The ManpowerGroup “Talent Barometer” report published today reveals that 28% of people do not believe in the good intentions of their supervisors, and 53% experience strong stress on a daily basis. 39% are considering quitting their jobs, yet over half are convinced they could find a new position that meets their expectations within six months. More details on the sentiment of Polish employees, their confidence in the labor market, their competencies, and whether they manage to maintain a work-life balance follow in the analysis below.
ManpowerGroup analyzed 12 factors contributing to employee well-being, professional confidence, and job satisfaction. According to the report, nearly one in four respondents (23%) believes that their employer does not support them in achieving work-life balance, while 70% rate this aspect positively. This issue is reported more frequently by women (25%) than men (21%), as well as by representatives of Generation X (25%) and Generation Z (24%). Baby Boomers (17%) and Millennials (22%) declare it less often. Among on-site workers, 32% feel a lack of support regarding work-life balance, whereas for those working remotely, this problem affects 15%, and for hybrid workers, 18%.
As Luiza Luranc, Sales Director at ManpowerGroup, points out, on-site work in many organizations is still based on rigid schedules where physical presence in the company is key, which limits the real possibility of reconciling professional and private life.
“The remote and hybrid model shifts part of the responsibility for working time onto the employee, which improves the subjective assessment of balance, even if the task load remains high. Conversely, gender differences result from the uneven division of household duties. Women more often feel the pressure of combining work and private life. Generations X and Z have high expectations regarding support and work boundaries, while Boomers and some Millennials rate their balance better, which stems from professional experience and a greater sense of agency within the organization,” adds the expert.
Higher stress in remote work
Daily stress is an experience shared by the majority of employees; over half of the respondents (53%) already feel it, while 40% declare that this problem does not concern them. Women are more susceptible (54%) than men (53%), as are representatives of Generation Z (63%) and senior management (61%). Below the average are Boomers (42%) and Gen Xers (52%). Interestingly, the most stressed group consists of remote workers, where as many as 61% speak of this problem, whereas among those working on-site, this percentage is 47%.
On-site work weakens trust in bosses
A challenge for employees and companies may be the relatively low level of trust in supervisors, mentioned by 28% of respondents, while 65% declare they do have trust. Women face a greater crisis of trust (35%) than men (21%), as do representatives of Generation X (32%)—more frequently than Gen Z (16%), Boomers (22%), and Millennials (28%). However, the most distinct dividing line lies between work models. Among on-site employees who have no influence over their place of work or for whom remote work is not possible, a lack of trust in bosses is declared by 38% of respondents. This is more than double the rate among those working remotely (16%) or in a hybrid model (16%).
“People who cannot decide on the place and time of performing tasks feel more dependent on the decisions of their superiors. This translates into a sense of powerlessness and insufficient support. Additionally, women more often experience an accumulation of professional and domestic duties, which, combined with a lack of flexibility, increases frustration and the crisis of trust. Generation X, on the other hand, faces the pressure of simultaneously managing responsible professional and family roles. In remote and hybrid models, autonomy and flexibility allow for a better fit between work and private life, which strengthens relationships with leaders and builds trust. On the other hand, such high levels of stress in remote work are not accidental. The lack of physical separation between work and home increases pressure and the sense of constant availability. Generation Z is just building professional resilience and stress-coping mechanisms. Senior management experiences stress due to responsibility for team results in a volatile, uncertain work environment. In turn, the drop in tension among older generations results from experience and developed strategies for dealing with difficult situations,” adds the ManpowerGroup expert.
Who fears losing their job the most?
Polish employees are increasingly worried about the prospect of losing their jobs; this is a concern for 33% of those surveyed. Remote workers have the greatest fears, with 55% worrying about staff reductions, while among on-site workers, this percentage is 31%. Greater concerns are also expressed by men (35%) compared to women (32%), as well as by Gen Z (40%) and Millennials (37%), whereas Gen X (26%) and Boomers (31%) show less anxiety.
Remote workers and younger generations believe in their market opportunities
Polish employees believe in their opportunities on the labor market. It turns out that 64% are convinced that they will find a new job meeting their expectations within six months. The biggest optimists are remote workers (72%) and hybrid workers (67%); on-site workers believe in their possibilities significantly less (57%). Men (68%) are also greater optimists than women (60%). Among generations, Millennials (73%) and Gen Z (69%) show the greatest confidence, while Boomers and representatives of Generation X are more cautious (53% each).
“Millennials and representatives of Generation Z update their competencies faster and test the labor market more often, which gives them a real orientation regarding requirements and salary levels. This strengthens their sense of agency; changing jobs is not a risk for them, but a tool for active career management, clearly distinguishing them from older generations who more often view the market through the prism of stability and continuity of employment,” says Luiza Luranc, adding: “At the same time, the higher level of anxiety among remote workers results not from a lack of competence, but from lower visibility within the organization and limited access to informal decision-making information. Younger generations are accustomed to instability and treat changing jobs as a natural stage of their career, not as a failure. Older generations, despite less optimism about quickly finding a new job, declare fear less often because they base their sense of security on experience, tenure, and relationships within the organization,” concludes the ManpowerGroup representative.
