Deskless workers face recognition and management gap

Almost two-thirds of HR leaders and senior decision-makers admit their organisations recognise and reward office-based employees more frequently than deskless workers, despite most believing recognition opportunities are equally accessible.

Research from employee recognition and benefits provider Boostworks found 62 per cent of HR leaders and senior decision-makers acknowledged the difference, while 79 per cent believed deskless and frontline employees had equal access to recognition opportunities.

The findings point to a potential gap between how organisations believe their employee experience operates and what happens in practice for people working on shop floors, hospital wards, factory lines, warehouses and in field-based roles.

The Deskless Disconnect report, based on research among more than 2,000 UK employees, found deskless workers were consistently less likely than office-based colleagues to experience recognition and strong relationships with managers.

Almost three times as many deskless workers said they had no real relationship with their manager, at 10 per cent compared with four per cent of office workers.

More than a quarter, 29 per cent, said they were not rewarded in any particular way, compared with 19 per cent of office workers.

Deskless employees were also less likely to have their work recognised by senior leaders, at 26 per cent compared with 36 per cent of office workers, or during team meetings, at 24 per cent compared with 37 per cent.

The findings are particularly relevant to workplace health and wellbeing because relationships with managers, feeling valued and having access to the wider employee experience can all influence how connected people feel to their organisation.

They also raise questions about whether wellbeing, benefits and employee experience strategies designed primarily around digital communications and office-based working practices are reaching frontline workforces effectively.

Jo Werker, CEO of Boostworks, said: “What’s striking about this research isn’t simply that employees see a problem. It’s that HR leaders recognise the gap too. 

“When the people designing recognition strategies acknowledge that desk-based employees are recognised and rewarded more often, it shows just how difficult this gap can be to close. Recognition often happens through everyday interactions – meetings, conversations with managers and company communications – which can be harder to access for employees who aren’t desk-based. The opportunity for employers is to make sure where someone works never determines how visible, valued or appreciated they feel.”

The research also found recognition may be more important to deskless workers than their office-based colleagues.

More than a quarter of deskless employees, 27 per cent, placed greater importance on recognition than rewards, compared with one in five office workers.

Despite this, one in 10 deskless employees said they received no recognition at all, while 21 per cent said recognition rarely happened in their workplace. This compared with 11 per cent of office-based employees.

The consequences may extend to engagement and discretionary effort.

A third of deskless employees, 33 per cent, said recognition motivated them to perform better, compared with 41 per cent of office workers.

Meanwhile, 17 per cent said they would remain with their employer but stop going above and beyond if they regularly felt undervalued, compared with 13 per cent of office workers.

Deskless employees were also less likely to raise concerns about feeling undervalued with their manager, at 20 per cent compared with 28 per cent of office workers.

The report suggests weaker day-to-day management relationships could be contributing to the divide.

Only 28 per cent of deskless workers described their relationship with their manager as providing a healthy balance between support and performance management, compared with around 40 per cent of office and hybrid employees.

Almost one in 10 deskless employees said they had virtually no relationship with their line manager, compared with four per cent of office workers and three per cent of hybrid workers.

Organisations may also need to consider whether working patterns, access to managers, communication channels and workplace structures mean frontline employees can realistically engage with the same support and opportunities as their desk-based colleagues.

Werker said: “If organisations are serious about creating inclusive workplaces, they need to stop designing employee experience around the people who are easiest to reach. Recognition, reward and communication should be built around every employee, regardless of where they work. Being out of sight should never mean being out of mind.”

The research was conducted by Censuswide on behalf of Boostworks between 24 June and 2 July 2026 among more than 2,000 UK employees, including HR decision-makers, managers and deskless workers.