 84.1
- London – 78.6
- Bristol – 75.3
- Leeds – 69.9
- Newcastle-upon-Tyne – 69.2
- Glasgow – 68.4
- Reading – 59.0
- Nottingham – 57.4
- Manchester – 56.2
- Southampton – 51.4
- Bradford – 23.1
A spokesperson for Furniture At Work highlighted the importance of considering how work impacts overall life satisfaction. “Work satisfaction isn’t just about the job itself, but how it influences life outside of work. Our findings offer insights for employers on creating a positive culture, with regular pay reviews, wellbeing check-ins, and flexible work arrangements being key to improving employee happiness and retention.”
As the conversation around mental health and workplace culture evolves, this study serves as a timely reminder of the broader factors that contribute to workplace wellbeing.
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.