Increased workloads have contributed to high rates of burnout for independent insurance agency employees, according to the “2025 Independent Agents at Work Study" from Agent for the Future by Liberty Mutual and Safeco. While most employees rate their overall job and workplace satisfaction as high, independent agencies must reexamine their approach to employee well-being to combat stress and burnout.

Overall, frontline independent agency staff—those who are not in principal or ownership roles—have a positive outlook on the industry. Meanwhile, more than 2 in 3 (69%) say the insurance industry is a great place to work and 4 out of 5 (81%) say they are satisfied with their job.

However, high rates of burnout are threatening to dampen job satisfaction. The vast majority of agency frontline staff—87%—say their workload has increased in the last year in response to the hard market. As a result, every agency role now has a higher workload and half say they feel overwhelmed by their current workload.

Further, 65% of staff say they often feel stressed at work, 57% say they feel mentally and physically exhausted, and 51% report feeling burned out.

This burnout leads to talent retention issues, with 39% of agency staff having considered leaving their job, according to the study, and staff who report burnout are more than two times likely to express interest in a new role. Unsurprisingly, staff with burnout report lower job satisfaction than their peers.

However, of agency employees who are considering quitting their current job, 63% say it would be for a similar or new role in insurance. And while agency owners should be optimistic that even burned-out employees are still interested in giving the insurance industry another chance, the study warns that old ways of fighting burnout are no longer enough.

Anti-burnout and well-being initiatives often focus on health and wellness programs, flexibility, work-life balance and a focus on the meaning and purpose of the work, and agencies are already checking those boxes with a flourish. As many as 76% of survey respondents say their agency supports employee mental health and physical well-being; 87% say their agency provides flexibility; and 85% say their agency supports their work-life balance. Further, 85% find purpose in their work and 73% find joy at work.

Yet, burnout, stress and exhaustion rates are still high, meaning those measures alone are not enough. So, what does work?

The study warned that agency leaders must approach burnout as a systemic issue that requires organization-wide solutions to reduce workloads. Investing in digital tools is one way agencies can solve burnout at its root cause. Employees who work for agencies with more digital tools are less likely to say they are burned out, the study found. Tools that streamline customer communication, such as real-time chat, real-time binding and marketing automation, are the most strongly associated with lower burnout levels.

“In 2025, it will be important for agencies to focus on combatting employee burnout in order to retain tenured employees," said Crista Walker, vice president of agent engagement and programs, Liberty Mutual Insurance. “Agencies need to explore new, creative approaches to caring for employees and fostering well-being. Agencies that invest in this area will be better positioned to continue to serve customers, attract new talent, grow and tackle future challenges."

AnneMarie McPherson Spears is IA news editor.