22.06.2026

Most workers have career regrets, survey shows

New research by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr has revealed people's biggest career regrets.

Nearly four in five (79 per cent) employees say they have regrets about a career choice or a decision they’ve made at work.

People mid-way into their career, aged 35-44 years old, are the most likely to report having work-related regrets (87 per cent). This compares to 82 per cent of workers under 35 and 75 per cent of those aged over 45.

Only 21 per cent of the 2,000 UK workers surveyed didn’t have any regrets.

The top career regret, for one in six (17 per cent), is overthinking or worrying about a work situation or conversation that they can’t change.

Younger workers are more likely to have regrets over doing this. Nearly one in four (24 per cent) 18-24 year olds say they regret worrying or stressing about unchangeable events or conversations, compared to one in five (21 per cent) 25-44 year olds and one in seven (14 per cent) workers over 45.

The next two most commonly cited regrets are staying in a job for too long (16 per cent) and working too many hours (16 per cent).

Senior and middle managers are the most likely to regret not prioritising their work-life balance and working too many hours (20 per cent, compared to 12 per cent of non-managers). This is backed by previous Ciphr research, which estimates that 64 per cent of managers regularly work extra hours unpaid every week.

Other notable regrets include ‘playing it safe’ career-wise (15 per cent) and not saving more money into a pension (14 per cent).

The survey also revealed that a significant one in six (15 per cent) surveyed women regret putting up with a bad manager for too long. A situation that will undoubtably have negatively impacted their wellbeing and happiness. This compares to 9 per cent of surveyed men, or 13 per cent of all UK employees.

The most common career regrets:

Overthinking or worrying about work situations and conversations they can’t change (17 per cent of survey respondents)
Staying in a job for too long (16 per cent)
Working too many hours or not prioritising their work-life balance (16 per cent)
Playing it safe: not taking opportunities to advance their career (15 per cent)
Not saving enough money into their pension or not starting to save into their pension sooner (14 per cent)
Putting up with a bad manager for too long (13 per cent)
Not working in a higher-paying profession (12 per cent)
Not pursuing their ‘dream’ job or the career that they wanted to (11 per cent)
Not leaving a job that they didn’t like (11 per cent)
Not changing their career sooner (10 per cent)
Not speaking their mind enough (10 per cent)
Not speaking their mind enough (10 per cent)
Not staying in touch with former work colleagues (9 per cent)
Not asking for a pay rise (8 per cent)
Not negotiating for a higher starting salary (8 per cent)
Not spending more time on their professional development (8 per cent)

Claire Hawes, Chief People and Operations Officer at Ciphr, says: “As these findings show, the outcomes most people look back on with regret are the things they didn’t do – the career path not taken, the job opportunities missed, or the work problem not dealt with sooner.

“Very few people don’t have something in their past they’d do differently, perhaps, given the chance. The important thing is that we take time to reflect and learn from our work experiences. The good and the bad. Regret might not always seem particularly helpful or productive at times, but it can be a big motivator to help people avoid repeating certain situations, to build self-awareness, and make better decisions going forward.

“One of the biggest benefits of having regular manager check-ins (scheduled or ad-hoc) is that it helps to normalise constructive self-reflection and performance conversations. Employees can use this space to reflect objectively and get feedback on their successes and challenges, and talk through any concerns or issues before they escalate.

“Done well, 1:1s help build trust, align priorities, boost job engagement and reinforce a sense of purpose and focus.”

While 1:1s are not always standard practice in all types of organisations, employees should be encouraged to check in with their manager or supervisor when they need to, advises Hawes.

Personalised employee development was recently ranked as one of the top 10 benefits people value most.

Hawes adds: “If people aren't having regular 1:1s with their manager, or their scheduled meetings are often shortened or skipped, then they are likely to feel overlooked and unsupported. This could lead to reduced productivity and performance, and, ultimately, attrition."

Posted by: FMJ 0 comment(s)