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Pluxee has published a global employee survey on engagement, loyalty and artificial intelligence at work, covering 11,000 employees in 14 countries, including the UK.
The findings point to a workforce under financial strain but less willing to commit unconditionally to employers. In the UK, 55% of respondents said they had either no money left after the 10th day of the month or only just enough to get by, up nine percentage points on the previous year.
Across all markets surveyed, 70% said inflation and the cost of living were their main worry, while a quarter said they "cannot stop thinking about it". In the UK, 74% said they were worried about inflation and its effect on purchasing power, including 21% who said it was constantly on their mind.
That pressure has not translated into stronger attachment to a single employer. Instead, workers appear to be becoming more selective about what they expect in return for their commitment.
In the UK, 39% said they would stay with their company only while their job remained interesting, up six percentage points year on year. By contrast, the share planning to stay "for as long as I can" fell eight points to 42%.
Globally, 35% of employees cited wellbeing and working conditions as the top human resources priority beyond higher pay. Recognition of commitment and achievement followed at 33%, while 29% pointed to benefits that supplement pay.
British workers reported similar priorities. Wellbeing and working conditions topped the list at 38%, followed by recognition at 33% and better communication and involvement in decisions at 31%.
Work boundaries
The survey also found that work is playing a less central role in people's lives, even though many remain positive about their employer. Globally, the share of employees who said work was the centre of their lives fell to 13% from 19%, while the category described as "Measured Engagement" rose to 38% from 34%.
In the UK, 44% said their job was important but less important than the rest of their life, up 12 percentage points from the previous year. Another 33% said they met their manager's expectations but set limits when demands went too far, up five points.
At the same time, 87% of respondents across the surveyed countries said they either "love" or "like" their company, up four percentage points. Professional satisfaction remained above seven out of 10 in every country covered by the research.
The pattern suggests employees are not disengaging from work altogether, but are drawing firmer lines around how much of their lives it should occupy. For employers, interest in the role, recognition and day-to-day working conditions remain important factors in retention.
AI attitudes
The research found broad acceptance of artificial intelligence despite frequent concerns in many industries about job displacement. Globally, 65% said they welcomed the AI revolution, and 40% described AI as "great" and said they "love" using it.
UK workers also appeared relatively relaxed about the technology. Some 34% said they loved AI and believed it made life simpler, while a further 19% said they found it attractive and were using it more.
Concerns about AI replacing jobs were limited in the UK sample. The survey found that 44% saw no risk of their job disappearing because of AI, while 38% expected the technology to make their role less routine and more interesting. Just 4% said their job was threatened in the short term.
Globally, 40% of employees said they were confident their jobs would not disappear because of AI. Another 42% said the content of their jobs would most likely change, but in a positive way.
Many workers are teaching themselves how to use the technology. Among regular AI users, 39% said they learned on their own, compared with 9% who relied on managers and 9% who relied on colleagues.
The data also suggested a link between engagement and openness to AI. Among employees classified as "All Parts Engaged", 64% said they loved AI and used it frequently. That fell to 39% among "Work Centrists" and 27% among "Outsiders".
The research was conducted by Ipsos and compared with results from Pluxee's previous global study. The countries surveyed were Belgium, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Turkey, the UK and the US.
"This second global study reveals a workforce that is far more optimistic than many might expect. In the context of economic uncertainty and pressure on purchasing power, employees are strongly connected to their companies, which they increasingly see as a source of stability in a challenging environment. The research also questions common perceptions about AI: while employees recognise its transformative potential for their jobs, most see it as an opportunity rather than a threat, expecting it to make work simpler and more interesting. As the world of work evolves rapidly and new skills become essential, the support we, as employers, provide our employees is crucial to driving their engagement," said Aurélien Sonet, Chief Executive Officer of Pluxee.