Frontline operations are nearing a breaking point as workers rely on manual fixes to keep shifts running, according to new research from Dayforce, Inc., a global human capital management technology company.
The survey of 5,693 managers, executives and frontline workers found that only 42 per cent of frontline workers say leaders understand the challenges they face, down from 62 per cent in 2024.
“Frontline teams operate in conditions and environments that change faster than most systems can keep up with. But work doesn’t stop when systems can’t keep pace, and that gap is costing organizations more than they realize,” said Steve Holdridge, president and chief operating officer at Dayforce. “Every day, managers and workers are forced to step in to fix issues in scheduling, time, and pay just to keep operations running. Those quick fixes keep the business moving, but over time they can drive up costs, increase compliance risk, and put real strain on people. Closing the adaptability gap requires more than better planning. It requires the ability to see and respond to what’s happening in real time.”
The Minneapolis- and Toronto-based company released the findings May 21.
Disruption drives cost and overtime
Shift-level disruptions are creating measurable financial and operational pressure, Dayforce found. Sixty-five per cent of executives and managers said these disruptions have at least a moderate impact on financial or operational performance. Forty-five per cent of frontline managers said the issues drive overtime.
Sixty per cent of executives and managers said they spend at least three hours per week responding to issues rather than improving operations, according to the survey.
Workers fill the gaps themselves
Frontline workers are increasingly improvising to keep operations moving, the research found. Nearly three-quarters, or 74 per cent, said they rely on manual workarounds at least sometimes. Ninety per cent said they find ways to fill open shifts themselves.
The strain is taking a toll. Dayforce reported that 89 per cent of frontline workers and managers said shift-level issues hurt their well-being, and 71 per cent said they have considered leaving their job as a result.
Compliance risk grows without visibility
Sixty-seven per cent of executives and managers said shift-level issues create compliance risk, according to the survey. Forty-five per cent of executives said they are accountable for frontline decisions that carry cost risk without real-time visibility.
Most respondents believe the problems can be solved. Seventy-four per cent of executives and managers said many shift-level disruptions are at least moderately avoidable with better real-time information.
“Disruption isn’t new, but the way we’re asking people to handle it isn’t sustainable,” said Holdridge. “The organizations getting this right aren’t putting more pressure on their frontline teams, they’re building operations and systems that can flex and adapt in real time.”
The report introduces what Dayforce calls “frontline adaptability,” which it describes as the ability to manage disruption as it happens through connected systems, real-time visibility and more flexible workforce strategies.
Hanover Research conducted the online survey for Dayforce from March 26 to April 13, 2026. It included 5,693 respondents aged 18 and older who work in frontline organizations with at least 100 employees in Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.
