The UK’s newest workforce generation is struggling under the weight of workplace stress, with young people twice as likely as directors to sacrifice physical health due to work fatigue. Research* reveals that 45% of younger generations regularly skip exercise due to work fatigue, compared to a quarter of directors. It is signalling a dangerous cycle where stress erodes physical health, leading to declining mental resilience and workplace productivity.
The data paints a worrying picture of workplace wellbeing. Only 40% of young people report feeling energised at work, compared to three-quarters of directors. Charity Mental Health UK reported similar findings with younger employees far more likely than their older colleagues to experience days where they were too unwell to work as a result of stress and burnout. Those with high stress levels significantly impacts their workplace productivity and limits the type of work they can complete.
With young working professionals struggling to juggle both their mental and physical health, job satisfaction drops to just 60% compared to 86% among directors. This wellbeing gap directly impacts productivity, with only two-thirds of junior professionals feeling productive in their roles.
“Physical exercise is an important tool to maintain your health and resilience and help to reduce burnout.” says Tom Nash, HR Business Partner at Pluxee UK warns: “The wellbeing gap between junior and senior is unsustainable for the future of work. If businesses don’t take this seriously now, they’ll lose their future leaders to stress and burnout before they even reach their full potential. This will add severe consequences on businesses’ productivity and results directly. Employers need to rethink how they support all employees, but particularly in these formative career years, before this crisis spirals more.”
This research lands as the government amplifies its focus on workplace mental health through the Get Britain Working White Paper, which highlights the growing challenge of young professionals entering the workforce with existing mental health issues. The findings underscores the urgent need for government intervention and employer-led initiatives to improve physical and mental wellbeing support which can help boost business productivity.
Pluxee has partnered with Ashley Giles, former professional cricketer and CEO of Worcestershire County Cricket Club, to help businesses empower their teams to not only survive but excel in high-pressure environments.
Giles argues the importance of having the right support tools in place, especially due to his own first-hand experience of stress. “Back in early 2004, I was in a pretty dark place… I remember feeling completely out of control and I was in a downward spiral…Do people have the right skills to deal with their tasks? Have they got the right environment and tools to take care of their physical or mental health? And, crucially, are we training their mindset to respond to the pressures we all face? Those are big questions – but important ones.”
Research Pluxee
