Gen Z and younger workers are breaking down at work - and the way stress shows up across age groups is shifting fast.

Burnout isn’t new. Previous generations also faced stress, pressure, and challenges. But what’s happening today looks different. Younger workers (18–34) are reporting high stress, more absences, and poor mental health at rates far greater than older generations. Surveys from the past year show that nearly half of UK adults experienced high or extreme levels of stress - and for young people, the numbers climb even higher.

This isn’t just a passing phase. It’s a widening generational burnout gap that threatens productivity, performance, and even how companies can attract and seek employment from the newest wave of talent.

So why are younger generations reaching breaking point faster - and what can we actually do to prevent burnout before it costs too much?

Cheat Sheet (For When You’re Already Burnt Out)

This is the part you’d screenshot and send to your work bestie:

• Don’t normalise unpaid overtime - boundaries are survival, not luxury.
• Flexibility isn’t a perk - it’s a tool to prevent burnout.
• Money worries aren’t personal failings - they’re systemic pressures.
• A supportive line manager spotting high stress early = retention strategy, not an HR tick-box.

Why Generational Burnout Feels Different

Across the UK, working adults are struggling. Mental health UK reports show that stress levels are at high or extreme levels, with poor mental health caused by financial strain, blurred work boundaries, and rising expectations.

For young employees, stress often begins before their career even starts: student debt, an increased cost of living, and fragile job security. Add to that hybrid working, blurred lines between home and office, and the push to regularly work unpaid overtime, and the path to burnout accelerates.

Older generations also faced challenges: long commutes, rigid bosses, hierarchical workplaces. But when they left the office, stress dropped sharply. For younger workers, stress comes home, sits on the sofa, and follows them into bed through midnight notifications.

A Day in the Life: Then vs Now

Young people today:

• Wake up already buzzing with Slack notifications.
• Skim Deliveroo receipts before tackling the increased workload of their day job.
• Stress over bills and the challenge of building long-term financial security.
• Juggle side hustles alongside full time employment.
• Accept unpaid overtime as “part of the job.”

Previous generations:

• Faced stress too - rigid office hours, difficult bosses, long commutes.
• But when the commute ended, the workday ended. Stress dropped sharply. Evenings and weekends were often theirs.

That contrast helps explain the widening generational divide. Stress for young people is constant and digital - pings, emails, unpaid overtime - while stress for older generations was more visible, but with clearer boundaries.

The Cultural Context

This isn’t just about numbers. Culture reflects reality.

• TikTok trends like quiet quitting and lazy girl jobs capture the way younger generations are redefining their relationship with work.
• Memes about Sunday Scaries 2.0 show how anxiety now kicks in before Monday even starts.
• News headlines shout that young people are at breaking point, while some older generations dismiss it as weakness - missing the very different economic and digital realities in play.

Stress is no longer just about increased workload. It’s about job security that feels fragile, a constant cost of living squeeze, and the expectation to always be “on.”

Money Worries and Mental Health

Of all stressors, money worries come up again and again as the biggest trigger. From student debt to housing costs, younger workers face financial pressures that their parents often didn’t.

This poor mental health caused by financial strain doesn’t exist in isolation. It spills over into personal life, sleep, relationships, and the ability to focus at work. Performance drops, mistakes increase, and stress builds - creating a vicious cycle.

Young employees are capable and ambitious. But when money worries, increased workload, and lack of boundaries pile up, the path to burnout becomes steep and unavoidable.

Work Life Balance: A Shifting Ideal

We talk about work life balance like it’s soft, but it’s at the core of workplace wellbeing initiatives. Without balance, there’s no recovery.

Lockdowns proved this: stress dropped sharply for some when commutes disappeared. But as offices reopened, expectations of constant availability crept back in.

Today, hybrid working can be both a blessing and a curse. It saves commute time but blurs the line between home and office. Many employees feel pressure to respond to emails after hours, even when company policies say otherwise.

For young people, this means constant tension: the drive to prove themselves in their first job clashes with the need to rest and recover. Without recovery, high stress becomes the baseline.

Myth vs Reality

Myth: Young people just can’t hack it.
Reality: They’re juggling student debt, increased workload, money worries, and 24/7 demands that older generations never faced.

Myth: Stress is just part of the job.
Reality: Long hours, money stress, and work bleeding into personal life often trigger poor mental health. But with the right support, burnout is preventable.

Myth: A workshop fixes stress.
Reality: Only systemic change - like reasonable adjustments, clear guidelines, and supportive people management - actually works.

What Workplaces Can Do

Preventing burnout isn’t about wellness slogans. It’s about systems. Companies need to:

• Consider simple shifts: flexible hours, clearer workloads, realistic expectations.
• Set clear guidelines to stop unpaid overtime becoming the silent norm.
• Train every line manager to recognise high stress and to feel comfortable opening conversations early.
• Invest in real workplace wellbeing initiatives that support both work and personal life.
• Encourage leaders to model self compassion, showing that recovery isn’t weakness but a way to build resilience.

Otherwise, companies will risk losing not only staff but also long-term performance and productivity.

People Management and Leadership

People management is no longer just about tasks. It’s about health. A line manager who listens, adapts, and acts fairly can empower employees and rebuild bridges across the generational divide.

Changing attitudes mean the newest generation will not seek employment in places that ignore stress and mental health UK concerns. For businesses, this is not optional - it’s a warning sign.

Breaking Point and the Future of Work

Every workforce has a breaking point. For young people, that moment is arriving sooner than ever. If nothing changes, businesses will face raises doubts about their future, with employees walking away in search of better.

But there’s also opportunity. Workplace wellbeing initiatives, reasonable adjustments, and a culture that treats stress seriously can prevent burnout and create environments where employees thrive.

Because here’s the truth: stress is real, but so are the solutions. Older generations may have survived stress in their own ways, but the digital, financial, and cultural landscape today is radically different.

What We Think

At CHILL, we believe burnout isn’t a badge of honour. It’s a warning sign.

By addressing money worries, providing reasonable adjustments, and embedding workplace wellbeing initiatives, businesses don’t just protect individual wellbeing - they protect their future.

When employees feel supported, they don’t just survive increased workload. They thrive, innovate, and stay. That’s the kind of future worth building.