ORLANDO, Fla. — A new study found thousands of Florida workers turned down promotions over the past year as employees weigh whether career advancement is worth the added stress.
The study from Careerminds, a global outplacement and career development firm, surveyed 3,017 employees about “promotion pushback,” or workers rejecting career advancement because the trade-offs do not feel worth the reward.
According to the study, 37% of Florida employees who were offered a promotion over the past year turned it down.
Careerminds estimated that amounts to 189,811 Florida employees rejecting promotions.
The study found workers are increasingly weighing promotions against longer hours, heavier workloads, management responsibilities, increased scrutiny and work-life balance.
Nationally, work-life balance was the top reason workers gave for rejecting or considering rejecting a promotion.
According to the survey, 23% of respondents said they were happy with their current work-life balance and did not want to disrupt it.
Other common reasons included concerns that the pay increase would not be worth the extra responsibility, not wanting more stress, not wanting longer hours and not wanting to manage other people.
The survey also found more than a third of respondents had previously accepted a promotion and later regretted it.
Careerminds said more than half of respondents would need a raise of at least 20% to seriously consider accepting a more stressful role.
The study also found many workers are wary of increased monitoring. Nearly half of respondents said they would be less likely to accept a promotion if the role came with more AI-driven performance tracking or productivity monitoring.
When asked what would make them more likely to accept a promotion, 33% of respondents said a guaranteed “no weekend work” rule would be the most persuasive perk.
Other responses included Fridays off, no people management, a private office or quiet workspace, fewer meetings and the ability to ignore emails after 5 p.m.
Amanda Augustine, a certified professional career coach and resident career expert for Careerminds, said the findings show promotions are no longer viewed as an automatic win.
“A better title alone may not feel worth it if the role also comes with longer hours, higher stress levels, increased monitoring, or a poorer work-life balance,” Augustine said.
Augustine said employers may need to rethink how advancement opportunities are structured and communicated.
“Today’s employees are looking beyond salary and title; they also want realistic workloads, healthy boundaries, meaningful support, and long-term career stability,” Augustine said.
The survey was conducted in May 2026 and included workers across all 50 states, according to Careerminds.
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