Ryan FowlerAlmost two-thirds of UK workers fear burnout in 2025 as businesses reduce resources in response to rising employment costs, according to new research from international recruitment firm Robert Half.
The company’s 2025 Candidate Sentiment Survey, which gathered responses from over 1,200 UK workers between 30th December 2024 and 3rd January 2025, found that 62% of staff believe there is a significant risk of being overworked this year. The study also revealed growing dissatisfaction, with 60% of respondents indicating that businesses are placing profit ahead of employee well-being.
The survey further highlighted concerns about the impact of the increase in National Insurance Contributions (NICs), with almost a third (30%) of workers fearing that higher NICs will result in increased workload pressures. These findings coincide with other troubling economic indicators, such as the UK S&P Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which recently reported the fastest rate of staff cuts in nearly four years. Meanwhile, the British Chamber of Commerce has pointed to a two-year low in business morale, driven by impending tax increases.
Younger workers face greater risks
Younger workers, particularly those aged 18 to 34, appear to be at higher risk of burnout. More than a third (37%) of employees in this age group expressed concerns about increased pressure from rising NICs, and 65% said they fear being overworked by their employers in 2025.
Matt Weston, senior managing director UK & Ireland at Robert Half, said: “Our research shows that the majority of the workforce feel that their employers’ priorities are not in the right places, with 60% saying businesses are more concerned about profit and productivity than their people.
“Nonetheless, budgets are clearly tight at the moment and businesses are struggling to find ways to balance the books. In fact, according to our latest Hiring Intentions data, 68% of employers are concerned about budget constraints for the year ahead. On top of the high borrowing costs businesses have had to deal with in the past two years, such sentiment is further driven by the hikes in NICs and minimum wage announced in the latter part of last year. However, the worry from the workforce is that they will have to shoulder the burden and do more work with less resources, likely leading to burnout.
“While it’s understandable that employers are concerned with the additional staffing costs that they will incur this year, there’s a significant risk in over-burdening workers. Aside from protecting staff’s mental well-being, businesses need to be mindful of the potential long-term impact on their employer brand as this could likely have a detrimental impact on staff engagement, morale and hiring in the future.”
