It is no secret that the current economic climate has been challenging for corporates, business owners, and employees. Global turmoil is increasing, and the landscape is constantly shifting, requiring people to be more alert and agile than ever. While this pressure has sparked innovations and improvements, it has also created stress and anxiety rarely seen on a global scale.
Brian Eagar, CEO of Towerstone
According to the Harvard Business Review, people are increasingly unhappy at work. One in five employees report that their job negatively affects their mental health, a third describe their workplace as isolated or impersonal, and more than 40% experience significant stress.
Understanding these challenges is essential for organisations seeking not only to survive but to build a resilient, engaged, and healthy workforce in an unpredictable world.
Job hugging in the modern workplace
In the past, unhappy employees often left in search of better opportunities. However, as we approach 2026, a different trend is emerging. Despite dissatisfaction, many people are choosing to stick it out, doing only the minimum to get by.
Economic uncertainty is a key reason. A 2025 Resume Builder survey found nearly half of respondents are “job huggers,” with 95% citing concerns about the job market. Unlike those who leave to grow, job huggers stay out of fear, comfort, or reluctance to challenge themselves.
While this may seem less urgent than high turnover, it poses serious risks for workplace culture, performance, and long-term organisational health. Job huggers can resist change, avoid accountability, and settle into mediocrity, which erodes engagement, stifles innovation, and diminishes momentum, ultimately destroying the culture.
Culture and performance implications
Average or low-performing cultures limit business potential. Even if results appear acceptable, underperformance prevents organisations from thriving. Job huggers exacerbate this by remaining in roles without contributing to growth or innovation. They often become risk-averse, focusing on completing tasks safely rather than innovating, which suppresses creativity across the organisation.
Stagnant growth and skills atrophy can follow. Employees who remain in familiar roles without new challenges may see their capabilities diminish, reducing adaptability and slowing knowledge sharing. Engagement and morale also suffer.
Job hugging also disrupts talent pipelines. Experienced employees occupying roles they have outgrown, block promotions and succession planning, creating bottlenecks that prevent high-potential talent from advancing.
While turnover appears low, latent attrition risk rises, as frustrated employees may leave en masse when opportunities improve. A focus on self-preservation over collaboration can erode trust, and organisations perceived as stagnant may struggle to attract talent. All these examples attest to the negative impact of job-hugging on organisational health.
Leaders often struggle to address underperformance caused by job hugging, sometimes allowing it to persist to avoid confrontation. Failing to act normalises mediocrity. Organisations must recognise the reality of underperformance and take steps to address it.
What leaders must do to counter job hugging
Addressing job hugging is not about forcing people out. It is about raising standards, restoring purpose, and creating an environment where accountability and growth are central.
Hold people accountable
Holding people accountable is crucial. In a healthy culture, it demonstrates fairness and respect. When leaders clearly define expectations, follow through on commitments, and uphold agreed standards, they provide much-needed clarity and stability.
This reduces ambiguity and encourages employees to remain engaged rather than retreat into the comfort of job-hugging. It also requires leaders to have honest conversations about underperformance, even when these conversations feel uncomfortable. By offering constructive feedback and supporting individual development, leaders create a culture where accountability is seen as a path to growth rather than criticism.
Be explicit about the culture you want
Leaders also need to be explicit about the culture they want. Culture cannot be left to chance. When employees do not understand the values or behaviours expected of them, they default to caution and resist change.
Research shows that employees who feel connected to their organisation’s culture are four times more likely to be engaged at work.
Leaders should articulate a culture that rewards curiosity, recognises initiative, and encourages people to challenge themselves. This requires them to model the behaviour they expect, making it clear that job hugging has no place in the culture.
If learning, adaptability, and innovation are important, leaders must demonstrate these qualities in their own actions. Consistent reinforcement of cultural expectations helps employees understand that complacency is not part of the organisation’s identity.
Refuse to tolerate mediocrity
Perry Belcher said: “Nothing will kill a great employee faster than watching you tolerate a bad one.” When mediocre performance is ignored, it quickly becomes normalised. When job huggers remain disengaged without consequence, motivated employees lose energy, and the standard across the organisation gradually declines.
Research indicates that only about 21% of employees globally are actively engaged in their work, and more than 40% report significant stress. Leaders need to make it clear that contribution matters.
This does not mean only driving people relentlessly but rather giving them a clear sense of purpose. It means ensuring that everyone is encouraged and enabled to develop their strengths, pursue challenges, and grow.
When leaders embrace accountability, clarify the culture they want, and take a firm stand against mediocrity, they reduce the risks associated with job hugging.
More importantly, they create workplaces where people feel motivated, valued, and capable of thriving even in uncertain times. Through clear expectations and courageous leadership, organisations can maintain momentum and build the resilience needed to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Recent Comments