Alarming statistics reveal the proportion of unhappy workers

Workplace wellbeing and business performance consultant Gallagher has released its Workplace Trends Report 2025, which revealed that employees are increasingly experiencing burnout because of a lack of support from their employers and inadequate benefits.

This research was based on a survey of 2,522 full-time, part-time and casual employees across Australia between December 2024 and January 2025.

Gallagher’s director of people experience and innovation, Dr James Allen, said: “The wellbeing warning lights are well and truly on, and the workforce is approaching its breaking point.”

Slumped wellbeing

Despite nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of workers reporting wellbeing as their top priority this year, the proportion of employees who reported having high wellbeing sits at 51 per cent, down from 53 per cent last year.

“While this decrease is concerning, what is more alarming is the rise in burnout, with now just over a quarter of employees indicating they are showing signs of burnout,” Gallagher said.

It also revealed that “over 80 per cent of people with low wellbeing reported continuing to work when they felt that they should not”.

The rate of employees satisfied with their employers’ support of their wellbeing was 6 per cent lower than last year.

“If employees continue to feel ignored, these negative wellbeing factors will continue to be felt more widely, which can only be detrimental to employers,” Allen said.

Inadequate benefits

Over three in four (77 per cent) employees note the importance of base salary; however, just over half (54 per cent) say they are happy with the compensation they currently receive.

Also, less than half (54 per cent) of female workers were satisfied with their base salary, behind the 60 per cent of male employees.

“While remuneration is always top of mind for employees, the cost-of-living crisis has made it an even bigger consideration. Failure to address remuneration gaps will lead to costly exits for businesses,” it said.

While two in three workers identified flexibility as the most important benefit, the number of employees who were actually being offered this benefit dropped from 64 per cent last year to 59 per cent this year, it found.

“Organisations consistently offer benefits that do not match the wants and needs of their employees,” it said.

The report also found that one in two (50 per cent) workers said they wanted more financial education; however, less than 30 per cent reported receiving it.

“Employees are telling us that they want more from their organisations when it comes to their wellbeing, and those businesses that fail to rise to this challenge will face increased costs and staff turnover,” Allen said.

One in two employees (50 per cent) reported they felt confident that employers would act on their feedback, compared with 52 per cent last year, the report revealed.

It advised that asking and listening to employee feedback and acting on it creates a wellbeing-focused workplace.

“Employees [who] demonstrate a higher level of wellbeing work more effectively and will demonstrate greater loyalty to their organisation,” it said.

“The wellbeing journey is important as it highlights the opportunity to support employees proactively in strengthening wellbeing, and to avoid waiting until things are at breaking point.”