A recent survey commissioned by Acas has revealed the main reasons people choose to stay in their jobs, with the results offering businesses a vital insight into the types of workplace practices and benefits that could help retain and attract talented staff.  

The findings were based on a YouGov poll of 1,001 British employees who were each asked to state the three most important factors keeping them in their current main job. The results highlighted several different reasons why people stay in a role, with the top five factors being:  

• 43% said job security  

• 39% chose competitive pay  

• 38% picked flexible working  

• 38% cited relationships with colleagues  

• 28% selected feeling valued.  

Commenting on the survey, Acas Chief Executive Susan Clews commented, “Employees in Britain have picked job security and competitive pay as their top reasons to stay in their jobs, but our poll reveals that flexible working and relationships formed at work are also very important for many staff. These findings may be useful to employers when they are considering the types of workplace practices and benefits that can help to retain and attract talented workers.”  

In response to the survey’s results, Acas is encouraging employers to ensure they build good staff relations and support flexible working in order to improve employee retention and boost productivity. Flexible working can allow staff to achieve a better work-life balance and has several elements including: flexible start and finish times; compressed hours; part-time working; job sharing; working from home, and hybrid working.