Employers have confirmed their biggest concern for their workers is stress and anxiety related to work for the second year in a row, according to research from Grid.
The industry body for the group risk sector found that stress and anxiety caused by pressures of overwork and uncertainty about the future were reported by employers as their main concern for three out of four generations in the workplace.
More than a third (34 percent) of employers admitted concerns about stressed baby-boomers, this rose to 36 percent for Gen X (born 1965 and 1980), and 38 percent for Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012).
In terms of millennial employees (born between 1981 and 1996), employers told researchers they believed that stress among this age group was related to home life (43 percent). For example, employers thought that caring responsibilities, managing difficult relationships, and other home related issues were the biggest health and wellbeing issue. Employers said that millennials are also more affected by stress and anxiety relating to finances (42 percent) than they are about stress related to work (38 percent).
Even though employers reported that their biggest concern for their staff in 2025 was work stress and anxiety, the levels found were lower than in 2024, with 40 percent of employers concerned about baby-boomers, 40 percent for Gen X, 44 percent for Gen Y (millennials), and 39 percent for Gen Z.
While the research found that employers don’t think most of their staff are as worried about finances and debt this year compared to other health and wellbeing issues, there has been a significant increase in employer concern on this issue between 2024 and 2025.
This increase is notable for baby-boomers as employers concerned about this issue rose from 18 percent in 2024 to 25 percent in 2025. For Gen X employer concern rose from 28 percent to 32 percent, and for millennials it rose from 35 percent to 42 percent. It stayed the same for Gen Z at 33 percent.
Research conducted directly with employees found that the biggest health concern for baby-boomers, Gen X and millennials in 2025 was serious ill-health, such as cancer or heart disease. Millennials also cited stress and anxiety related to finances and debt, while Gen Z employees were most concerned about stress and anxiety related to their work.
Grid has generational data for multiple years and it said that while concerns for employers and employees evolve annually and are often shaped by changing external factors, an employer’s approach to supporting staff does not need to radically change.
However, Grid urged employers to consider the evolving trends when they evaluate how to best support their staff. For example, employee benefits need to be comprehensive and inclusive, and designed to support all employees across a wide range of issues, the industry body said.
Katharine Moxham, Grid spokesperson, said: “Employees often face multiple concerns simultaneously, and these challenges rarely exist in isolation, as 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.”
