A 21 hour week, free hot drinks and £44,000 salary make for the ‘perfect job’, study finds

A short commute and supportive boss are also key

Saman Javed
Monday 29 November 2021 12:02 GMT
Comments
A group of people take a coffee break at work
A group of people take a coffee break at work (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

The “perfect job” pays employees a salary of £44,000 a year and requires them to work less than 30 hours a week, according to a new study.

A poll of 2,000 adults in the UK found that those who are currently working their “dream job” have a short commute between 16 and 20 minutes long, and have a supportive boss.

While the maximum working week in the UK is 48 hours, those with their dream jobs work just 21 to 30 hours and have an allowance of 29 days holiday every year.

Other requirements include regular reviews and pay rises, a day off on your birthday and free hot drinks in the office.

Employees said their office environment also influences how happy they are at work, with friendly colleagues, a well-organised space and a good location being rated as the most important factors.

Most importantly, most adults said their dream job would pay a salary of £44,355 per year.

Andrew Wood, spokesman for Raja Workplace, an office equipment supplier which commissioned the survey, said the findings show the importance of a workplace which aligns with employees’ lifestyles and values.

“It’s great to see so many people already believe they have found their dream job as work is such a huge part of our modern lives,” Wood said.

“There are so many different things employers must take into consideration when designing a workplace and environment for their employees.”

Over the course of the pandemic, many companies have introduced hybrid working models which require employees to work from home for several days a week.

According to the latest figures from the Office of National Statistics, the proportion of adults who worked from home in 2020 increased to 37 per cent, up from 27 per cent in 2019.

When asked about the biggest positives and negatives of home working, most adults said it gave them a better work-life balance but made collaborative work more challenging.

Of those surveyed by Raja Workplace, 57 per cent of people said their ideal job is a mix of working both collaboratively and individually.

Additionally, more than a third of people (36 per cent) said they believe the work culture of their job is more important than their salary.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in