January 06, 2026
Frontline Workers Are Burning Out on Promises of Better Pay and Balance
Over the last few years, conversations about employee experience have been dominated by hybrid work, digital tools, and office culture. Meanwhile, the largest segment of the global workforce, which consists of frontline employees, has been dealing with rigid schedules, rising costs, and little control over how work fits into daily life. New global research suggests that the gap is no longer sustainable.
A 10-country study from UKG shows that flexibility and financial stability are now the defining priorities for frontline workers heading into 2026. Without meaningful progress on either, burnout and attrition remain high, increasing recruitment costs and disrupting day-to-day operations across frontline teams.
Frontline employees make up nearly 80% of the global workforce. These are the people staffing shops, hospitals, warehouses, factories, schools, and public services, the roles that cannot be done remotely and often come with fixed hours.
According to the study, 76% of frontline workers reported experiencing burnout in 2025, while almost half said their organisation operates with two separate cultures, one designed for frontline staff, and another for everyone else.
Financial Pressure Drives Exits
While fewer frontline workers say they live paycheck to paycheck compared to last year, financial stress remains the strongest reason people consider leaving their jobs. Low pay is still the top trigger for attrition across industries, even as inflation and cost-of-living pressures continue to influence daily decisions.
More than half of frontline employees in non-acute healthcare settings say low pay would cause them to quit. Similar concerns appear in acute care and long-term care environments, where staff shortages already stretch teams thin.
Schedule Control Matters as Much as Pay
After compensation, schedule flexibility is the next deciding factor in whether frontline employees stay or go. Half of the respondents say changing shifts at short notice is difficult, even when personal issues arise. A majority also report being unable to take as much time off as they need.
The impact is particularly visible in hospitality, with nearly 60% of frontline hospitality workers saying their schedules prevent them from maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Long hours, unpredictable shifts, and limited time off combine to create fatigue that no wellness programme can offset.
Advancement Still Feels Out of Reach
When it comes to career growth, over 25% of employees say there are few to no opportunities to move up within their organisation. The situation is worse in government and education, where many workers see little chance of progression regardless of tenure or performance.
Recognition and benefits also influence decisions. Around a quarter of frontline workers say they would leave due to a lack of rewards or meaningful benefits. In retail, these concerns are even more pronounced, reinforcing the sense that effort often goes unnoticed.
Since frontline conditions directly shape service quality, flexibility, and financial wellness are no longer “nice to have” policies but operational requirements. Ignoring them risks not just higher turnover, but weaker, less consistent customer experiences at scale.
