State of the

Global Workplace
T H E VO I C E O F T H E WO R L D ’ S E M P LOY E E S

RESE ARCH SUMMARY

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the employee experience. We examine how employees feel
about their work and their lives, an important predictor of
organizational resilience and performance.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report

Table of Contents
From the CEO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Executive Brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Research Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Employee Mental Health: A Global Snapshot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report 

From the CEO

“
And further still, people’s mental wellbeing has been worsening. In the last 10 years, the number of
people expressing stress, sadness, anxiety, anger or worry has been on the rise, reaching its highest
levels since the Gallup surveys began.”

— 2023-2024 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT, UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

The global deterioration of mental health is concerning. Popular solutions include wellbeing apps or stress
Some worry we’re spiraling out of control. United Nations management training. Yet recent research by Oxford
Secretary-General António Guterrez says, “Our world University finds “little evidence in support of any
is becoming unhinged.” Perhaps he’s being overly benefits from these interventions with even some
pessimistic. After all, we’re living in the best time in small indication of harm.”
human history. “Human progress is an observable fact,”
Harvard Professor Steven Pinker famously observed. Mindfulness and wellbeing apps aren’t the problem,
but when bad management uses them as a fix, it can
But what if both are right? If humanity’s mental health make things worse. It’s understandable when you
is rapidly declining during a golden era of progress consider that a major cause of workplace stress is
and prosperity, it would present one of the greatest not having the materials and equipment you need to
paradoxes of our time. do your job effectively. That problem can’t be solved
with a yoga mat; it requires action from management.
If our collective mood hasn’t soured to historic
And the perception that organizations are investing in
proportions, it’s soured enough to impact our daily lives.
areas other than what employees need to get the job
Georgetown Professor Christine Porath finds that rising done can exacerbate stress.
stress is causing a rapid increase in incivility at work. This
is particularly worrying considering we spend most of So, what works better? According to the Oxford study,
our lives working, second only to sleeping. “organisation-level initiatives such as improvements
in scheduling change, management practices, staff
In this year’s State of the Global Workplace report, resources or tailored job design.” In other words,
41% of employees report experiencing “a lot of stress.” changing the way people are managed at the
Yet stress varies significantly depending on how organizational level.
organizations are run. Those who work in companies
with bad management practices (actively disengaged) The global workplace can play a significant role in
are nearly 60% more likely to be stressed than people addressing the world’s mental health crisis. As detailed
working in environments with good management in this year’s report, changing how we manage people
practices (engaged). In fact, experiencing “a lot of is critical for reducing stress at work and in life.
stress” is reported approximately 30% more frequently
by employees working under bad management than by
the unemployed.

Leaders know workplace stress is a problem — they’ve

seen the data, heard it from their colleagues, and
experienced it themselves. A quarter of leaders feel Jon Clifton
burned out often or always, and two-thirds feel it at CEO
least sometimes. Many are trying to address it, but
often in ineffective ways.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report 

Executive Brief
Gallup estimates low employee engagement costs the global economy
8.9 trillion U.S. dollars, or 9% of global GDP.

PA R T I

Employee Mental Health: A Global Snapshot

01 Twenty percent of the world’s employees

experience daily loneliness. Loneliness is
02 Wellbeing among younger employees
dropped in 2023.
highest for fully remote workers.

03 Employee engagement is a significant

factor in overall life experiences.

PA R T I I

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

01 Countries where it is a good time to find

a job have lower active disengagement
03 Independent of labor laws, employee
engagement is associated with hope
— employees have the freedom to get for the future.
out of miserable work situations.

04 Not all Labour Rights laws are associated with

02 Some Labour Rights laws are associated

with employees evaluating their present
emotional health in the same way. Engaged
employees in countries with labor laws aimed at
overall life better. fair wages, safe work, family responsibilities and
maternity report the lowest stress.

PA R T I I I

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

Managers account for 70% of the variance in team employee engagement.

01 Managers have more negative daily experiences

than non-managers and are more likely to be
03 In best-practice organizations, three-fourths of
managers and seven in 10 non-managers are engaged.
looking for a new job.
When organizations increase the number of engaged
02 Across countries, when managers are engaged,
employees are more likely to be engaged.
employees, they improve a host of organizational
outcomes, including profit, retention rates and
customer service.

2
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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report

R E S E A R C H S U M M A RY

From Suffering to Thriving:

The Role of Work in Employee
Mental Health and Wellbeing

In 2023, global employee engagement stagnated, In this report, we examine the current state of
and overall employee wellbeing declined. While employee mental health and wellbeing at the
both measures are at or near record highs, their lack global level. Then, we examine economic and
of improvement is notable, as they follow multiple policy-related factors associated with employee
years of steady gains. The result is that the majority wellbeing, followed by manager-related factors for
of the world’s employees continue to struggle engagement at work and thriving in life overall.
at work and in life, with direct consequences for
As part of this report, we conducted follow-up
organizational productivity.
interviews with respondents from around the world
Gallup estimates that low employee to learn more about their feelings regarding their
engagement costs the global economy work. Examples of their responses are included
US$8.9 trillion, or 9% of global GDP. throughout this Research Summary.

What can leaders do to improve the health and

productivity of the world’s workforce?

ACT I V E LY D I S E N G AG E D N OT E N G AG E D E N G AG E D

“ “ “
I could push it, but I’m so I am getting a salary from I really enjoy my job. I think
frustrated with the way things this work. So, I have to do it, I work with really, really
are going that day that I’m but there is a bit of boredom fantastic people, and the
like, ‘You know what I’m gonna in doing the same work work that we do is really,
do? I’m gonna do nothing.’” every day.” really meaningful.”
— STEVEN — ARCHANA — CALISTA
Line Operator Marketing Supervisor Contract Manager

Canada India Australia

Learn more about global, regional

and U.S. employee engagement data.

Explore data

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

PA R T I

Employee Mental Health:

A Global Snapshot
01 Twenty percent of the world’s employees experience daily loneliness.

02 Wellbeing among younger employees dropped in 2023.

03 Employee engagement is a significant factor in overall life experiences.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employees’ Perspectives on Mental Health

“ “
My work can contribute to stress, and it can also You may think work and life outside of work may
contribute to a sense of satisfaction. And they be separated, but I disagree. These are the same,
balance each other out to the point that I don’t concurring at the same time.”
feel like I need to make a change.” — MISHINA
Content Management Director
— JACK
Art and VFX Director Japan

Canada

“
I have not been able to go to any of my children’s

“
Recently, my mother passed away; [my events due to work. We are here all day.”
organization] supported me in every way in — NESTOR
minutes. That’s why I’m satisfied; they treat [a] Deputy Manager

human as a human being.” Mexico

— KOBA
Security Guard

“
There are times when you come home, and you’re
Georgia
very, very stressed. Very, very wound up, and I
think, just the longer you stay in it, the more used

“
If I’m not doing well at work, I’m not doing well in to it you get.”
life. It’s just the way it is.” — STEWART
Mortgage Advisor
— EMILIA
Educator U.K.

Germany

“
I don’t want to get up and do anything the next

“
When I finish my work quickly in the evening and day. I think about calling in sick, so I don’t have to
go to the gym to exercise, [my] mental stress deal with the fires.”
almost gets eliminated.” — ANA
Nonprofit Director
— NORUDEN
Regional Sales Manager U.S.

India

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employee Mental Health: A Global Snapshot

Twenty percent of the world’s employees

01
01

experience daily loneliness.

Daily Loneliness Among Employees

Did you experience the following feelings A LOT OF THE DAY yesterday?
How about loneliness?
% Yes

Globally, one in five employees report experiencing Work itself decreases loneliness. In general, working
loneliness a lot of the previous day. This percentage adults are less lonely (20%) than those who are
is higher for employees under 35 and lower for unemployed (32%), and this remains true across age
those over age 35. Fully remote employees report groups. Work interactions do not necessarily need to
significantly higher levels of loneliness (25%) than be in person to provide a benefit. A Gallup study found
those who work fully on-site (16%). that all forms of social time (phone, video, texting,
etc.) are associated with a better mood.2 That said,
Social isolation and chronic loneliness have technological interactions such as messaging have
devastating effects on physical and mental health. thresholds — moods drop after moderate amounts.
Harvard Professor and Gallup Senior Scientist Lisa This finding aligns with the findings of the State of the
Berkman and her colleagues studied the relationship Global Workplace that working on-site is associated
between social and community ties and mortality with lower reported loneliness.
rates over a nine-year span. The risk of mortality
among people who lacked community and social
ties was two times greater than that of people who
had many social contacts.1 These differences were
independent of physical health, socioeconomic status
and health practices.

1 Berkman, L. F., & Syme, S. L. (1979). Social networks, host resistance, and mortality: A nine-year follow-up study of Alameda County residents.
American Journal of Epidemiology, 109(2), 186-204.
2 Clifton, J., & Harter, J. (2021). Wellbeing at work: How to build resilient and thriving teams. Gallup Press.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employee Mental Health: A Global Snapshot

Wellbeing among younger

02
02

employees dropped in 2023.

Employee Wellbeing by Age (2009-2023)

% Thriving
Age <35 Age 35+

Globally, employee wellbeing declined in 2023 Although generational divides are often
from 35% to 34%. Gallup’s wellbeing item measures exaggerated, this divergence should be on
overall life evaluation, combining present and future leaders’ radar. Given that many leaders are older,
self-reflection. The decline in 2023 was felt by they may not see the present and the future in the
younger workers under 35. same way as their youngest employees. A decade
ago, younger workers had consistently higher
The happiness gap between younger and older age
life evaluations than older workers; therefore, the
groups is generalized outside of work. This year’s difference in perspective is unlikely to be a product
World Happiness Report (which reports on the world’s only of life stage.
total population) found that people born before 1965
(baby boomers and their predecessors) have life
Explore more data on employee wellbeing.
evaluations about one-quarter of a point higher than
those born after 1980 (millennials and Gen Z).3 View data

3 Helliwell, J. F., Layard, R., Sachs, J. D., De Neve, J.-E., Aknin, L. B., & Wang, S. (Eds.). (2024). World happiness report 2024. University of Oxford: Wellbeing
Research Centre. https://happiness-report.s3.amazonaws.com/2024/WHR+24.pdf

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employee Mental Health: A Global Snapshot

Employee engagement is a significant

03
03

factor in overall life experiences.

Relationship Between Engagement and Overall Life Experiences

2023 Global Results

On many wellbeing items (stress, anger, worry,

loneliness), being actively disengaged at work is
equivalent to or worse than being unemployed.
In contrast, when employees find their work and work
relationships meaningful, employment is associated
with high levels of daily enjoyment and low levels of all
negative daily emotions. Notably, half of employees
who are engaged at work are thriving in life overall.

For employers, addressing mental health requires

Not all mental health issues are related to work, support for thriving in life and engagement at work.
but work is a factor in life evaluations and daily Employers should provide appropriate benefits and
emotions. Employees who dislike their jobs tend to flexibility to support employee wellbeing without
have high levels of daily stress and worry, as well as neglecting their greatest lever on employee life
elevated levels of all other negative emotions. evaluation: building productive, high-performing teams.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

PA R T I I

The Role of Economics

and Policy in the
Wellbeing of Workers
01 Countries where it is a good time to find a job have lower active disengagement.

02 Labor protections are associated with employees evaluating their present overall life better.

03 Independent of labor laws, employee engagement is associated with hope for the future.

04 Engaged employees in countries with substantial Labour Rights laws have the strongest emotional health.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employees’ Perspectives on Disengagement

“ “
You get up in the morning and you just think, ‘I I get confused when there is more than one
can’t go. I can’t face another day.’ And you just, person above me directing me and saying
you’ve just had too much of it all.” different things. I sometimes feel like I don’t know
— CATHERINA what to do and lose motivation.”
Speech Pathologist
— NISHIK AWA
Australia Accountant

Japan

“
Sometimes, if you’re getting yelled at all day long,

“
and you come home, you know, it’s a little bit Sometimes I don’t have the spare parts or the
harder to deal with things that aren’t normally a big tools needed to do the work because I don’t have
deal at home.” the money, and the company doesn’t buy them.”
— Z ACH — JONATHAN
Parking Enforcement Officer Maintenance Manager

Canada Mexico

“ “
In general, I lack accurate and complete When I feel pressure at work, I have to push the
information, and it makes me uncomfortable engineers and pressure them. I hate doing this
when I have to search for it, especially when I’m to other people. But in our job, we have to do so.
unsure whom to ask.” Submission means submission.”
— CICELY — GHADEER
Accountant Assistant Industrial Engineer

Georgia UAE

“ “
I always think, if I were at the office, at least I Everyone’s very, very disposable, and there’s
wouldn’t have to face accusations of ‘time fraud’.” very little loyalty from employers. They want you
— DANIEL to give your blood, your life to them, but it’s very
System Programmer easy for them to lay you off [and] reconstruct
Germany their companies.”
— NICK
Real Estate Acquisition

U.S.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

Countries where people think it is a good time to

01
01

find a job have lower active disengagement.

Country-Level Relationship Between Quality of the Local Job Market and Disengagement
Thinking about the job situation in the city or area where you live today, would you say that it is now a good time
or a bad time to find a job?
r=0.55

Actively disengaged employees — i.e., workers who Actively disengaged workers may often be trapped
actively oppose their employer’s goals — comprise in jobs they do not like for economic reasons.
15% of the global workforce. Compared to their Economic factors likely play a significant role in active
peers, they are more likely to be suffering in their disengagement. We infer that job opportunities allow
overall wellbeing, less likely to feel respected and less bitter employees to leave bad situations and find
likely to experience daily enjoyment. Fifty-four percent better ones.
of actively disengaged workers say they experienced
Notably, there is no significant correlation between
a lot of stress the previous day.
job market and engagement. In the aggregate, active
Poor job markets are highly correlated with active disengagement works differently than engagement:
disengagement. We asked respondents if they Improving economic conditions likely shifts workers
felt it was a good time to find a job in their local job from anger to indifference but not from indifference
market. Their responses track consistently with to inspiration.
official unemployment statistics. Our analysis finds
Learn more about our employee retention and
that better job markets are associated with lower
attraction data.
active disengagement.
View Gallup’s indicator data

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

Labor protections are associated with employees

02
02

evaluating their present overall life better.

The Labour Rights Index identifies the presence The labor law sub-indexes with the highest
or absence of 46 labor-related statutes within correlations with present life evaluations, after
135 countries. These include laws related to controlling for income and other demographic
wages, discrimination, paid leave and safety, variables, are listed below.
among others. The index does not measure the
Labour Rights Sub-Indexes Most Correlated
enforcement of these laws, merely their presence.
However, it can provide a way to compare countries With Current Thriving in Life*
with more or fewer legal protections for employees
and associations with employee wellbeing. (It 1 Maternity at Work
is important to note that labor protections tend
2 Fair Wages
to be associated with economic development;
high-income countries generally have more labor 3 Social Security
laws, but there is variance. We have controlled for
some of these variables in our study.) 4 Employment Security
Across individuals within countries, labor laws 5 Fair Treatment
have a positive relationship with thriving in life.
This relationship is stronger for current life evaluation 6 Safety
than future life evaluation. In other words, labor laws
have a stronger relationship to current satisfaction *Control variables: GDP per capita (country level), per capita income
percentile group (individual level), age group, gender, marital status,
than optimism for the future.
Liberal Democracy Index (V-Dem)

A woman in Malaysia talks about her

views with a Gallup World Poll interviewer.
Labor protections related to maternity at
work are correlated with current thriving
in life for employees.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

Independent of labor laws, employee engagement

03
03

is associated with hope for the future.

Life Evaluations of Engaged Employees in Countries With High and Low Levels of Labour
Index-Related Statutes

*Control variables: GDP per capita (country level), per capita income percentile group (individual level), age group, gender, marital status,
Liberal Democracy Index (V-Dem)

Employee engagement has a closer association to future life evaluation than the presence of labor laws.
When employees are engaged at work, they have significantly higher hope for their future lives overall. This
optimism exists in low Labour Rights countries and higher Labour Rights countries at similar levels. We can
reasonably characterize the data this way: A great job is strongly associated with hope for the future.

13
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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

Engaged employees in countries with substantial

04
04

Labour Rights laws have the strongest emotional health.

People often contrast Western Europe’s “work to Labour Rights and engagement do not represent
live” culture with the United States’ “live to work” an “either-or” relationship. Among countries
mindset. Western European countries have some of with similar levels of labor protections, the
the strongest labor laws in the world and the lowest employee work experience varies greatly. Norway,
employee engagement. The United States ranks lower Denmark and Sweden are in the top quartile of
on labor protections but has much higher employee countries on the Labour Rights Index4 while also
engagement than Western Europe. having close-to-average employee engagement.
Conversely, Germany, France and the U.K. are also in
It may appear that strong labor protections and the top quartile for labor laws but have below-average
employee engagement are opposed to each employee engagement.
other, as if labor protections make employees
feel lost at work, and worker precarity makes Furthermore, individuals within a country have
people find more meaning in their jobs. But the widely different workplace experiences. Individuals
data suggest otherwise. within countries with below-average engagement can
still be engaged, and when they are, they enjoy higher
life evaluations both today and in the future.

Employees’ Perspectives on Workload

“ “ “
I get home and just want I feel that, due to shift work, You get at times — you are
to rest. Sometimes I don’t the leisure time I have, for tired, but you are already there
feel like eating, so I eat example, on weekends, is at work, you start working, and
whatever I find and sleep a lot. primarily spent on recovering eventually your body adapts.”
Sometimes I sleep 12 hours so that I can go back to work — PHANICE
and wake up tired.” on Monday morning.” Housekeeping

— AMAIRANI — BIRGIT Kenya

Cashier Physiotherapist

Mexico Germany

4 WageIndicator Foundation, & Centre for Labour Research. (2022). Labour Rights Index 2022.
https://labourrightsindex.org/lri-2022-documents/lri-2022-final-7-oct.pdf

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of Economics and Policy in the Wellbeing of Workers

Combined labor protections and employee Engaged employees in countries with these labor law
engagement are associated with the lowest levels protections have much lower loneliness and stress
of negative daily emotions. Labour Rights and high than less engaged employees within countries with a
engagement are each individually associated with higher abundance of labor laws.
fewer negative daily emotion experiences among
Notably, experiencing a lot of daily enjoyment
employees. When combined, we find the lowest levels
is only associated with engagement. Along with
of negative worker emotions.
optimism, employee engagement has a positive
Not all labor laws are associated with emotions in association with enjoyment. This finding suggests
the same way. For example, labor laws aimed at fair that a job — when it is good, meaningful and
wages, safe work, family responsibilities and maternity interesting — adds something positive to life.
are associated with reduced loneliness. Laws aimed
at safe work, family responsibilities and working hours
are associated with less stress.5

Daily Emotions of Engaged Employees in Countries With High and Low Levels of Labour
Index-Related Statutes

Lower Half Labour Rights Index Upper Half Labour Rights Index
Daily Emotions

Actively Actively
% Experienced Daily disengaged Not engaged Engaged disengaged Not engaged Engaged

Stress 54 43 38 46 34 29

Sadness 34 25 22 26 16 15

Loneliness 27 22 20 21 14 12

Anger 29 22 19 26 16 13

Worry 53 42 34 43 34 30

Enjoyment 54 75 83 56 74 84

*Control variables: GDP per capita (country level), per capita income percentile group (individual level), age group, gender, marital status, Liberal Democracy
Index (V-Dem)

5 Within labor law sub-indexes, some specific laws are more highly correlated with worker wellbeing than others. For example, working hours laws restricting
hours to 56 hours per week and requiring at least three weeks of paid annual leave are related most highly to lower stress.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

PA R T I I I

The Role of the Manager

in Worker Wellbeing and
Organizational Performance
01 Managers have more negative experiences than non-managers.

02 When managers are engaged, employees are more likely to be engaged.

In best-practice organizations, three-fourths of managers are engaged,

03 along with seven in 10 non-managers.

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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Employees’ Perspectives on Managers

“ “
A good job is a job where I have a manager who What makes me love my job more is that my boss
knows me, sees and values what I do, and cares is easy to work with. He doesn’t monitor me, and
about where I’m going in the future.” thus, I feel free.”
— OLIVA — EUNICE
Project Manager Hotel Cleaner

Canada Kenya

“ “
We have several managers, and we have such Our manager helps a lot and gives us positive
a good relationship with each of them that energy every day. He teaches us how to do
sometimes we forget that they are somehow things better.”
above us.” — TAHNOON
Industrial Engineer
— MIRIAM
Waitress UAE

Georgia

“
I enjoy seeing people grow in their roles. I

“
What I like the most is that while talking to enjoy identifying where people have gifts
the manager, there is an atmosphere of and then helping them to develop those and
understanding. They always understand my use them.”
problems and guide me in the right direction.” — OLIVIA
Curate
— VIK ASH
Trade Advisor U.K.

India

“
I like the teamwork with my coworkers. We’re all

“
I always have a 30-minute 1-on-1 session with each very focused on the mission, and it’s good to work
person every week, and I always communicate towards that common goal.”
closely with my subordinates, not only about work — ALEX
but also about how they are feeling lately.” Project Manager

— TAONO U.S.
Audit Manager

Japan

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

Managers have more negative

01
01

experiences than non-managers.

Overall Life Experiences Among Managers vs. Non-Managers

2023 Global Results

Managers Non-managers

The world’s managers are more likely than Nevertheless, managers are more likely to be
non-managers to be engaged and thriving in life. stressed, angry, sad and lonely than non-managers.
Managers are more likely to experience higher Although being a manager has its perks, that does not
pay and higher social status compared to their mean it is easy. Managers experience higher levels of
non-manager peers. They are also more likely to negative emotions than non-managers. They are also
feel their opinions count, to feel connected to more likely to be looking to leave their current job.
their organization and to have manager peers they
can rely on for support. All these likely contribute Because managers often provide emotional support
to higher engagement and life evaluations to employees and direct them to mental health
for managers. resources, any initiative to address employee mental
health and wellbeing should recognize that managers
are not immune from suffering — in fact, they may
need the most support in some cases.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

When managers are engaged, employees

02
02

are more likely to be engaged.

Country-Level Relationship Between Manager and Non-Manager Engagement

r=0.58

When managers are engaged at work, non-managers Managers drive engagement through goal setting,
are also more likely to be engaged. Remarkably, this regular, meaningful feedback and accountability.
correlation appears at the country level. Countries in Gallup’s decades of research into effective management
the upper half of manager engagement are two times finds that a great manager builds an ongoing relationship
as likely to have engaged non-managers. with an employee grounded in respect, positivity and
an understanding of the employee’s unique gifts. Great
Gallup has found that 70% of the variance managers help employees find meaning and reward in
in team engagement can be attributed to their work. As a result, employees take an interest in what
the manager.6 they do, leading to higher productivity and enjoyment.

Discover more data as it relates to leadership

While economic prosperity and labor protections have
and management.
a strong correlation to less misery at work, engagement
is more closely tied to interpersonal relationships with Explore data
one’s manager. An effective manager motivates team
members, moving them from indifferent to inspired.

6 Clifton, J., & Harter, J. (2019). It’s the manager: Moving from boss to coach. Gallup Press.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

In best-practice organizations,
03
03

three-fourths of managers are engaged,

as well as seven in 10 non-managers.

Annual Employee Engagement in the World and Best-Practice Organizations

% Engaged
Best-practice organizations Global

While only 30% of managers and 23% of The global workplace has changed since 2020.
employees overall are engaged globally, some The rise in hybrid work for remote-capable employees
organizations reach much higher levels of has made people management more complicated. And
employee engagement and wellbeing. even those in on-site jobs are asking for more autonomy
in their work lives. As mentioned at the beginning of this
Best-practice organizations across industries and report, the mental health of younger workers is a new and
geographies have three-fourths of their managers challenging concern. These trends require new ways of
engaged and seven in 10 non-managers. This is the managing people.
equivalent of 14 engaged employees for every one
Explore the ways to create more engaged employees.
actively disengaged employee, a ratio 11 times the
global average. Learn more

20
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State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

The Role of the Manager in Worker Wellbeing and Organizational Performance

Many of the organizations Gallup has studied did not start with high levels of engagement. Becoming a highly
engaged organization was an intentional effort of leadership over several years. Leaders who build strong and
resilient cultures focus on a few things that set them apart from other organizations:

9 They put a high priority on manager hiring and 9 They emphasize wellbeing at work and in life.
development. As we’ve seen in this report, the They make their support for employee wellbeing
manager-employee relationship is the locus of visible and consistent. Many organizations employ
employee engagement and a central factor in wellbeing teams with wellbeing counselors or
thriving in life overall. The best organizations hire coaches. They also go beyond physical health to
managers with a talent for engaging their teams, include financial literacy and planning support, as
and they train their managers into effective coaches well as events like webinars on mental health and
who consistently deliver meaningful individual encouraging community volunteerism.
feedback that inspires better future performance.
When organizations do these things, they
9 They integrate engagement into every stage simultaneously improve employees’ lives and
of their employee and manager life cycle. organizational performance.
They make engagement a business strategy that
informs how they hire, onboard, coach and develop
talent. They also integrate it into performance  earn more about how Gallup partners
L
with organizations at www.gallup.com
management, goal setting, team meetings and
manager-employee conversations. In other words,
they make it part of their culture. It’s simply the way
they do business.

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 State of the Global Workplace: 2024 Report Research Summary

Conclusion

When organizations increase the number

of engaged employees, they improve a
host of organizational outcomes.

Gallup finds strong evidence that decreasing the number of disengaged workers drives positive outcomes
within organizations. In a 2024 meta-analysis, the largest study of its kind that includes data from more than
183,000 business units across 53 industries and 90 countries, Gallup has found that high-engagement business
units are likely to see significantly higher employee wellbeing — as well as higher productivity, profitability and sales
— than low-engagement teams.

Outcomes of Highly Engaged Business Units and Teams

Difference between top- and bottom-quartile teams/business units within a typical organization

78% 10% 23%

Greater Organizational Success

More Positive Outcomes
Fewer Negative Outcomes

in absenteeism in customer loyalty/ in profitability

engagement

21% 68%
in turnover for high-turnover 17% in wellbeing (thriving
organizations* in productivity (sales) employees)

51% 13% 22%

in turnover for low-turnover in productivity (production in organizational
organizations* records and evaluations) citizenship (participation)

26%
in shrinkage (theft)
Developing highly engaged teams results in fewer negative
outcomes, more positive outcomes and greater success for
your organization.
63%
in safety incidents
(accidents)
Note: Top-quartile teams on engagement achieved higher performance in positive outcomes and
realized fewer negative outcomes. Bottom-quartile teams realized more negative outcomes and
achieved lower performance on positive outcomes.
58% *High-turnover organizations are those with more than 40% annualized turnover. Low-turnover
in patient safety incidents organizations are those with 40% or lower annualized turnover.
(mortality and falls)

Learn more about the 2024 meta-analysis

30%
in quality defects
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