UKG: 75% of frontline workers are burnt out, with Gen Z facing the greatest impacts

Three quarters (75%) of frontline employees report feeling burnt out, so much so, that more than half have expressed that they would prefer to have more vacation time than a pay increase, according to new research from UKG.

The research, which polled 13,000 frontline workers from across the globe, found that workplace flexibility was the second most important factor for frontline workers – tied with appropriate work schedules. 

These factors were found to be important to frontline workers, with many sharing their desire to have more control over their schedule particularly as many can’t work from home.

In fact, this flexibility is so important that 27% of frontline employees shared that they would resign due to a lack of workplace flexibility.

Frontline worker expectations and needs certainly have their nuances in different industries — though our study uncovered several similar employee experience desires across the global frontline workforce,” says Teresa Smith, Director of Human Insights and HCM Strategic Advisory at UKG. 

“For example, frontline employees overwhelmingly want greater flexibility in where, when, and how long they work. In fact, flexibility and work schedules are their top considerations when choosing an employer, only behind pay.”

Burnout: A generational divide

Although burnout impacts all ages and demographics, UKG’s study found that 72% of Gen Z felt that workplace interactions had worsened their mental health. 

What’s more, Gen Z reported feeling more negative about work, with 61% sharing they’re not satisfied with their overall employee experience, and 71% confessing they may quit because of negative interactions with their managers, co-workers, or customers.

This is particularly prominent as by 2030, Gen Z will contribute to one-third of the workforce.

“Our global study finds that not all workplace cultures are supportive of Gen Z and the frontline workforce,” said Dan Schawbel, Managing Partner at Workplace Intelligence at UKG. 

In fact, two-thirds of frontline employees globally (66%) consider their workplace great overall. This highlights that there’s still critical work to do to get Gen Z more excited about frontline careers. 

One thing is for certain across all generations: if you don’t fix the frontline experience, you risk losing valuable talent,” he adds.

Concluding, Smith highlights that nearly half of frontline employees say there’s one culture for the frontline, and one for everyone else. 

“This is exactly why we made this our largest study yet,” she comments, “so we can help organizations worldwide better understand the different kinds of benefits, programs, and policies that could help improve the frontline employee experience.”