Young workers feel “unsupported, undervalued and overlooked”, IOSH warns

Findings from an IOSH survey of 500 workers aged 18-25 paint a picture of a generation entering the workforce with enthusiasm, talent and potential, but quickly learning their wellbeing and personal development takes a backseat. IOSH warns that workplaces designed in this way risk disengaging the very people they most need to retain – both now and for the future

Nearly half of survey respondents (48 per cent) believe their employer prioritises the achievement of targets and set performance expectations over their health and wellbeing or reaching their full potential. For many of this new cohort of workers, their sense of worth at work is being limited, shaped narrowly and unhelpfully, with 56 per cent saying they feel judged more on the targets they meet than on their creativity or wider contribution.

The data points to a pattern of emotional strain, thwarted ambition and frustrated expression. More than a third (34 per cent) report they feel uncomfortable taking full rest breaks or switching off outside working hours while 15 per cent have taken time off work in the last year due to work-related stress, depression or anxiety, with a further 23 per cent saying they came close to doing so.

Shockingly, nearly a third (31 per cent) have considered leaving their job because its design has a negative effect on their wellbeing, while 12 per cent have considered leaving the workforce entirely.

These insights show young workers not only feeling pressure but often feeling unable to seek support. Many report being unprepared when entering the world of work, with 42 per cent saying they left education without a clear understanding of health, safety and wellbeing – leaving them unsure of their rights and responsibilities, and less confident in speaking up when something feels wrong.

Macauley Quinn, IOSH Vice-President, said: “High-performing employers recognise the full importance of maximising the potential of their workforce. This is the route to achieving excellence and market competitiveness."

Macauley added: “By investing in the next generation, employers are investing in their own future. When young workers are supported to bring the best versions of themselves to work every day, everyone benefits - individuals, organisations and society.”

IOSH calls on employers to take immediate action by:

• Putting wellbeing at the heart of job design. Work should enable people to perform sustainably – not push them to burnout.
• Creating supportive cultures where rest is respected. Young workers must feel able to take proper breaks and disconnect without fear of judgement.
• Strengthening early training in health, safety and wellbeing. Induction processes should fill the gaps left by education and empower young workers to speak up.
• Recognising and valuing the wider contributions of young staff. Targets alone do not reflect commitment, creativity or potential.
• Giving young workers a genuine voice in decisions. Young employees should feel heard, protected and supported – not disposable.

Antonella Semeria, 23, is one worker who has experienced a lack of support from employers. She said: “I’d reached rock-bottom, feeling like I’d been dropped in the ocean with no clue of how I could move forward. I just want to be able to use my creative skills professionally, having the chance to respond to a variety of different creative challenges and situations.”

Antonella has recently found support from Youth Fed, a youth support charity based in Cheshire. Duncan Harrison, a mentor at Youth Fed, said: “On a personal level, I find the more I believe and invest in young people, the more they’ll invest in themselves. My call to employers is not just to put them in a job but to give them proper support, invest proper time and effort in their development and watch them repay you ten times over. 

“Give them an opportunity, give them a go, even if it means taking a risk here or there. Give them a chance and they’ll more than likely repay you in spades.”