54% of women experience ‘promotion burnout’ due to workplace inequality – Robert Walters
Over four-fifths (81%) of women said they were at a disadvantage to male peers during promotion cycles.
Robert Walters released new poll data ahead of International Women’s Day showing more than half (54%) of women feel less motivated to go for promotions than they did two years ago, a trend described as ‘promotion burnout’.
Over four-fifths (81%) of women said they were at a disadvantage to male peers during promotion cycles.
38% said their work was not valued equally, which has led to lower ambition levels.
Lucy Bisset, director at Robert Walters North, said: “The rise of ‘promotion burnout’ among women raises serious concerns about the progress of workplace equality.
“It’s not a case of women lacking ambition. Rather, persistent challenges such as unrepresentative leadership, being overlooked for opportunities, and undervalued contributions continue to wear them down.”
The issue was most common among junior professionals.
Research from McKinsey found 80% of entry-level men wanted to advance, compared to 69% of women.
In 2025, just nine female CEOs were in the FTSE 100.
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