Employees are struggling to find time for workplace learning as growing workloads, weak measurement and disconnected HR systems undermine learning and development efforts across UK organisations, new research suggests.
Nearly half of employers said staff are given no formal time during the working day for learning and development, while 70 percent of HR leaders identified limited employee capacity as the biggest obstacle to effective training programmes.
The research, commissioned by HR software firm MHR, also found widespread concern that organisations are failing to properly measure whether learning programmes improve performance, retention or productivity.
Experts say it suggests growing tension between employers’ stated commitment to development and the practical realities facing workers already struggling with high workloads, burnout and competing priorities.
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Learning seen as valuable but squeezed by workloads
Although 94 percent of leaders agreed learning and development improves business performance, many organisations still rely on basic course completion rates to judge success. More than one in five businesses said they do not formally assess or report the impact of learning programmes at all.
The data suggests many organisations continue to view workplace learning as an additional activity rather than something integrated into day-to-day work. Compliance training and leadership development emerged as the two most common priorities for businesses, both cited by 66 percent of respondents.
But it also raises questions about whether employees are realistically able to absorb new skills while dealing with heavy workloads, constant meetings and pressure to remain productive throughout the working day.
The issue may become more significant as businesses push staff to adapt to artificial intelligence tools and rapidly changing technology.
AI adoption grows but uncertainty remains
The research found 62 percent of organisations are already using, piloting or planning artificial intelligence within learning and development functions. But more than a third either had no plans to use AI or remained uncertain about its role.
That reflects wider caution among employers attempting to balance enthusiasm for AI with concerns over cost, implementation and measurable returns.
Chloe Bryars, head of learning and enablement at MHR, said employers risked allowing workplace learning to become marginalised.
“Organisations intuitively understand the value of L&D to performance, with 94% agreeing it drives results, but too many are letting it falter by failing to protect employee time for learning or connecting learning to business outcomes in a meaningful way,” she said. “This data is a clear call to action: learning cannot remain an optional extra competing for bandwidth in already stretched workdays.”
Bryars added that the “biggest barriers – time constraints, lack of proper impact measurement and fragmented delivery systems – aren’t inevitable. Forward-thinking businesses will solve these by embedding learning directly into HR workflows and giving managers the tools to assign development that ties to retention and productivity. Those who treat L&D as disconnected training events risk falling behind, while integrated platforms will separate the high performers from the rest.”
Fragmented systems blamed for slowing progress
The research also suggested many employers remain hindered by disconnected technology systems.
Less than 10 percent of organisations said they could fully integrate learning and development with core HR systems, while almost a quarter identified technology silos as a barrier to effective workplace learning. That fragmentation may create additional challenges for HR teams attempting to track skills, monitor development needs and demonstrate business value.
It comes as employers face mounting pressure to improve workforce capability while also managing economic uncertainty, skills shortages and rapid technological change. Some HR specialists argue that unless organisations formally protect time for learning, many development programmes risk becoming symbolic benefits rather than meaningful opportunities for career growth.
William Furney is a Managing Editor at Black and White Trading Ltd based in Kingston upon Hull, UK. He is a prolific author and contributor at Workplace Wellbeing Professional, with over 127 published posts covering HR, employee engagement, and workplace wellbeing topics. His writing focuses on contemporary employment issues including pension schemes, employee health, financial struggles affecting workers, and broader workplace trends.
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
- William Furney
