Middle manager burnout crisis looms in 2025, threatening workplace stability
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — The workplace landscape is poised for disruption in 2025 as middle managers face burnout and inadequate support, leading to what experts are calling a “manager crash.”
This impending crisis threatens to destabilize organizational structures and impact overall workforce productivity.
Rising pressure on management tier
“Like a market crash, we’ll see a significant downturn in manager well-being, performance, and the ability to continue taking the lead as the change champions,” wrote Alanna Fincke, head of content and learning at meQuilibrium. She emphasized that without targeted support, managers face higher risks of burnout and turnover than their teams.
This looming crisis comes as middle managers, often caught between executive demands and employee needs, report record-low confidence in their roles. Glassdoor data shows manager sentiment fell to its worst-ever levels earlier this year, a trend exacerbated by layoffs and increasing workloads.
Earlier this year, a Capterra study found that 75% of millennial middle managers feel overwhelmed, stressed, or burned out, with nearly half considering leaving their roles as a result.
A Perceptyx study also revealed that 39% of managers report increased pressure from leadership, while 37% note a rise in pressure from direct reports compared to the previous year.
Generational leadership gap
The crisis extends beyond current management, affecting future leadership pipelines. According to a recent survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters, approximately 75% of Gen Z professionals prefer advancing as individual contributors rather than pursuing management roles. Even among those who anticipate becoming managers, over one-third express reluctance about the prospect.
Organizational health impact, strategic solutions
Middle managers play a crucial role in organizational success, acting as a “force multiplier” for productivity and innovation, meQuilibrium explained. However, the pressures of juggling responsibilities without adequate support are driving many to consider leaving their positions. Nearly half of middle managers surveyed in a 2023 UKG report said they were likely to quit within a year due to job stress.
“We put so much pressure on the manager, and we don’t give them enough scaffolding,” Pat Wadors, chief people officer at UKG, told Fortune. Providing consistent support for managers, she added, can have a cascading positive effect across the workforce.
Without intervention, the consequences could be severe—employees working under unsupported managers are four times more likely to quit and twice as likely to report poor well-being.
If organizations fail to address the well-being of their middle managers, the consequences could be far-reaching. As Fincke warned, “The benefits of supporting managers will cascade throughout the organization, improving productivity, innovation, and overall workforce health.” Without action, businesses risk a leadership vacuum and declining morale across all levels.
