Today, online career resources platform CV Genius, has published key findings from its 2025 Future of Work Survey. Conducted in December 2024, the survey polled 1,000 UK employees from the UK to highlight key workplace trends and challenges employees are facing.
The Future of Work Survey found that two-thirds (67%) of employees have either changed jobs, moved to more affordable areas, or relocated to different cities to manage rising living costs. Younger generations are the most affected, with 80% of Gen Z and 76% of Millennials making such changes, compared to just 64% of Gen X and 38% of Baby Boomers.
- 35% of workers have changed jobs or are actively seeking higher-paying roles within their current city to manage costs.
- 21% have moved or are considering relocating further from their workplace to afford living expenses.
‘This year’s survey shows just how much the cost-of-living crisis is affecting people’s lives — it’s not just a financial issue anymore. It’s spilling into over careers, where people live, and even their mental health,’ said Samuel Johns, Recruiting Manager at CV Genius. ‘Workers are making big changes, like moving to more affordable areas or choosing flexibility over career progression, to cope with the pressures they’re facing.’
Employees Would Choose Work Flexibility Over Pay or Promotion
According to the Future of Work Survey, two-thirds of employees (66%) would quit their jobs if forced back into the office full-time. The survey also revealed that flexibility is now a top priority for workers, with 53% willing to trade career progression for remote work and 51% prepared to accept lower pay for unlimited flexibility. Find more takeaways below:
- 87% report experiencing stress or burnout at work.
- 50% say long hours and heavy workloads are the leading cause of their stress.
- 87% believe remote work improves work-life balance.
- 75% feel less stressed working remotely than in the office.
- On average, workers want 2.6 days of remote work, with three days remote and two days at the office being the most commonly requested policy (23%).
- 2 in 3 workers (63%) in remote-friendly professions prefer hybrid policies, with 1–4 remote days per week.
When asked which workplace benefits would most improve productivity:
- 61% prioritise flexible working hours.
- 50% prefer remote or hybrid work.
- 43% support the idea of a four-day workweek.
- Workers also say part-time or reduced hours (18%) and job sharing (9%) are desirable options.
‘"Employees overwhelmingly pointed to flexibility as a solution, with two-thirds of workers saying they would quit their jobs if forced back into the office full-time, and many noting that remote and hybrid work options help them better manage their time and reduce stress,’ said Johns.
‘This preference raises important questions about the future of workplace policies, especially as return-to-office mandates conflict with the financial pressures and burnout many workers are facing. With employees clearly prioritising flexibility to navigate these challenges, 2025 could be a pivotal year for rethinking how workplaces operate to better align with employees’ evolving needs and circumstances.’
AI Sparks Concern Among Workers
While almost half of workers (45%) worry about AI replacing them, most see it as a tool that will transform their roles rather than take them away entirely.
- 91% believe AI will require constant upskilling and learning to stay competitive.
- 68% believe AI will increase competition for jobs.
- 61% worry that AI could limit career growth opportunities.
- 84% think knowing how to use AI tools will make them more hireable.
Almost 5 in 10 Workers Don’t Want to Become Managers
The Future of Work Survey found that UK workers are opting for stability, fulfillment, or even entrepreneurship over climbing the corporate ladder.
- 13% of workers aspire to start their own business and become their own boss.
- 15% prefer to focus on life outside of work and aim to do only the bare minimum at their jobs.
- 33% want a stable, fulfilling job without management responsibilities.
- Nearly half (48%) of workers say managerial responsibilities aren’t part of their career goals.
-
1 in 4 Gen Z employees (26%) aim to start their own businesses, more than Millennials (16%), Gen X (9%), and Baby Boomers (7%).
- 68% of workers do genuinely like their jobs.
- 80% of workers hold a favourable opinion of their direct manager.
Gen Z is ‘Career Catfishing’ Their Employees
The survey identified three major workplace trends that employees say they’ve participated in: ‘career catfishing,’ ‘presenteeism,’ and ‘Bare Minimum Mondays.’
- 34% of Gen Z workers admit to ‘career catfishing’ by accepting a job but not showing up on the first day.
- Two-thirds of workers (64%) admit to ‘resenteeism,’ by staying in jobs they dislike due to a lack of better opportunities while openly expressing their dissatisfaction.
- 63% of workers are ‘career cushioning’ by quietly preparing for potential job loss and exploring other opportunities while still employed.
- 59% of workers start the week with ‘Bare Minimum Mondays’ by easing into their tasks with minimal effort.
- 59% of Gen Z admit to performing tasks to appear productive but without the intent of accomplishing anything (known as ‘fauxductivity’ or ‘productivity theatre’), compared to 56% of Millennials, 46% of Gen X, and 34% of Baby Boomers.
‘Our survey reveals a significant shift in how people view their careers. For many, work is no longer the centre of their universe,’ Johns commented. ‘With AI continuing to aid work efforts but raising concerns about job security, alongside growing stress and burnout, workers are rethinking what they value most. Stability and flexibility are taking priority over traditional ambitions, reflecting a desire for careers that fit into their lives — not the other way around. Let’s hope 2025 brings compromises that work for both employees and employers.’
To read the full report, visit https://cvgenius.com/blog/career-advice/future-of-work-survey or contact Sade Salam at sade@cvgenius.com.
Methodology
This survey was conducted by CV Genius in collaboration with Pollfish. The study aimed to understand UK full-time workers’ attitudes and opinions toward the current and future state of their work and career as it pertains to factors including labour market trends, remote work, workplace culture, and diversity and inclusion. The survey also sought to identify gender, generational, and geographic differences in these attitudes and opinions. The survey was fielded online on 1 December 2024, and targeted a sample size of 1,000 participants.
Demographic breakdown is as follows: Gender: Female (513), Male (487); Age Groups: Baby Boomers (125), Gen X (392), Millennials (385), Gen Z (98); Regions: London (168), South West (73), South East (137), East of England (87), West Midlands (87), East Midlands (78), Yorkshire and the Humber (82), North West (127), North East (44), Scotland (61), Wales (33), Northern Ireland (16); Country: United Kingdom (1000)
