Title: Work, Learning and Wellbeing
Funder: Economic and Social Research Council

Abstract: Is it possible to change working practices so that workers are happier, more productive and absent less often? How can growing numbers of older workers best adapt to working later in life and find new jobs in changing labour markets? What lifelong learning opportunities do adults require in order to thrive in globalised and technologically advanced economy? What are the societal costs of ignoring worker wellbeing? This research is concerned with addressing questions such as these and identifying practical interventions, tools and processes that can protect and enhance the wellbeing of workers, adult learners and those seeking work. Wellbeing comprises many components. In relation to work- and adult learning, wellbeing is formed from multiple factors including: the experience of positive emotions in work and in learning and infrequent experience of negative emotions; job satisfaction; work-life balance; work and learning performance; skills development. Understanding such a diverse concept requires expertise from a range of research areas, including economics, education, law, public health, employment relations and psychology. This project will build upon the wealth of existing research and data to identify what can be done to protect and enhance the wellbeing of workers, adult learners and those seeking work. In the first phase of the research, we will identify nine priority areas for action. To help us identify and refine priorities, we will engage with different user groups through public consultations. We will then address two main issues. 1. We will examine 'what works' for protecting or enhancing aspects of wellbeing. In each priority area, we will begin by identifying, systematically reviewing and evaluating the best possible research in order to identify factors that can protect or improve wellbeing. 2. Then we will examine 'what works for whom and in which circumstances'. We will do this by analysing the best existing data - for example the most comprehensive nationally and inter-nationally representative surveys. We will take the results from our reviews of existing research and examine if some factors promote wellbeing more for some groups (eg. younger workers, workers in service jobs) than for others. We will examine trade-offs and spillovers between different components of wellbeing within or between different groups. For example, do people take on new work that is difficult and stressful in the short-term so that they may acquire skills and have a more interesting job in the longer term? Do organisations that promote work-life balance also promote intergenerational benefits through the educational attainments of workers' children, as workers spend more time helping their children learn through culturally or physically rich activities? By examining what works for whom and in which circumstances, trade-offs and spillovers, we will produce a rigorous assessments of the costs and benefits of specific interventions for a range of groups. The team will be mindful of two major principles. First, 'what works' needs to be actionable by workers, adult learners, those seeking work and those close to them (eg. line managers, educators, careers advisors, job centre staff) - so the research will focus on what can be done 'on the ground'. Second, because wellbeing is comprised of many things, we will seek interventions that offer improvements across a broad range of the elements of wellbeing and a broad range of people. By doing so the results which speak more effectively to policy actors who have to account for the inter-dependencies of specific interventions in the context of heterogeneous users. Throughout the research, the team will engage with the public through extensive use of social and traditional media, public lectures, workshops and talks. This engagement will inform the guidance we offer so that it is heedful of the complexities, obstacles and trade-offs that stakeholders encounter when initiating action.


Research activity codes: 1.2 PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC PROCESSES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE