Thriving Workplaces How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 2025

In the research model analysed,71 for both those aged 61 and over and the youngest working generation the top two predictors for holistic health are self-efficacy and meaning.72 Drivers of burn-out differ slightly; in this research, role ambiguity affects older workers most strongly, while a toxic workplace environment affects younger employees and the overall global cohort most strongly (Figure 7). These disparities highlight the importance of understanding differences across age groups to support longevity in the workplace, because older employees bring valuable experience, stability and institutional knowledge. Employers play a crucial role in helping employees adapt to longer lifespans by fostering age-diverse workplaces and developing products that meet the needs of younger and older employees. Research suggests that innovative workforce planning, including retaining older employees and making the most of their experience, can enhance organizational performance, while creating age-friendly jobs can help maintain a talented and diverse workforce.73 Drivers74 of holistic health and burn-out symptoms for youngest generation, oldest generation and global averageFIGURE 7: Global (incl. all generations) Oldest generation (+61 years) Youngest generation (18-28 years)Relative importance of predictors for holistic health and burn-out symptoms1 Percentage of difference in outcome predicted by construct2 Self-efficacy Toxic workplace behaviourToxic workplace behaviourToxic workplace behaviourRole ambiguity Role ambiguity AuthenticitySelf-efficacy Self-efficacy Adaptability Belonging Meaning Other3 Other3Other3 Other3Other3 Other3Meaning Holistic health Burn-out symptoms Notes: 1. Relative importance was conducted for exploratory reasons. While comparisons between global and group-specific drivers can be informative, actions taken need to consider the specific situation and context due to small sample sizes, 2. Relative importance seen above is scaled to 100%. Explained variance (differences in outcomes between individuals explained by regression model) for holistic health is 36% for Gen Z, 56% for Boomers/oldest working generation and 49% for global. The explained variance for burn-out is 47% for Gen Z, 67% for Boomers/oldest working generation and 69% for global, 3. ‘Other’ includes all additional enablers and stressors in the research model 100% 50% 0% 100% 50% 0%100% 50% 0%100% 50% 0%100% 50% 0%100% 50% 0%42% 11% 47% 52%79%63%17%20% 10%11% 19%29%21% 7% 72%64%8%8%20% Educational level: College- or graduate-level education correlates with reported higher holistic health and reported lower burn-out symptoms. Individuals without a high school diploma were 20 percentage points less likely to report good holistic health compared to those with graduate degrees (50% versus 70%). Research underscores the critical role of continuous learning and development in promoting overall well-being. Learning, development, adaptability and self-efficacy are core predictors of holistic employee health and vice versa in the underlying research model.75 Financial situation: The survey assessed employees’ financial situations based on financial status,76 financial stability77 and remuneration.78 Only 41% of individuals with poor financial status reported good holistic health,79 compared to 76% of those with good financial status. Those reporting low financial stability reported 27 percentage points lower holistic health (47% versus 74% for financially stable) and more than 30 percentage points more burn-out symptoms (38% versus 5% for financially stable). Remuneration is positively correlated with holistic health. People reporting positively on remuneration were 30 percentage points more likely Source: Relative importance analysis, MHI Employee Holistic Health Survey 2023 Thriving Workplaces: How Employers can Improve Productivity and Change Lives 20