Wellbeing Trends 2026: The Shifts Emerging from 2025 and What Comes Next

As 2025 draws to a close, one thing is clear: the conversation about workplace wellbeing is not slowing down. If anything, it has become more central to how organisations think about performance, leadership and culture. The pressures of hybrid working, rising burnout, shifting expectations and the emotional weight many people now bring into work have created a different landscape. One where wellbeing is no longer seen as a standalone initiative, but an essential part of how work gets done.

Recent figures reflect this shift. According to the CIPD, the average number of absence days per employee has risen to 9.4 days — the highest in more than 15 years. It’s a reminder that the way we work is directly shaping how people feel, function and perform.

In this blog, we take a look at some of the wellbeing shifts that emerged across 2025 and how they’re likely to influence how organisations support people in 2026.

1. Boundaries Become a Core Part of Performance
The conversation around boundaries has changed noticeably this year. More organisations are recognising that the “always on” culture isn’t a sign of commitment. It’s a barrier to clarity, recovery and sustained performance. As hybrid working continues to blur the lines between work and home, businesses are beginning to define expectations more intentionally.

Protected focus time, clearer communication norms and leaders openly modelling when they are “offline” are becoming more common. There’s a growing understanding that boundaries aren’t a luxury; they are a foundation for good work and healthier leadership.

2. Resilience Training Evolves into a More Balanced Approach
Resilience remains important, but 2025 highlighted a shift in mindset: resilience cannot compensate for consistently high workloads, unclear priorities or cultures where people feel unable to speak up. Organisations are starting to take a more balanced approach — strengthening individual resilience while reducing the systemic pressures that undermine it.

This more holistic view helps resilience tools land more effectively. Rather than asking people to “cope better”, it encourages workplaces to reflect on how work is designed, communicated and supported.

3. Emotional Intelligence Gains Renewed Focus in Leadership
Emotional intelligence (EI) has long been a core component of effective leadership, but 2025 made its importance even more visible. As teams work in more distributed and fast-changing environments, leaders are navigating complex emotional dynamics, often without the benefit of face-to-face cues. Being able to read situations, build trust and communicate with clarity has become central to how well teams function.

The rise of AI in everyday work has reinforced this shift even further. As more tasks become automated and information becomes easier to access, the skills that set leaders apart are increasingly human ones — empathy, emotional awareness, and the ability to build meaningful relationships. Rather than replacing the need for EI, AI has highlighted just how essential it is in guiding decisions, supporting people and creating a sense of connection.

The updated MSCEIT 2 assessment has brought fresh attention to EI development, with many organisations investing in helping leaders understand not only how they think, but how they respond, connect and influence. Rather than being viewed as a “soft skill”, EI is increasingly recognised as a foundation for decision-making, culture and performance.

4. Trauma-Informed and Emotionally Aware Workplaces Gain Traction
Across 2025, more organisations have acknowledged that people bring complex experiences into work — from personal challenges to wider societal stress. While leaders aren’t expected to become counsellors, understanding how emotional strain or trauma can shape behaviour is becoming a core part of creating psychologically safe workplaces.

Trauma-informed approaches encourage curiosity over judgement and support leaders to respond in ways that reduce escalation, build trust and create stability. This shift, long established in health, social care and education, is becoming increasingly relevant in corporate settings too.

5. Manager Burnout Becomes Impossible to Ignore
Middle managers remain one of the most stretched groups at work. They sit at the centre of communication, change, people support and operational delivery, often without the space or tools they need. Unsurprisingly, concerns about manager burnout continued to rise this year.

Many report feeling overwhelmed and underprepared, with the knock-on effect felt across teams in the form of strained relationships, reactive decision-making and reduced morale. As a result, organisations are beginning to invest more seriously in coaching and leadership development to build capability and confidence at this critical level.

6. Wellbeing Support Becomes More Proactive and Personalised
Another striking shift this year has been the move from reactive wellbeing support to early, preventative approaches. Rather than waiting for issues to become acute, organisations are introducing more regular wellbeing check-ins, shorter and more accessible sessions, and tailored support pathways that meet people where they are.

Normalising emotional conversations is part of this shift too. Employees are increasingly encouraged to speak up earlier, and leaders are becoming more confident in creating space for those conversations. Prevention is becoming a core principle, not an afterthought.

7. Generational Expectations Shape Workplace Culture
Younger employees continue to influence cultural expectations in meaningful ways. Their desire for balance, psychological safety, authenticity and meaningful work is reshaping how organisations think about leadership, communication and progression.

This isn’t a lack of ambition, but a clearer view of what sustainable success looks like. As a result, workplaces that embrace these expectations are better positioned to attract and retain early-career talent, while those who resist may struggle with engagement and succession in the years ahead.

Taken together, these shifts show that wellbeing is no longer an isolated conversation. It is woven into leadership, culture and everyday working life. As we move into 2026, the question for organisations isn’t whether they have a wellbeing strategy, but how well it is embedded in the way people work and lead.

Small, thoughtful changes can make a significant difference. Clearer boundaries, more emotionally aware leadership, and support that begins before issues escalate. These trends offer a direction of travel, not a checklist, and each organisation can interpret them in a way that fits its people and culture.

If you’re looking to strengthen wellbeing, leadership capability or emotional intelligence in your organisation, we offer a range of wellbeing programmes and Short Sessions designed to support your people. If you'd like to find out more, or want some advice on your wellbeing program for the year ahead let’s have a chat.