• 62% of HR professionals have seriously considered leaving their role or reducing their responsibilities in the past 12 months, and 85% of them believe that better HR technology could make them more likely to stay.
• Nearly half a day of work is lost each week due to inefficient systems, as HR teams struggle with fragmented tools, manual processes and ever-changing priorities.

London, United Kingdom, 8^th June 2026: New research from IRIS Software Group suggests that HR professionals are reaching a breaking point, revealing that three in five (62%) have seriously considered leaving their role in the last 12 months – due to unsustainable workloads, ineffective systems and lack of support from leadership.

The IRIS* study of 300 UK HR professionals, whose HR software manages over 850,000 employees in the UK, found that high workloads are the biggest risk factor for attrition (30%), followed by the emotional cost of the role (19%) and insufficient pay relative to workload (16%). Nearly half (46%) told IRIS that they regularly work more hours than expected, and a similar proportion of respondents (45%) feel overwhelmed by their workload.

Operational inefficiency compounds the pressure. HR professionals lose an average of half a day of work (3.4 hours) each week to poorly integrated systems, but only 28% have a fully or largely integrated HR platform. Most navigate a patchwork of systems and spreadsheets (34%) or use only manual processes (24%).

The top challenges created by poor systems included downtime (33%), missing features that HR professionals need (30%), and poor integration leading to multiple systems being updated separately (30%).

Among those who have considered leaving, 85% say better HR technology would make them more likely to stay, highlighting a retention problem that better technology could help solve.

Stephanie Coward, Managing Director of HCM at IRIS Software Group, said: “HR teams are being asked to do more than ever, from managing wellbeing and supporting hybrid working to maintaining compliance. But many are doing it with systems that create more work rather than less. When you’re losing half a day every week simply because of system inefficiency, something has to give.”

“What’s striking is that these aren’t unrealistic expectations. HR professionals aren’t asking for the impossible, they’re asking for technology that works well, integrates smoothly, and gives them the time to do the people parts of their job well. That’s a reasonable request, and it’s one that organizations need to take seriously.”

The leadership disconnect

The research also reveals a gap between HR and senior management. While three-quarters (75%) of HR professionals feel supported by their organization, around one in five (19%) respondents told IRIS that senior management does not understand the pressure and demands placed on HR.

Of those who don’t feel understood, 44% say senior management overlooks the emotional labor involved in HR work, while 43% highlight the impact of being caught between leadership and employee needs. Another 38% cite administrative burden and system limitations that senior leaders fail to recognize.

When asked what would make the biggest difference, better HR technology that automates routine tasks (42%) topped the list, followed by a bigger budget for HR tools (35%) and better integration between existing systems (34%).

Stephanie Coward added: “Organizations that will retain their HR talent are those that carefully consider whether their technology actually supports their people or just adds to the administrative burden. With half of HR professionals expecting their workload to increase over the next 12 months, and almost two thirds having already considered leaving, this is not something that can wait.”

For more information, visit: https://www.iris.co.uk/hr/

END

*The research was conducted by Censuswide, on behalf of the IRIS Software group, with a sample of:

• 100 HR employees – beginner level

The data was collected between 02.04.2026 and 07.04.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), and a signatory to the Global Data Quality Pledge. It adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and the ESOMAR principles.

About IRIS Software Group

IRIS Software Group is a global provider of mission-critical software and one of the UK’s largest privately owned software companies. IRIS provides software solutions and services to finance, HR and payroll teams, educational institutions and accounting firms that simplify processes and allow professionals to focus on the work they love. By simplifying, automating and providing insight into critical daily tasks for organizations of all shapes and sizes, IRIS ensures its customers can look to the future with certainty and confidence.

IRIS is the largest third-party online filer to the UK government. Ninety-three of the UK’s 100 largest accountancy firms use IRIS software. One in six employees in the UK are paid through IRIS payroll offerings, and globally, six million employees receive their payslips through IRIS software each month. More than 850,000 employees in the UK are managed by IRIS HR solutions. More than 12,000 UK schools and academies use IRIS, and four million parents and carers use IRIS apps to connect with their child’s school; 300 million messages are sent between schools and parents each year, and over £15 million in transactional payments are processed each month.

To see how IRIS helps organizations get it right the first time, every time, visit www.iris.co.uk or follow IRIS Software Group on LinkedIn.

Media contact

Jenny Peters | news@irisglobal.com

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