Survey of 5,000+ U.S. workers finds frontline employees feel more respected by managers and colleagues while facing major gaps in benefits, job security, and technology readiness.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Frontline workers — the estimated 60–80% of the U.S. workforce who interact directly with customers, patients, products, and essential systems, report feeling more respected and a sense of dignity, than office-based employees, according to new research from idealis., a research-backed leadership advisory firm. At the same time however, the study finds frontline workers face substantial gaps in access to benefits, job security, and preparation for technological change.
The finding contradicts corporate assumptions about frontline work and reveals a striking paradox. While frontline employees are experiencing strong day-to-day leadership and workplace respect, they still face significant gaps in job security, benefits access, and preparation for technological change, according to the study’s findings.
Key Findings:
Dignity and respect: 84% of frontline workers say they are treated with dignity at work, compared to 70% of non-frontline workers. 82% feel respected by the people they interact with at work, compared to 76% of non-frontline workers.
Day-to-day leadership: 72% of frontline workers agree that their manager is an effective leader, compared to 60% of non-frontline workers.
Job security and benefits: 63% of frontline workers report concern about their current employment situation. 89% say health insurance is important to them, yet only 44% report access to employer-provided medical insurance—a 45-point gap.
AI and technology: 85% of frontline workers are concerned about AI and technology replacing jobs in the U.S., compared to 78% of non-frontline workers. Only 34% of frontline workers report using AI in their daily work, compared to 67% of non-frontline workers.
“When you want to understand the culture of an organization, you don’t start in the boardroom, you start on the frontline,” said Dr. Sumona De Graaf, Founder and CEO of idealis. “What we see in this research is that frontline workers often experience real dignity and strong leadership, even as they worry about what comes next.”
Prior to founding idealis., De Graaf served as Chief Human Resources Officer of a Fortune 300 company in the waste and environmental services industry, where she was responsible for the workforce experience of more than 40,000 frontline employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of civil unrest.
“Frontline leaders demonstrate humanity at work more consistently than almost any other leadership cohort,” said De Graaf. “At the same time, the data shows clear gaps in job security, benefits, and AI preparation that leaders must address. You can’t sustain dignity without addressing structural security.”
The research was conducted in partnership with CivicScience using its national survey platform. The full report is available by request.
About idealis.
idealis. is a research-backed leadership advisory firm that helps organizations navigate moments of change with clarity, trust, and performance.
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SOURCE idealis.
