The next era of employee wellbeing: Five trends that workplaces can’t ignore in 2026

According to our latest report Workplace Wellbeing: A Business Imperative, 44% of employees say poor wellbeing significantly impacts their productivity.

This suggests that for nearly half of all employees, stress, burnout and mental health challenges are not just minor setbacks; they significantly hinder employees' ability to focus, engage, and complete work effectively.

Employers have a responsibility to help individuals manage both their physical and mental wellbeing. But it’s clear businesses need to work harder to provide targeted employee support.

To thrive in the current landscape, HR must continue to be a strategic, empathetic and data-driven function. The good news is that changes in the corporate world are trying to make this possible.  

With this in mind, I suggest five workplace wellbeing trends we can expect to see grow in 2026.

#1 Shifting organisational values

With Millennials and Gen Z now making up 62% of the workforce, organisations will continue evolving their offerings to support the modern workplace.

In the past, we may have seen resistance to such demands from businesses, but now, more than ever, employers are working to remain open to employee suggestions and adapt work models accordingly.

This trend shows workplaces now value overall employee satisfaction, not just pay.

Companies will continue to focus on improving work-life balance, wellness, intellectual challenge and personal growth and development - all of which are cited as key drivers for Millennial and Gen Z engagement.

#2 Wellbeing audits & more data-driven insights

With only 26% of employees feeling comfortable discussing mental health at work, more organisations will introduce formal wellbeing audits to identify gaps, risks and opportunities.

A thorough audit provides the data needed to build a responsive, relevant and cost-effective wellbeing strategy that truly serves the workforce's needs.

So, as an example, companies will pay more attention to which of their benefits are being used and which are not.

There will also be a greater focus on gathering qualitative feedback through focus groups and anonymous surveys to understand why certain benefits are valued more than others.

We are seeing more businesses ask us for advice on identifying what is currently missing from their organisation’s current wellbeing toolkits too. Elements often missing are a lack of mental health support, insufficient financial literacy resources or a need for greater flexibility in work schedules.

#3 Psychological safety

Reward Gateway | Edenred’s HR Priority Research Report reveals that only under half of employees were not afraid to take risks or make mistakes.

The report also found a discrepancy in the perceived psychological safety at work. 51 per cent of HR professionals believe employees feel safe confiding in them, but only 42 per cent of employees do.

Such findings reflect a widespread concern among UK businesses, and we are seeing more companies sit up and listen, when there are rumblings of a toxic workplace environment.

Key actions from HR teams in 2026 will include setting clear behavioural expectations, normalising failure as a learning opportunity, and driving more inclusive feedback processes so all employees feel heard, respected and safe to take risks.

#4 Supporting the wellbeing ‘grey zone’

Our report shows 18% of employees are unsure about their wellbeing at work - a quietly vulnerable group. These employees are not in crisis but lack an overly positive view on wellbeing.

This middle group are statistically significant as, they represent nearly one in five employees feel neutral. For most organisations, that's a sizable segment whose well-being and productivity could swing either way.

In 2026, organisations will increasingly focus on this “wellbeing grey zone” by identifying early risk indicators, increasing pulse surveys, sentiment tracking and offering more personalised wellbeing nudges.

Expect more early-intervention tools and wellbeing monitoring, as employers take a sharper focus on tackling productivity loss caused by poor wellbeing.

#5 Leaning on employers to boost financial resilience

In November, HM Treasury published its Financial Inclusion Strategy, a national framework to improve access to financial services for underserved groups.

This is a pivotal moment for employers to reassess how workplace financial wellbeing can boost performance and resilience in 2026.

As a result of the study, we believe businesses will adapt their financial wellbeing offerings. Many are starting to recognise that financial wellbeing involves not only income but also resilience, literacy and access - areas where employers can have a real impact.

We expect to see businesses offering more auto-enrolment or payroll savings options and earned wage access (EWA) products, which reduce reliance on high-cost credit and are designed with inclusivity in mind.

Employee benefits will expand beyond sick pay, to include initiatives such asincome protection, as companies recognise their impact on individual and national outcomes.

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