82% of executives at large businesses say they’re more stressed in 2025 than last year, citing supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty
In a new report released by Sentry, a leading business insurer, 60% of executives at large businesses reveal they expect their companies to remain flat or shrink in 2025.
The report, based on a survey of 1,100 business owners, CEOs, CFOs, and CROs at U.S. companies, was conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Sentry. It revealed that 82% of large business leaders are more stressed in 2025 than last year—a figure that’s 15 percentage points higher than that reported by leaders at smaller organizations.
Large companies seek flexibility to adapt their operations to a heightened and often uncertain risk environment.
Reflecting upon their higher stress levels in 2025, C-suite leaders of large companies cite several risks facing their companies—leading many to suggest a focus on stability and cost-control.
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Top threats according to large business leaders:
- Economic concerns: Nearly half (45%) of executives cite supply chain issues as their biggest worry, alongside economic uncertainty (39%) and inflation (34%).
- External threats: A vast majority (84%) say they view rising litigation and multi-million-dollar verdicts as a growing problem in their industry. More than one-third also cited cyberattacks (37%) and severe weather events (35%) as top threats.
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Large companies’ responses to threats:
- Asking more of workers: As 60% of executives at large companies expect their businesses to remain flat or shrink, 55% admit they’re asking current employees to work longer hours or take fewer breaks. 43% expect their workers to increase their current output in 2025.
- Cost-control efforts: 100% of executives at large businesses say they’ve delayed upgrades due to cost pressures. Still, 99% are shifting more resources toward safety—a strategy that supports the efforts of 51% who say they’re willing to shoulder more risk when it comes to business insurance, such as taking on higher deductibles to lower their insurance costs.
- Putting focus on logistics and drivers: 98% of large business leaders say their companies depend on company drivers. With the supply chain acting as a top stressor—and an industrywide reliance on in-house drivers—100% of leaders report having taken corrective action, including dismissal, on drivers who failed to follow safe driving practices. And with risk monitoring being comparatively difficult when drivers are on the road, 82% report using dashcams in company vehicles.
“Large companies are balancing complex risks” says Jeff Cole, AVP of National Accounts at Sentry. “They’re seeking flexibility because they see the need to adapt their operations to a heightened—and in many cases, uncertain—risk environment.
“The silver lining is that it’s driving more conversations about what adequate protection really looks like moving forward,” Cole added.