Workplace Pulse: Fall 2025

By The Mindful Leader Team

Quick Summary

• Engagement crisis: Global employee engagement fell to 21% in 2024, with managers hit hardest. Closing this gap could unlock $9.6 trillion in global GDP (Gallup, Apr 2025).
  
• Change and AI pressures: 89% of U.S. workers experienced organizational change last year, while rapid AI adoption boosted productivity for some but fueled job insecurity for many (APA, Jul 2025).
  
• Benefits gap: 36% of employees cannot access mental health benefits due to cost, complexity, or stigma, while outdated EAPs remain underused (Spring Health × Forrester, May 2025).
  
• Global context: Over 1 billion people live with mental health conditions, tied to 1 in 8 global deaths and $1 trillion in productivity losses annually, while most nations spend less than 2% of health budgets on care (WHO, Sep 2025).
  
• Generational shift: More than 40% of Gen Z report being “almost always stressed,” with mindfulness and digital-first wellness solutions among the fastest-growing segments of the $2 trillion wellness market (McKinsey, May 2025).
  

Introduction

The Fall 2025 Workplace Pulse brings together five major reports that capture the current state of mental health and well-being at work. The picture is sobering: engagement is collapsing, stress is intensifying, and traditional approaches to benefits often fall short. At the same time, new opportunities are taking shape — from digital-first mental health tools to wellness practices increasingly valued by younger generations.

Gallup shows the global cost of disengagement and the critical role of managers whose well-being is under strain. The APA reveals how poor alignment between work environments and employee preferences, compounded by weak communication, directly harms mental health. Spring Health and Forrester uncover how benefits frequently go unused, even as stress climbs. The WHO highlights the global scale of the mental health crisis and the funding shortfall in public systems. And McKinsey demonstrates how Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping wellness expectations, with mindfulness and stress reduction moving into the mainstream.

Together, these findings underline a clear reality: the future of work depends on how organizations respond to mental health — not as a side initiative, but as a central driver of resilience, performance, and trust.

Employee Engagement & Experience Survey - Gallup (April 2025)

Gallup’s survey of workers across 160+ countries reveals widespread disengagement and mounting strain on managers.

Key Findings and Insights

• Engagement slipped to 21%, matching pandemic lows — nearly four out of five workers are disengaged.
  
• Managers are under strain: engagement dropped to 27%, with women and younger leaders hit hardest. Since managers influence 70% of team engagement, their decline reverberates widely.
  
• Well-being is eroding, particularly among older and female managers, raising concerns about leadership resilience.
  
• AI’s impact is double-edged: while promising efficiency, it also heightens stress and uncertainty about roles.
  
• Closing the engagement gap could add $9.6 trillion to global GDP, underscoring the economic weight of workplace well-being.
  

Relevance: The findings highlight how investment in manager support — from coaching to mental health resources — is central to sustaining engagement and performance across organizations.

Read the full report here.

Work in America Survey - APA (July 2025)

The APA’s national survey of U.S. workers shows how constant change and uneven communication are shaping mental health and satisfaction.

Key Findings and Insights

• Change is nearly universal: 89% experienced organizational change in the past year; a quarter described it as “significant” or “transformative.”
  
• Workplace fit matters: employees working in their preferred setting (in-person, hybrid, or remote) report higher satisfaction, meaning, and mental health. Misalignment drives stress.
  
• AI’s mixed impact: 78% of managers see productivity benefits, but 38% of workers fear their jobs could be made obsolete. Anxiety grows when communication is lacking.
  
• Communication breakdown: fewer employers are informing staff about mental health resources, leading to benefits that go unused.
  
• Equity concerns: workers with disabilities report higher stress, loneliness, and dissatisfaction, pointing to gaps in inclusion.
  

Relevance: The report illustrates how alignment, transparency, and inclusivity are not add-ons but core drivers of employee well-being and resilience in times of change.

Read the full report here.

Mental Health At Work: The Benefits Gap And How To Close It - Spring Health × Forrester (May 2025)

This global study shows that while many organizations offer mental health benefits, barriers prevent large numbers of employees from using them.

Key Findings and Insights

• Access ≠ support: 36% of employees can’t use their benefits due to cost, complexity, or stigma.
  
• Stress is climbing: 44% of workers report feeling more stressed than five years ago, with frontline employees least engaged.
  
• EAPs are underperforming: often outdated, underused, or poorly trusted.
  
• Outcome-based care preferred: employees increasingly expect benefits that demonstrate measurable results.
  
• Digital solutions gaining ground: AI-driven and platform-based options are scaling more easily and reducing stigma.
  
• Leadership role critical: training managers to reduce stigma and normalize support has outsized impact.
  

Relevance: The study suggests that unused or outdated benefits represent missed opportunities, while outcome-based and digital-first approaches show greater promise for impact and trust.

Read the full report here.

Mental Health Today - World Health Organization (September 2025)

The WHO’s global data release underscores the magnitude of the mental health crisis and the shortfall in services.

Key Findings and Insights

• Over 1 billion people live with mental health conditions worldwide.
  
• 1 in 8 deaths globally is linked to mental health, including suicide and substance use.
  
• Untreated conditions cost the global economy $1 trillion annually in lost productivity.
  
• In many regions, fewer than 25% of people with mental health conditions receive any care.
  
• On average, mental health receives less than 2% of national health budgets.
  

Relevance: With public systems stretched thin, workplaces emerge as critical sites of support. Addressing mental health within organizations is not just compassionate — it fills a systemic gap while protecting productivity.

Read the full report here.

Future of Wellness Survey - McKinsey & Company (May 2025)

McKinsey’s consumer survey reveals how wellness priorities, especially among younger generations, are reshaping expectations in the workplace.

Key Findings and Insights

• Stress is a defining feature: more than 40% of Gen Z describe themselves as “almost always stressed.”
  
• Mindfulness and mental health lead growth: among the fastest-expanding areas in the $2 trillion wellness market.
  
• Digital-first norms: apps, platforms, and online coaching are the preferred modes of support.
  
• Wellness as identity: younger generations view practices like meditation and sleep hygiene as part of who they are, not just health tools.
  
• Strong growth outlook: demand for mental health and mindfulness tools is projected to accelerate further.
  

Relevance: The report points to a cultural shift: wellness is no longer an optional perk but an embedded expectation. Organizations that align with these values will be better positioned to attract and retain talent.

Read the full report here.

Conclusion

Across Gallup, APA, Spring Health/Forrester, WHO, and McKinsey, a clear picture emerges: mental health is a defining challenge of modern work. The costs of disengagement, unused benefits, and rising stress are enormous. Yet the opportunities are equally significant — higher engagement, stronger retention, improved productivity, and cultures that inspire trust.

The evidence shows that well-being is not peripheral. It is woven into the fabric of performance and strategy. As mental health realities reshape the workplace, those who act decisively to support their people will not only foster healthier organizations — they will secure a lasting advantage in a changing world.

This article is part of our Research & Trends Series where we share the latest research and studies shaping our field.