Wellbeing systems are failing to keep pace with rising workforce strain, new report finds
A synthesis of workplace wellbeing research shows how employers contribute to worker stress and what they can do to improve it.
Workplace wellbeing has reached a tipping point, with employee strain rising faster than organisational support systems can respond, according to a new report from Insights Media.
The report, Wellbeing at work in 2026: What workers want, synthesises findings from eight major wellbeing and mental health studies published in 2025. It shows that burnout is no longer episodic but chronic, and that employees increasingly expect wellbeing to be designed into how work happens, rather than delivered as an add-on.
Key findings from the report include:
- Only 17% of the global workforce meets the criteria for being ‘mind healthy’, highlighting the scale of mental wellbeing challenges facing employers (AXA)
- 65% of HR leaders report rising mental-health-related leave, signalling increasing pressure on organisations and support systems (Lyra Health)
- High workload, poor job design and lack of autonomy are now the strongest drivers of workplace stress, according to multiple datasets (CIPD, Wellhub)
- 58% of employees say their job makes it harder to maintain healthy habits, directly affecting wellbeing and performance (Wellhub).
- Caregiving and family-related stress has increased ten-fold year-on-year, with child and adolescent mental health emerging as a major concern for working parents (Lyra Health).
- Managers remain underprepared, with 49% having received only a single mental health training session and 16% receiving none at all (Unmind).
- AI-driven change is contributing to stress, with 35% of HR leaders saying AI is increasing job anxiety, yet 74% of employees would use an AI coach for support if available (Lyra Health, Unmind).
- Employees increasingly expect personalised, inclusive wellbeing support, with 88% expecting wellbeing provision to reflect individual needs and circumstances (Wellhub).
For HR, learning and talent leaders, the report identifies six priority areas for 2026: preventing burnout through better job design, supporting families and caregivers, building manager capability, addressing AI-related stress, personalising wellbeing support, and embedding wellbeing into everyday work systems.
Download your copy of Wellbeing at work in 2026: What workers want here.