Global survey points to ongoing yearning for flexible work

Employee engagement levels remained broadly stable in 2025, according to a new global report from workplace analytics firm WorkL, with flexible work continuing to show a strong association with how positively people experience their job. The Global Workplace Report 2025 is based on survey data from more than 500,000 employees across over 100 countries. It records an average global engagement score of 75 percent, suggesting little overall movement compared with recent years, despite ongoing economic and labour market pressures.

Engagement levels vary by region. Employees in countries including India, the Philippines and the United Arab Emirates reported higher-than-average scores, continuing a pattern seen in previous WorkL data. The report does not attribute these differences to single factors but notes that local labour market conditions, expectations and working practices are likely to play a role.

Working patterns remain closely linked to engagement. Employees working in hybrid roles reported the highest engagement scores, at 77 percent, followed by those working fully remotely at 76 percent. Employees who are not allowed to work from home reported lower engagement, at around 72 percent. The findings are consistent across different geographies and job roles, reinforcing earlier evidence that flexibility is associated with more positive employee sentiment.

The report also highlights a shift in how some employees think about careers. WorkL describes a growing trend towards “career minimalism”, particularly among men, where progression and status are less prominent motivators than predictable flexibility and work that fits alongside life outside employment. Rather than aspiring to traditional linear advancement, some employees appear more focused on stability, autonomy and balance.

Across the dataset, employees most commonly associate happiness at work with perceptions of fair pay, trust in management and the ability to manage work alongside personal commitments.

Concerns around retention remain. Around 20 percent of respondents globally said they were considering leaving their job, although this figure masks significant variation. Higher levels of intention to leave were reported among younger workers, especially those aged 16 to 18, employees with less than a year’s service, non-managers and people from underrepresented or less advantaged groups.

The data also points to continuing inclusion gaps. Disabled employees reported lower engagement than their non-disabled peers. In more established labour markets, the report notes persistent challenges around pay, reward and support, particularly as organisations respond to cost-of-living pressures and wider economic uncertainty.

Lord Mark Price, founder of WorkL, said the findings suggest engagement and flexibility are now embedded features of working life. He said organisations may need to pay closer attention to how different groups experience work, particularly where disengagement and turnover risks are highest.

The report suggests that flexible working is likely to remain a central issue for employers in 2026, alongside growing scrutiny of equity, inclusion and how career development is defined and supported.