Burnout Report 2026: High stress pushing workers into sick leave as just one in four feel mental health is genuinely prioritised and supported in the workplace

The Burnout Report provides an annual snapshot of the nation’s stress levels and how mental health is being supported in the workplace, based on YouGov polling of over 4,500 UK adults.

This year’s report reveals one in five workers (20%) took time off sick due to poor mental health caused by stress, remaining level with the previous year. However, age continues to be a factor, with two in five (39%) 18-24-year-olds taking time off for the same reason.

The findings are published as the UK continues to grapple with an economic inactivity crisis. Poor mental health among young people has been cited as a key driver, and the Keep Britain Working review recently called for workforce health to be a shared responsibility between organisations, staff and the NHS, with employers focusing on prevention. Mental Health UK has backed the findings of that review and is now calling for organisations to ensure managers can spot mental health concerns, prevent burnout and aid recovery.

The Burnout Report 2026 reveals the risk of burnout remains stubbornly high, with 9 in ten (91%) adults experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure and stress in the last year, the same level as in the previous two years. Yet at the same time, it appears that the discomfort around discussing stress levels in the workplace shows no signs of improvement and in fact has slightly worsened.

Over one in three (35%) workers said they did not feel comfortable discussing high or extreme levels of stress with a manager, an increase of 3% compared with the 2025 report. And for younger workers aged 18-24, 39% would not feel comfortable discussing stress with a manager, an increase of 5% on the previous year.

What’s more, it appears that workers are being put at risk of burnout relapse and sustained work absence, with some employers failing to adequately support recovery. One in four (27%) workers who took time off due to extreme levels of pressure or stress said they did not receive any support after they had returned to work, and only 17% had a formal return-to-work plan put in place.

Almost one in five (18%) said mental health is treated as a tick-box exercise at work, while just one in four (27%) workers said mental health is genuinely prioritised and supported through action and resources. Workers also report a gap between good intentions and concrete efforts, with almost one in three (29%) saying their employer raises awareness about mental health but managers lack the time, training and resources to provide meaningful support.

The top drivers of stress among those in the workplace were a high or increased workload, experienced by 42% of workers, followed by regularly working unpaid overtime beyond contracted hours (33%), and fears around redundancy and job security (32%). Poor sleep (59%), money worries (48%) and poor physical health (38%) were the top factors driving stress outside of work for adults in the UK.

Younger workers aged 18-24 were most likely to agree that they had experienced stress due to a number of issues, including a high or increased workload (57%), regularly working unpaid overtime (47%), feeling isolated at work (45%) and fear or redundancy or job security (43%). They were also the group second most likely to report stress due to money worries (64%), behind 65% of those aged 25-34 who agreed.

“Burnout is fast becoming one of the UK’s most serious shared challenges. 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.

“As the Keep Britain Working review makes clear, employers have a vital role in helping people stay in work, but we know that managers often feel unsure about starting conversations on stress and mental health. 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.”

– Brian Dow, Chief Executive of Mental Health UK

“Securing a job at a prestigious firm after university felt like a huge opportunity, and I assumed that spending increasingly long hours attempting to beat my growing workload was just part a normal part of working life. That was until one morning I opened my laptop and sat there completely frozen, unable to function.

Looking back, I now realise that I had been experiencing burnout for some time. Left unresolved, it led to depression, a lengthy period out of work, and time in psychiatric hospitals hundreds of miles from home.

I was able to return to work due to therapy, building coping strategies, and a supportive employer that allowed a phased return and flexible hours. Burnout is a serious condition, and no one should face it alone. I urge anyone struggling to ask for help, whether that’s through your GP or your workplace.”

– Aiden (28)

For more information or to interview spokesperson, please contact Jamie Morrell, Media Manager at Mental Health UK:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 0207 840 3128

Notes: All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 4,502 adults, of which 2,591 were workers. Fieldwork for the Burnout Report 2026 was undertaken between 3rd and 5th November 2025, with respondents asked about their experiences over the past year. Fieldwork for the Burnout Report 2025 was undertaken between 8th – 12th November 2024, with respondents asked about their experiences over the past year. The surveys were carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).