Only half of UK employees are happy at work, according to a new report
According to a new report, only half of UK employees say they are frequently happy at work. But what does this mean for the future of the office in 2026?
We all have cause to complain about our jobs every now and then, whether we get lumbered with a less-than-desirable task or someone takes credit for our idea in a meeting. It can make our blood boil.
However, in the last few years, our attention has shifted from the daily office occurrences that wear us down to questioning whether our jobs really work for us at all. Between return-to-office mandates and slow progress promotion cycles, our dissatisfaction clearly runs deeper than the odd micromanager or difficult colleague.
According to a new report by trend forecaster Edenred, only half of British employees say they are frequently happy at work.
In its survey, 25% employees said they regularly don’t feel appreciated, while 22% admit to not feeling valued in their workplace. This only rises with age, as over a third (35%) of those aged 55-plus agree they don’t get the recognition they deserve.
The same research also found a clear link between under-appreciated employees, low morale and productivity. The root cause? Emotional wellbeing simply isn’t high on the list of corporate priorities.
“The link between happiness and productivity is undeniable, and it’s essential that businesses and HR teams recognise this,” says Suzanna Kemal, the head of HR at Edenred. “With almost half of the UK workforce feeling generally unhappy in their place of work, the country is losing out on the creativity, determination and resilience found in a thriving workplace.
“It’s not just happiness that needs to be tracked, but wellbeing overall. Businesses need to take stock of absenteeism, performance and participation, as well as assess emotional capital metrics like happiness and enthusiasm through pulse surveys and one-to-one communications. Without taking these tangible measures, organisations will only fall behind and have their workforce move onto greener pastures without them.”
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