Employers are being urged to rethink their approach to productivity and employee health as new research predicts major changes in workforce wellbeing in 2026.
Workforce resilience firm meQuilibrium, which supports organisations around the world in reducing stress and improving performance, has identified four wellbeing trends that it says will dominate the year ahead.
The company argues that outdated models of hard work are giving way to a new emphasis on sustainable performance, while pressure within the healthcare sector continues to deepen.
Grind Culture Loses Its Grip
The report warns that “grind culture”, defined as the expectation to work relentlessly without rest, is damaging both productivity and wellbeing. Employees who identify with grind culture experience burnout rates almost 50 percent higher than their peers, according to the findings.
Andrew Shatté, chief knowledge officer and co-founder of meQuilibrium, said his experience of working with hundreds of organisations shows that overwork benefits neither people nor business outcomes. He said high performers do work hard but also protect their wellbeing, adding that companies which focus on resilience and manager support achieve stronger and more sustainable results.
In the UK, similar patterns have been recorded by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), whose 2025 Health and Wellbeing at Work report found that 78 percent of employers had seen signs of stress-related burnout. Observers say the pressure to maintain output amid cost constraints and rising workloads has entrenched unsustainable working patterns that now need to be addressed.
Healthcare Fatigue Deepens
The research shows that healthcare workers are the least likely to believe in continuous self-improvement, a change linked to chronic exhaustion and frustration with conditions at work. Only 42.9 percent of healthcare staff agreed that ongoing development was essential to success, compared with 66.9 percent in technology roles.
Adam Perlman, chief medical officer and co-founder of meQuilibrium, described the findings as a signal that long-term strain has undermined morale. He said many healthcare professionals have become disengaged after years of pressure and understaffing, warning that organisations must take urgent steps to restore confidence, recognition and growth opportunities if they are to protect retention.
It mirrors what is being seen in the NHS, where sickness absence remains at record levels. NHS England data shows that anxiety, stress and depression accounted for nearly one in four staff absences in 2024–25. Analysts say healthcare burnout has become one of the biggest threats to service sustainability, with many experienced clinicians and support workers leaving the profession.
Frontline Workers Seek Growth Opportunities
The report also found that so-called “deskless” employees — those in manufacturing, logistics, retail and care roles — are showing a strong appetite for learning and skill development. Nearly 60 percent of manufacturing workers said they believe in continual improvement, placing them just behind the technology sector.
Steve Foster, executive chairman at meQuilibrium, said frontline workers’ motivation represents a major opportunity for employers. He said companies that make development and wellbeing resources accessible to employees without office-based roles can improve both engagement and innovation.
In the UK, upskilling among frontline staff has become a growing focus for both government and employers. Initiatives supported by the Department for Education and local enterprise partnerships aim to expand training for employees in sectors most affected by automation and skills gaps. Wellbeing specialists say combining professional development with health and resilience support can make these schemes more effective.
Resilience Becomes Central to Workforce Strategy
The fourth trend identified by meQuilibrium is the growing recognition that resilience must be built into everyday working life. The company says employees with higher resilience show a 66 percent greater reduction in burnout and are 33 percent more likely to believe their effort will be rewarded.
Chief executive Brad Swingruber said resilience-building would become a defining part of workforce planning in 2026 because of its proven link to performance and retention. He said managers are key to this success, with research showing that supportive line management can reduce burnout by more than half.
In the UK, wellbeing experts agree that leadership capability remains a weak spot. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s latest wellbeing report found that only half of organisations provide specific training for managers to support mental health at work. Experts argue that employers must prioritise this area if they are to reduce absence and improve overall morale.
A New Understanding of Performance
The meQuilibrium report concludes that productivity, resilience and wellbeing are now inseparable. Employers that continue to rely on long hours and pressure-based management risk higher turnover, increased sickness absence and poor engagement.
Workplace specialists in the UK say the findings are timely, with burnout and mental health absences among the biggest obstacles to productivity. They argue that building wellbeing into business strategy is no longer a cultural preference but an operational necessity.
As Shatté observed, sustainable performance depends on balance rather than endurance. Organisations that protect wellbeing and invest in recovery, he said, will be the ones that thrive in the year ahead.