Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report shows employee engagement hitting a 10-year low. However, the companies bucking this trend share a common trait. We will explore what the data says and how HR teams should connect these insights to their events and sports programming investments. Volo for Business is the corporate division of Volo Sports, the largest adult social sports company in the United States. We work with HR leaders and people teams across Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco who are trying to answer the same question. Where do we invest to actually move employee engagement? Gallup's data provides the clearest answer the research has produced in years. Here is how to read it and what it means for your programming budget.
Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report has tracked employee engagement across industries and geographies for more than two decades. The most recent findings are stark. Global employee engagement has reached a 10-year low, with only 21% of employees worldwide describing themselves as engaged at work.In the United States, the picture is slightly better but still alarming. Engagement has declined year over year for the third consecutive year. Only 31% of U.S. employees felt engaged at the end of 2024, a figure last seen in 2014.The financial cost of that disengagement is massive. It is now estimated at $8.9 trillion in lost productivity globally, accounting for roughly 9% of global GDP.Companies in the top quartile for engagement outperform their peers by 23% in profitability. They also see a dramatic reduction in absenteeism and turnover. Engagement is not a soft metric. It is a critical business performance indicator. The gap between engaged and disengaged workforces shows up directly in revenue, retention, and overall output.
Gallup's research repeatedly identifies the exact same drivers of high engagement. First, employees need to feel known and valued as people, not simply as roles. According to Gallup, only 39% of employees strongly feel that someone at work cares about them as a person. This is down from 47% in 2020. That seven-point decline over four years is one of the clearest warning signals in the data.Second, social connections at work are vital. Employees with close friendships at work are significantly more engaged, more productive, and less likely to leave. The erosion of those friendships during and after remote work remains one of the most underreported drivers of the current engagement crisis.Third, employees need a sense that their work has meaning and impact. People who understand how their work connects to something larger are consistently more engaged than those who lack that connection. This could be a team goal, a company mission, or a direct community benefit.All three of these drivers connect directly to what corporate sports leagues and structured play through Volo for Business are designed to create. A weekly company pickleball league or corporate kickball league is much more than recreation. It is a structured mechanism for building interpersonal relationships, a common purpose, and a sense of being valued, which Gallup identifies as the foundation of engagement.
For far too long, corporate events and sports programming have been treated as discretionary spending. They are frequently the first line items cut when budgets tighten. Gallup's data makes that framing increasingly difficult to defend. Disengaged employees cost your organization in productivity, absenteeism, and turnover. Since Gallup quantifies all three of these areas, the investment required to move employees from disengaged to engaged has a calculable ROI. The question is not whether you can afford a corporate sports league or a company field day. The real question is whether you can afford the continued cost of not having one. Volo for Business helps HR leaders in cities like New York, Washington, D.C., Boston, Baltimore, San Francisco, and Los Angeles build that business case. We connect participation data from corporate sports leagues and events to measurable engagement and retention outcomes that communicate the language of the C-suite.
Not all engagement spending performs equally. Based on Gallup's research and Volo for Business partner outcomes, the programming investments that most reliably move engagement metrics share three key characteristics. They are recurring instead of one-off events. A company field day creates a great memory, but a weekly corporate sports league creates a lasting culture. Gallup's engagement drivers require time and repetition to build. One-time events simply cannot do what ongoing programs do.They are team-based rather than individual. Gym stipends and meditation apps have their place, but they do not generate the social bonds Gallup identifies as the strongest predictors of engagement. Corporate sports leagues require employees to compete together, depend on each other, and celebrate together. This creates the relational foundation from which engagement grows. They are accessible across levels and personalities. The best engagement programming does not require employees to be athletic, extroverted, or senior-level managers. Volo for Business designs corporate pickleball leagues, kickball leagues, and company field days to work for the entire organization, not just the people who already feel engaged.
Volo for Business partners with companies across Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. In these markets, engagement data from corporate sports leagues and events is regularly tracked versus broader HR metrics. The patterns are highly consistent.Organizations with active employee wellness and sports programs report up to 28% fewer sick days. Furthermore, up to 75% of businesses with structured wellness initiatives report measurable improvements in employee retention. Employees who participate in corporate sports leagues through Volo Sports consistently indicate greater satisfaction with their employer and stronger coworker relationships than non-participants. For HR leaders building a budget case, those outcomes translate directly into retention savings, reduced absenteeism, and productivity gains. All of these are areas that Gallup's research connects directly to engagement investment.
Gallup's 2025 State of the Global Workplace report shows U.S. employee engagement at a 10-year low of 31%. This disengagement costs organizations an estimated $8.9 trillion in lost productivity globally. The companies with the highest engagement consistently invest in social connection, team-based programming, and recurring activities that make employees feel known and valued. That is exactly what Volo for Business corporate sports leagues and events are intended to deliver. Volo Sports is the largest adult social sports company in the United States. We operate managed corporate sports leagues, field days, and team-building events across Washington, D.C., New York, Boston, Baltimore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. Contact Volo for Business at info@VoloForBusiness.com to build an engagement-driven events and sports strategy for your organization.
Gallup. State of the Global Workplace 2025. gallup.com
HR Dive. US Employee Engagement Falls to 10-Year Low. January 14, 2025. hrdive.com
Recruiters Lineup. 50+ Critical Workplace Wellness Statistics of 2025. recruiterslineup.com
Zippia. Workplace Wellness Statistics, 2023. As cited by Wellable. wellable.co