Mental health at work

How mental health at work has evolved

• Mental health is improving. In 2026, 63% of Gen Zs and 66% of millennials rate their overall mental health as good or extremely good, up from 52% and 58% in 2025.
• Burnout remains a challenge. Nearly half report feeling burned out (47% Gen Zs, 45% millennials).
• Stress continues to be a common experience. Approximately nine in 10 of all respondents say they feel stressed or anxious at least some of the time. Compared to 2025, fewer respondents in 2026 say they feel anxious or stressed most or all of the time, with 34% of Gen Zs and 30% of millennials saying they feel this way (versus 40% and 34% respectively in 2025).
• Financial concerns remain a leading source of stress. Respondents cite long-term financial future, health/welfare of their families, and day-to-day finances as their top stress drivers.
• Work contributes to stress for many respondents. Around three in 10 respondents who experience stress or anxiety (whether at least some of the time or more frequently) cite work as a major contributor. Long working hours and lack of recognition are the top leading job-related stressors for both groups, followed by Gen Zs feeling like they don’t have enough time to complete their work and millennials not feeling that decisions at work are made in a fair and equitable way.
• Workplaces are providing more support. 69% feel their employer takes the mental health of employees seriously, and 72% feel confident they would not be discriminated against if they raised concerns about their mental health with their managers.
• There is still a gap between need and action. 71% of Gen Zs and 63% of millennials say they needed to take time off work due to stress, but only 41% and 35%, respectively, actually did so.
• Stigma has not disappeared. Among those who did take time off due to stress, 21% of Gen Zs and 17% of millennials gave a different reason for their absence.
• Digital fatigue is common. 58% of Gen Zs and 54% of millennials say they regularly experience digital fatigue.

Key takeaways for business leaders

The findings show improvements in mental well-being and perceptions of workplace support, but stress, burnout, financial concerns, and workplace factors continue to affect many Gen Z and millennial workers. The survey highlights several key takeaways for business leaders.

• Treat well-being as part of how work is designed and managed: set realistic workloads, reduce unnecessary complexity, clarify priorities, and help address recognition gaps.
• Equip managers to spot early signs of overload, set boundaries, and normalize open conversations about stress.
• Embed psychological safety as a foundation of workplace and team culture.
• Understand the factors that can lead to burnout and take practical steps to help address those.
• Reduce digital fatigue through clear norms around communication, fewer and better integrated tools, protected focus time and thoughtful use of technology.
• Take measures to protect employee focus and productivity as more digital tools are introduced.

Download the report to learn more about how these generations think about work, life and leadership.