Wellbeing has overtaken financial security as employees’ top concern, with 32% reporting poor mental health, according to research by professional services firm Mercer.
Its third Inside employees’ minds: building confidence in a changed world report 2025-2026, which surveyed more than 4,000 UK workers, also found concerns regarding wellbeing to have a greater prevalence among younger generations.
Job security was found to be the top reason employees stay with their employers, surpassing salary. Meanwhile, perceived unfair pay, workload and workplace culture remain key reasons why employees leave.
Almost two-thirds (64%) said they are not actively considering leaving their employer due to broad economic conditions and a desire for financial stability.
The primary concern for 18–24-year-olds was meeting monthly living expenses, which was more pronounced among this age group than any other.
Almost half (47%) are confident they have sufficient savings to retire. Howver, within this group, only 38% of those earning under £25,000 felt confident about retirement.
The study also found men are more likely than women to have private medical insurance and other health benefits, while pensions remain the most valued benefit (cited by 84%).
Kerry Ghize, UK career leader at Mercer, said: “UK employees have demonstrated their resilience over the past few years. While there are still economic headwinds, our research shows their main concerns are around health and wellbeing gaps. For organisations to succeed in this environment, they need to ensure they have a healthy and high-performing workforce with the skills needed to thrive. Identifying and bridging any gaps across workforces can lead to a competitive advantage and could help to improve the performance of the UK economy.
“To do this, employers should have measures in place to create an environment where they feel supported and listen to the needs of their staff, providing clear training to address gaps in skills and provide career pathways. They should also take note of changing workforce demographics. Younger employees value remuneration equally with wellbeing, as they are the generation more likely to be impacted by the savings gap.”
