Aspiration Is Not Enough: Why Businesses Must Rethink the Social Contract

For decades, the unwritten contract between employers and employees has relied on one thing: aspiration. The promise that hard work would lead to opportunity, security, and upward mobility. But that contract is broken, and businesses that fail to recognise this are overlooking a brewing crisis.

Today, a growing number of people feel that the ladder of opportunity has been pulled away. And when people no longer believe they have a path forward, anger replaces aspiration—and it’s closer than many business leaders think.

Here’s why:

1. Economic Pressure is Crushing Aspiration

A large segment of the workforce is struggling to meet even basic needs:

• Housing has become unaffordable, especially for younger generations.

• Inflation eats away at disposable income, leaving little room for stability, let alone savings.

• Healthcare—where available—is increasingly expensive and inconsistent.

People are working harder than ever but falling further behind. Aspiration isn’t just out of reach; for many, it feels like a cruel joke.

2. Work Feels Transactional

Jobs that once offered dignity, purpose, and satisfaction now feel hollow.

• In service-based economies, fewer workers see the results of their efforts, leaving them disconnected from meaning.

• Wages have stagnated while costs soar, turning work into a means of survival rather than a source of fulfillment.

• Opportunities for advancement increasingly resemble lotteries, not pathways.

For many employees, work now feels like a one-sided transaction—giving everything, getting little in return.

3. The Backdrop of Climate and Inequality

Beyond the workplace, people see systems crumbling. Climate change looms large, inequality deepens, and resources that once drove growth are dwindling. Against this backdrop, aspiration feels not just out of reach but irrelevant.

What This Means for Business

Businesses are not separate from this reality—they are part of it. And those who think they can stay insulated from societal anger are mistaken. Workers are tired of promises that no longer deliver, and they’re beginning to reject a system that offers them no future.

The question for business leaders is this:

What are you doing to restore trust? To create an environment where employees feel valued, supported, and connected to meaningful work?

A New Social Contract Is Needed

If aspiration is no longer enough, business must offer something tangible in return for people’s time and effort. This isn’t just about pay - it’s about redefining what it means to be an employer in the 21st century.

Here’s where to start:

• Fair Wages and Security: Employees should not have to choose between working full-time and being able to afford housing, healthcare, or food. Stability isn’t a perk; it’s a baseline.

• Purposeful Work: Reconnect workers to outcomes, even in service-oriented roles. Help people see the value in their contributions.

• Invest in Development: Create pathways for growth and opportunities that feel attainable, not like a lottery.

• Transparency and Accountability: Employees want honesty, fairness, and leadership they can trust. Show up for them.

The Stakes Are High

The disconnection employees feel isn’t just an HR issue—it’s a systemic challenge that threatens long-term stability for businesses and society. Without meaningful changes, businesses risk alienating their workforce and amplifying societal anger.

Aspiration isn’t enough anymore. It’s time for businesses to lead with action, rebuild trust, and demonstrate that the future isn’t just a lottery—but something everyone can help shape.

What do you think? How is your organisation rethinking its role in the modern social contract?