A clear generational divide has emerged in how supported UK employees feel by their employer when experiencing work-related stress or illness, according to new research commissioned by health assessment provider Verve Healthcare.
The survey of 2,000 employees across the UK found that younger workers are significantly more likely to say they feel supported at work, while confidence drops steadily with age.
Nearly three quarters (74%) of employees aged 25–34 say they feel supported by their employer during periods of work-related stress or illness, making them the most positive age. By contrast, fewer than half (45%) of employees aged 55 and over report feeling supported.
Support levels among employees aged 35–44 stand at 67%, followed by 61% among those aged 18–24 and 56% among 45–54-year-olds.
Verve Healthcare says the findings suggest workplace conversations around health and wellbeing may be evolving, with younger workers benefitting from modern wellbeing culture. However, the sharp decline among older employees indicates that many workplace health systems remain inconsistent.
Steven Pink, CEO of Verve Healthcare, commented:
“There is real progress here and we should not dismiss it. A generation of workers is entering employment expecting their employer to take their health seriously and, in many cases, that expectation is being met. That is real progress and it shouldn’t be dismissed.
“But the generational divide is too big to ignore. If support lands for some groups but not others, it’s not a wellbeing strategy. The sharp drop among older employees tells us that many businesses still don’t have a reliable system for identifying and supporting people when their health starts to deteriorate.”
Verve Healthcare argues that the generational divide is a consequence of how most employers currently approach health support: through a collection of initiatives, programmes and policies rather than structured, clinically-focused assessments that treat every employee as an individual.
The company has been calling for a shift towards more proactive workplace health strategies, including initiatives such as its Great British Health Check. Rather than offering a generic service and hoping it reaches everyone, each assessment needs to focus on identifying health issues early and providing employees with clear next steps for further care where necessary.
Steven Pink believes that as long as employers continue to rely on scattered initiatives, the generational gap in the data will persist. He concluded:
“What younger workers have benefited from is a cultural shift – more openness, more visibility, more conversation. That is genuinely positive. But culture alone does not treat a health condition or prevent long-term absence.
“Real support means identifying health risks early and making sure people of all ages have access to the right help before problems escalate. Otherwise too many employees will continue to fall through the cracks.”
