Almost three-quarters of employees are bored at work, according to a new survey by Cpl Resources.
The recruitment firm says it is causing staff to look for jobs elsewhere.
It asked more than 2,000 workers in June how they felt about their current career and found the situation is worst in retail where 90% of staff want a change.
More workers are satisfied in the Science & Engineering sector, with 66% wanting to change careers and 62% feeling bored at work.
Siobhan O’Shea, from Cpl, thinks the problem is people not living up to their potential.
Ms O'Shea said: “Often management don’t understand the day-to-day processes of their workers’ roles.
"Some roles need not be mundane, but if technology isn’t being embraced, an inefficient, old-fashioned approach might be destroying or delaying staff outputs.
"Such staff may need assistance to find new, innovative ways to execute their roles in a fulfilling way.”
Their research also found that 45% of respondents see a stigma attached to flexible working hours.
Ms O'Shea said: “Presenteeism is still prevalent in many organisations with staff who are visible and present in the office being valued more than those who are based elsewhere.
"Despite this, 43% of employees would prefer flexible working to a pay rise."
