The hidden crisis: burnout rising among under-35s and frontline managers

Workplace wellbeing is slipping backwards in the UK. The Great Place to Work UK Workplace Wellbeing Report 2025, based on responses from more than 300,000 employees, shows that wellbeing peaked in 2020 but has declined every year since.

The sharpest decline is concentrated in two groups: under-35s and frontline managers. Both are reporting higher stress, lower engagement, and in many cases, the early signs of burnout. For HR leaders, the message is clear — support strategies need to be tailored, not one-size-fits-all.

Spotting the signs of burnout

Burnout has become one of the most searched and discussed workplace challenges. The Great Place to Work report highlights how it is playing out in organisations today:

• Frontline managers now report higher stress than both senior leaders and their teams.
• Under-35s are experiencing the steepest decline in wellbeing scores compared with other age groups.

Typical burnout symptoms include fatigue, detachment, poor concentration, and rising absence. But these burnout signs can look different in younger employees versus managers, which makes them harder to detect without targeted attention.

Why managers and younger staff are struggling

Frontline managers are squeezed between leadership demands and team expectations. They are responsible for delivering results while supporting employee wellbeing, often with limited resources or autonomy. This dual pressure leaves them highly exposed to stress and disengagement.

Under-35s, meanwhile, have entered a workforce shaped by hybrid working, cost-of-living stress, and uncertainty about career progression. Many lack the workplace experience or support networks to manage this effectively. The report highlights that their wellbeing has fallen further and faster than any other age group — a warning sign for HR leaders focused on retention.

The cost to employers

Falling employee wellbeing is more than a people issue, it carries measurable business risks. When managers and younger employees show burnout symptoms, organisations pay the price in several ways:

• Turnover: younger workers are more likely to leave roles if they feel unsupported, increasing recruitment costs.
• Productivity loss: burned-out managers cannot effectively lead, coach, or motivate their teams.
• Absence and presenteeism: stress contributes to more sick days, or worse, employees working while unwell.

The CIPD’s Health and wellbeing at work report reinforces this, showing that poor employee wellbeing continues to drive absence, presenteeism, and reduced performance across UK organisations. Together, these factors create a hidden cost that can erode culture, reduce output, and damage employer reputation.

What HR can do next

The report makes one point clear: wellbeing isn’t declining evenly. HR leaders need to act with targeted, data-driven interventions to protect at-risk groups. Practical steps include:

1. Segment your wellbeing data
   Run surveys by role and age group to identify where scores are slipping fastest.
2. Prioritise manager wellbeing
   Provide training, coaching, and peer support for frontline leaders. Adjust workloads where possible to reduce pressure.
3. Support early-career employees
   Offer mentoring, clear communication, and financial wellbeing resources to address the unique pressures facing under-35s.
4. Educate on burnout symptoms
   Train managers and HR teams to spot early burnout signs and respond quickly with support and adjustments.
5. Make professional support accessible
   Beyond the report’s findings, employers can look to benefits that provide direct, practical help. A Health & Wellbeing Plan that combines a Health Cash Plan (HCP) with a confidential Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is one way to ensure staff can access counselling, wellbeing support, and everyday healthcare — before issues escalate into burnout.

Conclusion

The decline in wellbeing isn’t spread evenly across the workforce; under-35s and frontline managers are the most at risk. For HR leaders, that’s a red flag. By acting early, recognising the signs of burnout, and tailoring support, including through benefits such as HCPs and EAPs, organisations can reduce absence, improve retention, and protect long-term performance.

Sources

• Great Place to Work UK. Workplace Wellbeing Report 2025: Fostering Wellbeing at Work in the UK.
• NHS.Burnout: Symptoms, signs and support.
• Mental Health UK. Burnout Report 2025: Generational divides in stress and work absence.
• Personnel Today. Younger workers are more prone to burnout, research finds.
• CIPD.Health and wellbeing at work 2024 report.