Stress at work has been found to be the health and wellbeing issue affecting most generations of staff for the second consecutive year, according to research by industry body Group Risk Development (Grid).
Its survey of 500 HR decision makers and 1,250 adults also found that, in 2025, anxiety related to work, such as pressures of overwork and uncertainty about the future, was cited by employer respondents as their main concern for three out of four generations. One-third (34%) of baby boomers, aged 61–79; 36% of generation X staff, aged 45–60; and 38% of generation Z employees, aged up to 28 said this.
Overall, work-related stress and anxiety levels are lower than 2024, when this was cited by 40% of employers in relation to baby boomers, 40% for generation X, 44% for millennials and 39% for generation Z.
Home life stress and anxiety, such as caring responsibilities and managing difficult relationships, is the biggest health and wellbeing issue for millennials, aged 29–44, at 43%. Employers believe this generation is more affected by financial stress and anxiety (42%) than they are by work-related stress (38%).
There has been an increase in employer concern around finances and debt between 2024 and 2025 across three generations, rising from 18% in 2024 to 25% in 2025 for baby boomers, from 28% to 32% for generation X, and from 35% to 42% for millennials.
When asked about their biggest health and wellbeing concerns, respondents from the baby boomer, generation X and millennial cohorts all cited serious ill-health, such as cancer or heart disease, as their main concern, with millennials jointly concerned about finances and debt stress and anxiety. Meanwhile, generation Z appears most concerned about work stress and anxiety.
Katharine Moxham, spokesperson for Grid, said: “Employees often face multiple concerns simultaneously, and these challenges rarely exist in isolation, [because] stress in one area of life often affects others. Regardless of the nature of their worries, employers should remain consistent in providing support for all staff, whether they are young or young at heart.”
