We’ve all heard of ‘Blue Monday’ but in the world of HR and recruitment the real date to watch is the 31st January.
Dubbed ‘National Quitter’s Day’, the final day of January is statistically the most common day for UK employees to hand in their notice.
It is a perfect storm as the post-Christmas reflection period has settled, the first payday of the year has landed and those ‘New Year, New Me’ resolutions are ready to be put into action.
However, as we navigate 2026, the data shows that this year’s resignation peak looks a little different. Here is what is happening across the UK workforce and how you can protect your team.
While many are preparing to leap, a new trend called ‘job hugging’ is taking over.
Job hugging describes employees who are staying in their current roles not because they are happy, but because they are worried about the economy and lack of current opportunities.
Recent research found that 48% of workers are staying put purely due to market uncertainty.
For leaders, this is a hidden risk. Low turnover might look good on a spreadsheet but if your team is ‘hugging’ their jobs out of fear, you likely have a workforce that is physically present but mentally checked out.
The itch to move isn’t felt equally across the board.
If you are looking at your retention strategy this month, keep these groups in mind.
Workers aged 18 to 34 are three times more likely to change jobs than those over 50. They are looking for more than a paycheque, they want value alignment and flexibility.
In the Tech sector specifically, strict return-to-office mandates are driving a new wave of resignations as people seek out remote-first cultures.
While London remains the resignation capital, the North West has seen a 12% spike in January notices as regional competition heats up.
It is easy to assume people leave for more money but the root causes are often deeper.
Data shows that only 10% of UK employees feel truly engaged at work and our own past research article found that 42% of workers do not feel physically or mentally well in their current roles.
When you combine that with the fact that 85% of people cite a lack of career growth as their reason for moving on, it becomes clear.
People don’t just quit jobs, they quit bad management, stagnation and burnout.
If you want to move your team from ‘job hugging’ to genuine engagement, start with these three steps.
Ensure every team member sees a path forward. If they can’t grow with you, they will grow away from you.
84% of employees say they would stay longer if they felt better supported mentally and physically, proving how important wellbeing is to retention.
Don’t just collect feedback from your employee engagement surveys, show your team what you did with it. Trust is built when an employee sees their suggestion turn into a tangible change.
Is your team thriving or just ‘hugging’ their roles?
If you want to get a real-time pulse on your team’s engagement, book a demo with Stribe today and turn feedback into your greatest retention tool.
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