The Breakroom Workplace Index
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Introduction to the Breakroom Workplace Index
The Breakroom Workplace Index is a semi-annual report from ZipRecruiter that offers a snapshot of how U.S. workers in frontline roles experience their jobs. Findings are based on anonymized data from hundreds of thousands of people who have taken the Breakroom Quiz, a workplace rating platform where frontline employees rate their jobs across a range of criteria that shape satisfaction and retention, from scheduling and training to respect and benefits. By tracking real-time sentiment across industries, roles, and demographics, the Index reveals how workplace conditions are evolving for frontline workers and which industries are setting the standard.
Rather than focusing only on wages or hiring rates, this index captures how people actually feel at work – from whether they get paid sick leave, to how predictable their schedule is and whether they feel respected by managers or supported in their careers. It offers a human-centered view of job quality.
We track quarterly sentiment across four key dimensions:
Pay: Are workers compensated fairly, and do they receive paid breaks and time off?
Benefits & Workplace: Are workers offered healthcare, career growth, and what they feel is a supportive culture?
Shifts & Hours: Do employees get advance notice of schedules, flexibility, and consistent shifts?
Team & Management: Do employees feel they are treated with respect, and do managers communicate effectively and fairly?
How we define industries
In this report, industry is classified by the employer’s industry, not the specific role a frontline worker holds. For example, a pharmacy technician in a hospital is classified under Healthcare, while one at a large retailer is classified under Retail. Likewise, an administrative assistant at a school falls under Education, while one at a distribution warehouse is classified under Logistics. This approach allows us to track frontline workers’ experiences by industry type rather than by the specific responsibilities of their role.
Latest Release
Q2 2025
The Breakroom Workplace Index rose 3.5% from Q1 to Q2 2025 with workplace sentiment improving modestly across all dimensions. The strongest gains were seen in Benefits and Workplace, which climbed 6.6%, reflecting improvements in access to paid leave, healthcare, and career development. Team and Management scores rose by 6.5%, as more workers reported being treated with respect and experiencing fairer day-to-day management. Together, these shifts suggest that employers are making measurable progress in strengthening internal culture, communication, and frontline support.
Breakroom Workplace Index
Workplace sentiment improved modestly across all dimensions
⇧ 3.5%
Pay
Measures of frontline workers pay rose modestly
⇧ 1.1%
Shifts & Hours
Frontline workers reported little change to their ability to control their schedule
⇧ 0.8%
Team & Management
Frontline workers reported being managed better and treated with more respect
⇧ 6.5%
Benefits & Workplace
Frontline workers had increased access to benefits and career development
⇧ 6.6%
The State of Pay
Pay remains one of the most closely watched aspects of job quality. This quarter’s data reveals a nuanced picture, with some sectors seeing progress while others face stagnation or decline.
Industry Pay
Wage growth was uneven across industries in Q2, with most sectors seeing only modest gains—or none at all. The overall median wage held steady at $20.00 per hour, but a few industries stood out: Media led with a 5.1% increase, followed by Facility Services (+3.8%) and Finance (+2.7%). In contrast, wages stagnated or declined in Hospitality, Education, and Entertainment, while Energy saw the steepest drop, falling 5.1% quarter-over-quarter.
Occupation Pay
Despite stagnant overall wage growth in healthcare and construction, several roles in these sectors still ranked among the highest-paying jobs in Q2. Occupational therapy assistants topped the list with a median wage of $32.00 per hour, followed closely by physical therapy assistants ($28.40) and paramedics ($27.00). In-demand trades also commanded a premium: electricians earned $29.00 per hour on average, and plumbers came in at $28.00.
Pay varied sharply not just by occupation, but by the industry in which people worked. For example, executive assistants at construction firms earned a median of $38.46 per hour, over $10 more than their counterparts working in education ($28.37). The gap was even more dramatic for electricians: those working in the energy sector made $50.97 per hour, almost double the rate of electricians working in construction ($28.48). Similarly, facility managers in the manufacturing industry earned $42.05, while facility managers in hospitality earned just $22.58—a stark 86% difference.
Pay by Location
Unsurprisingly, many of the highest-paying locations in the country are large metro areas—but regional clusters also tell a deeper story. Seattle tops the list with a median wage of $27.80 per hour, and that strength extends to many smaller cities within the metro. Nearby cities like Everett ($25.60) and Tacoma ($24.15) also post elevated pay, reflecting the spillover effects of a tight labor market across the broader Puget Sound region.
Along the Northeast Corridor, wages remain high in several dense, economically diverse cities. Boston ($25.50), Hartford ($25.00), New York ($25.00), and Baltimore ($23.00) all make the list, driven by strong demand in healthcare, education, finance, and tech. Still, several of these markets saw modest wage declines in the past quarter—suggesting some stabilization following pandemic-era growth.
A third group of high-paying metros includes mid-sized inland cities like Minneapolis ($25.00), Denver ($24.50), and Salt Lake City ($23.00). While not traditional coastal powerhouses, these metros continue to attract employers and workers alike, combining strong regional economies with relatively stable wage growth.
Wage growth in the first half of 2025 is concentrated in smaller cities and secondary markets—places that historically offered lower pay but are now seeing sharp increases. San Marcos, TX (+19%), Fairfield, OH (+8%), Canton, MS (+6%), and Altoona, PA (+6%) all reflect this trend. As employers in these areas compete for workers amid rising demand and limited labor supply, they’re boosting wages at a faster clip than in larger, more saturated metro areas. This catch-up growth suggests a shifting labor dynamic, where smaller markets are becoming more competitive wage-wise in order to attract and retain frontline talent.
Unpaid Work
Roughly 1 in 6 frontline workers (16%) reported doing work they weren’t paid for, with notable variation across industries. Facility Services (21.5%), Education (20.3%), and Media (18.3%) had the highest shares of workers performing unpaid labor—highlighting sectors where prep work, after-hours responsibilities, or administrative tasks often fall outside paid hours. Energy (18.1%) and Construction (17.3%) also ranked above average, suggesting that some physically intensive jobs may include uncompensated setup or travel time. On the other end of the spectrum, Finance (10.9%), Travel (11.0%), and Retail (12.5%) reported the lowest rates. These differences reveal how job structure and workplace expectations shape whether workers are compensated for the full scope of their responsibilities—pointing to a clear opportunity for employers to audit job responsibilities to ensure frontline contributions are fairly compensated.
The Workplace Experience
The workplace experience encompasses more than just pay and benefits—it also reflects how much control, stability, and respect workers feel on the job. The Breakroom Workplace Index captures how workers across industries experience day-to-day realities like scheduling flexibility, managerial respect, break policies, and organizational transparency.
While results vary widely across sectors, these findings help illustrate where workers feel empowered and where challenges persist—offering a clearer picture of what shapes satisfaction and stress in today’s workplace.
Work Schedules
Just over half of frontline workers (56%) say they have some choice over which shifts they work, but only 12% report being able to set their own schedules—highlighting the limited autonomy most workers have in managing their time. While industries like Education (25%), Media (22%), and Finance (20%) report higher levels of scheduling control, most sectors still rely on employer-driven scheduling systems.
Even in industries known for variable work patterns—like Hospitality, Retail, and Healthcare—scheduling flexibility remains limited. Fewer than 1 in 5 Healthcare workers say they can set their own schedules, despite many positions needing 24/7 coverage.
Flexibility to swap or change shifts is even less common, with only 35% of workers overall saying it's easy to make changes. Media, Entertainment, and Travel rank highest for shift flexibility, while Manufacturing, Facility Services, and Logistics offer the least adaptability. For many frontline workers, a lack of scheduling control remains a key challenge—one that affects not only work-life balance but also long-term job satisfaction and retention.
Notice of Schedules
How far in advance workers receive their schedules reflects the level of predictability and stability in a job. While 38% of frontline workers have fixed schedules, nearly 1 in 6 (17%) report receiving less than one week’s notice, while only 7% have visibility four or more weeks in advance.
Unpredictability is most acute in sectors like Hospitality and Entertainment, where more than a third of workers in Hospitality get less than a week's notice. In contrast, industries like Construction, Manufacturing, and Finance provide the greatest stability, with most workers reporting fixed schedules. For many, the timing of their work remains uncertain—a reality with significant implications for planning, income stability, and work-life balance.
Breaks
Break access is common among frontline workers: 82% say they’re able to take breaks during their shifts, and 69% say they can take those breaks without interruption. However, uninterrupted rest isn’t guaranteed across all sectors. In industries like Facility Services (62%), Agriculture (63%), and Healthcare (69%), workers are less likely to experience uninterrupted downtime—despite having demanding, often physically intensive roles.
By contrast, Finance, Travel, and Media report some of the highest levels of break quality, with more than three-quarters of workers in those fields able to take breaks without disruption. The gap between having a break and being able to actually take it fully reflects the uneven distribution of basic workplace protections, especially in roles where staffing shortages or nonstop service needs make true rest harder to come by.
Respect and Understanding
Only 23% of frontline workers believe senior leadership understands what’s really happening in their workplace, revealing a widespread sense of disconnect between decision-makers and day-to-day realities on the ground. This perception is remarkably consistent across industries, though marginally higher in Hospitality (24%) and Entertainment (23%)—sectors where leadership may have more direct exposure to frontline operations or customer-facing roles.
At the other end of the spectrum, industries like Travel (14%), Healthcare (16%), and Agriculture (17%) report the lowest levels of perceived leadership awareness—suggesting that in some sectors, organizational layers or operational complexity may make it harder for senior leaders to stay connected to daily realities. These findings highlight an opportunity for organizations to bridge the gap between leadership and frontline staff, fostering stronger communication, trust, and alignment—especially in industries where day-to-day operations are complex and fast-moving.
Most frontline workers (68%) say their managers treat them with respect, though this sentiment varies across industries. Finance (77%), Media (74%), and Education (71%) lead on this measure, reflecting relatively strong manager-worker dynamics in these sectors. By contrast, Facility Services (63%), Hospitality (66%), and Retail (67%) fall below the overall average—pointing to potential gaps in day-to-day management practices. While the majority of workers across all industries feel respected, the variation suggests that industry culture, staffing pressures, and management structures may shape how workers experience frontline leadership.
Spotlight on Benefits
Access to benefits—like paid time off and health insurance—varies significantly across industries, shaping how workers experience and evaluate their jobs.
Sick and Vacation Days
About 65% of workers say it’s easy to take time off when sick, and 59% say the same for vacation—a solid majority, but still leaving room for improvement.
Finance, Construction, and Education lead the way, with over 70% of employees in each reporting easy access to sick leave. In contrast, Hospitality, Retail, and Travel reported the lowest ease of taking both sick and vacation time—underscoring challenges in sectors with irregular schedules or lower job stability.
These disparities reflect broader workplace trends: as concerns around burnout and well-being rise, time off is increasingly viewed as a critical factor in employee satisfaction and retention. For employers, ensuring equitable access to rest may be just as important as compensation.
Health Insurance Availability, Uptake & Cost
In Q2 of 2025, 61% of frontline workers reported that their employer offered health insurance, and among those, 78% chose to enroll. However, only 39% of enrolled workers said the insurance was easy to afford—highlighting a critical gap between access and usability.
Industries like Finance, Manufacturing, and Construction report near-universal access and high enrollment, while others—such as Hospitality, Entertainment, and Retail—fall well below average. For example, fewer than 30% of hospitality workers say they were offered employer-sponsored health insurance, and just 56% of those eligible chose to enroll. These disparities underscore how both coverage rates and affordability vary sharply by sector, shaping frontline workers' ability to maintain consistent healthcare access.
When it comes to affordability, the divide becomes even clearer. Fewer than half of workers across sectors say their health insurance is easy to afford. Just 31% in Hospitality and Facility Services report affordability—less than two-thirds the rate seen in Energy (53%), which leads all sectors. Industries with more physically demanding or high-skilled risk roles—like Logistics, Construction, and Manufacturing—report relatively higher affordability rates. In contrast, sectors with lower wages or more precarious employment, such as Retail, Travel, and Agriculture, cluster near the bottom. These patterns suggest that even when insurance is available, cost remains a significant barrier, particularly in industries where workers may need it most.
Paid Time Off and Sick Leave
About
two‑thirds of workers (67%) say they receive paid time off (PTO), but only 1 in 3 workers say they would still get paid if they missed work due to illness. While some can use PTO to cover sick leave, policies vary—only 43% of frontline workers with PTO can use it for this purpose. This underscores the difference between having time off and having it compensated, with access to both PTO and paid sick leave varying sharply by industry.
Sectors like Finance, Logistics, and Construction top the list for paid time off, with more than 8 in 10 workers reporting access to paid leave. These industries are also more likely to offer paid sick time, though the level of support varies. Finance stands out, with 76% of workers saying they’re paid while out sick—twice the national average. But in Logistics (48%) and Construction (51%), barely half of workers report receiving sick pay.
Hospitality and Entertainment are the least likely industries to offer paid time off, with both falling well below the national average. They also rank lowest when it comes to paid sick leave: just 14% of Hospitality workers and 25% of Entertainment workers say they’re paid when out sick—far below the overall average of 37%. In these sectors, paid leave remains the exception, not the rule, highlighting a persistent gap in job quality for frontline roles.
These disparities likely stem from the underlying employment structures within frontline industries. Frontline shift roles in sectors like Finance, Logistics, or Construction are more often full-time and tied to standardized benefit packages, making paid leave more accessible. In contrast, shift-based work in industries like Hospitality and Entertainment is frequently part-time, seasonal, or irregular, with fewer guaranteed benefits. As a result, many frontline workers in these sectors face limited access to paid time off or sick leave, even when they play essential day-to-day roles.
Methodology
The Breakroom Workplace Index, powered by ZipRecruiter, is based on anonymized responses from hundreds of thousands of people who have taken the Breakroom Quiz. The sample is based on frontline workers—those whose jobs involve direct interaction with customers, products, patients, or other end users of a service. These roles are typically hourly, shift‑based positions that do not require a college degree. The designation reflects the common characteristics of the role, rather than individual circumstances.
For each valid Breakroom Quiz response, an individual index is calculated as the equally weighted average of the share of positive answers across four areas: pay, hours and shifts, benefits and working conditions, and team and management interactions. The Breakroom Workplace Index is the mean of these individual indices for all valid responses in a given quarter, benchmarked against Q1 2025. Values are indexed so that 2025 Q1 = 100.
The Breakroom Quiz asks detailed questions about frontline workers pay, scheduling and hours, access to benefits, workplace experiences, and interactions with fellow team members and management.
Email press@ziprecruiter.com for more information or to schedule an interview with the authors of this study.