Two in five young workers took time off due to burnout in last year, study shows

Young adults in the UK are “facing pressures both inside and outside of work” with almost two in five taking time off from their job due to poor mental health caused by stress in the last year.

It comes as a survey found that more than nine in ten people reported experiencing high or extreme levels of stress.

Attempting to boost the economy without tackling chronic workplace stress is like “trying to accelerate with the handbrake on”, according to the chief executive of Mental Health UK.

The charity called for organisations to “move faster” to support managers in starting conversations about mental health, before staff burn out and “are pushed out of work”.

The latest Burnout Report by Mental Health UK provides an annual snapshot of the nation’s stress levels and includes a YouGov poll of more than 4,500 people, of which 2,591 were workers.

The NHS describes burnout as “a state of physical and emotional exhaustion” caused by constant pressure at work.

The survey found that more than nine in 10 (91%) people experienced high or extreme levels of stress in the last year.

One in five (20%) workers took time off due to poor mental health caused by stress, a similar level to last year’s report.

People aged 25 to 34 were most likely to experience high or extreme levels of stress (96%), overtaking those aged between 35 and 44.

However, the report suggests young adults aged between 18 and 24 “continue to face a great deal of strain in the workplace”.

Some 93% said they experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure and stress in the last year, with almost two in five (39%) taking time off with poor mental health, up 3% on the previous 12 months.

Almost half of people in this age group (45%) told the survey that feeling isolated at work had contributed to their issues, with other factors including fears of redundancy (43%) and high workloads (57%).

Almost two thirds (65%) of 18 to 24-year-olds reported poor sleep and money worries (64%), with 60% saying they feel isolated outside of work.

Brian Dow, chief executive of Mental Health UK, warned that burnout is “fast becoming one of the UK’s most serious shared challenges”.

He said: “We all want a thriving economy that benefits employers and workers alike, but unless we tackle chronic workplace stress and help people perform at their best, we are effectively trying to accelerate with the handbrake on.

“This year’s report highlights continuing concerns about high levels of absence among younger workers.

“This group is facing pressures both inside and outside work, alongside an uncertain job market where AI is increasingly seen as a threat to some entry-level roles. For many, the social contract that rewarded previous generations for hard work is breaking down.

“While young people are often seen as championing better attitudes towards mental health at work, our survey shows many are staying silent about their own stress levels.

“Our workplace training team reports that young people do value regular check-ins on workload and wellbeing, when managers create the right environment for discussion.”

Of those who took time off work due to stress, more than a quarter (27%) said they received no support when they returned to work, and fewer than one in five (17%) had a formal return to work plan put in place.

Some 18% of workers told the survey they feel mental health is treated as a “tick box exercise”, while one in ten said mental health is not prioritised at all.

For the first time, the poll asked women if menopausal symptoms were a contributing factor to burnout.

More than two thirds of women (68%) aged between 45 and 54 agreed, along with more than a third (35%) aged between 35 and 44, and more than a quarter (27%) aged 55 and over.

Mr Dow added that “employers have a vital role in helping people stay in work” but managers “often feel unsure about starting conversations on stress and mental health”.

He added: “If we want to see a thriving workforce, organisations must move faster in supporting managers to act early, before stress and poor mental health turns into burnout and people are pushed out of work.”