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Is Your Relationship With Your Work at a Breaking Point? You're Not Alone, Survey Finds In a new survey by HP, 83% of unhappy workers said they are willing to earn less to be happier at their job.

By Sam Silverman

Key Takeaways

  • In a new survey, more than half of unhappy workers claim their job has impacted their mental health.
  • Only 27% of people with desk-based jobs said they had a healthy relationship with work.
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Employees around the world have had it with their day jobs, according to a new study.

HP Inc. released its first-ever HP Work Relationship Index, which aimed to learn more about people's relationships with their jobs. After surveying 15,600 respondents in 12 countries across various industries, the findings reveal that morale is low in the workplace across the globe.

Only 27% of knowledge workers, which HP defines as those who work "primarily desk-based" jobs, claim to have a healthy relationship with work, meaning most people feel they suffering at their day jobs.

RELATED: A New Report Says 1 In 5 Workers Globally Are 'Loud Quitting' — What's Behind the Trend?

More than half of unhappy workers say they struggle with their mental health and self-esteem, while 62% say their negative relationship with work has impacted their physical well-being.

The study suggests that a poor work/life balance can impact an employee's mental health, thus impacting their productivity on the job and taking a toll on the business.

Additionally, 83% of those workers said they are willing to earn less if that means being happier and enjoying their work.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of people who aren't pleased with their work relationship contemplate leaving and wouldn't recommend their companies to others.

RELATED: An Astonishing 1 in 3 Office Workers Under 40 Admit to 'Quiet Quitting' For This Singular Reason. Here's Why — And How — That Needs to Change.

"Expectations of work have changed big time in just the last handful of years — and now is the time to redefine, and improve, our relationships with work," Lori Gottlieb, a psychotherapist and host of the "Dear Therapists" who is working with HP to share this research, told Fox Business.

"If we can create a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone's ideas matter and every employee feels seen and valued, their quality of life can be dramatically improved," she added.

Sam Silverman

Content Strategy Editor

Sam Silverman is a content strategy editor at Entrepreneur Media. She specializes in search engine optimization (SEO), and her work can be found in The US Sun, Nicki Swift, In Touch Weekly, Life & Style and Health. She writes for our news team with a focus on investigating scandals. Her coverage and expertise span from business news, entrepreneurship, technology, and true crime, to the latest in entertainment and TV news. Sam is a graduate of Lehigh University and currently resides in NYC. 

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