Middle managers are bearing the brunt of heightened pressure from companies implementing layoffs and return-to-office policies, leading to a notable decline in their confidence levels, according to Glassdoor's Employee Confidence Index. 

The index, compiled from tens of thousands of US employee ratings regarding their employers' six-month business outlook, revealed a decline in overall confidence levels. In February, confidence dropped to 45.1% from 45.7% in January, marking the lowest level since Glassdoor began collecting such data in 2016. 

In the past year, midlevel employees, including middle managers, have experienced the most significant decline in confidence levels. From February 2023 to February 2024, their confidence plummeted from 54.6% to 48.3%, marking a notable decrease of 6.3%. 

"As the 'year of efficiency' mandates extends into 2024, middle managers are under more pressure to do more with less, managing demands from leaders while placating anxious employees," Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor's lead economist, said in the report. 

In the past year, middle managers have experienced growing levels of burnout due to the mounting pressure to implement company decisions, including layoffs, return-to-office mandates, and stricter performance reviews. 

According to a Gallup survey conducted in 2023 among Fortune 500 chief HR officers, 55% of managers are actively seeking new roles, while 49% of individual contributors are doing the same. 

Middle managers are particularly vulnerable to layoffs themselves. "They're often cut, but they're also often responsible for implementing these measures to get more efficient," Zhao told Bloomberg. 

Several major tech companies are streamlining their structures by eliminating unnecessary layers of management. For instance, Meta requested some managers and directors to either transition into individual contributor roles, which don't entail managing anyone, or resign from the company, in early 2023. 

In a similar vein, Salesforce pursued a strategy to streamline its organisational structure by removing layers of management with the goal of enhancing efficiency. As part of this initiative, some managers were encouraged to transition into individual contributor roles, while others were assigned a specific number of direct reports.