Dive Brief:
- Only 42% of front-line workers felt that their company’s leaders understood their problems, a significant decline from 62% who said the same thing in 2024, according to recent research from human capital management firm Dayforce.
- Meanwhile, 89% of both front-line workers and managers said shift-level issues adversely affected their overall well-being, per the report, and 71% said that these problems had made them think about leaving their jobs.
- The disconnect between leadership and front-line workers could lead to more complex problems, with 67% of executives and managers reporting compliance risks directly resulting from shift-level issues. In addition, 45% of executives said they’re held “accountable for front-line decisions that carry cost risk without real-time visibility.”
Dive Insight:
There is a widespread cultural disconnect between what leaders think happens on the front lines and what workers say is actually affecting their ability to do their jobs, per the report. As a result, risk and accountability are quietly rising, and some workers may be strained to the point of leaving.
A 2025 report based on ZipRecruiter’s Breakroom Workplace Index found that just 23% of front-line workers thought leaders understood what was going on day to day, with the gap especially pronounced in industries such as agriculture, healthcare and travel.
The survey of more than 5,600 managers, executives and front-line workers by Dayforce found that many seemingly stable workplaces are relying on makeshift solutions and ad hoc modifications to keep things going. That could potentially lead to rising costs and growing compliance risks. It may also be placing an unsustainable strain on workers.
Managers and workers face daily challenges that require immediate fixes in terms of scheduling, time and pay, Steve Holdridge, president and COO at Dayforce, said in a statement.
Against this backdrop, more than three-quarters of global front-line workers reported burnout in 2025, with 56% saying they lived paycheck to paycheck, according to a 10-country survey of more than 8,000 workers released in January from workforce management platform UKG.
“Disruption isn’t new, but the way we’re asking people to handle it isn’t sustainable,” Holdridge said. “The organizations getting this right aren’t putting more pressure on their front-line teams, they’re building operations and systems that can flex and adapt in real time.”