Younger generations are emerging as unexpected champions of office-based work, with new research from Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace data revealing they are more likely than older colleagues to recognise the benefits of being in the office.

The data found that 61% of employees under 35 believe that the social elements of working in an office are good for their health, compared to 49% of employees over 55. Likewise, 60% of employees under 35 feel they have better access to learning and development opportunities when working in person, compared to 45% of employees over 55, while 48% of employees under 35 feel isolated from colleagues when they work from home, compared to just 31% of employees over 55.

The research shows that employees of all ages recognise the health benefits of being in the office, with over half (55%) believing they are more active when in a workplace environment*. 41% of employees say they are less active when working from home*, suggesting that people do not necessarily use the extra time spent not commuting to fit exercise into their lives.

Many employees, including hybrid workers, report feeling isolated when working remotely, with 48% (under 35s) compared to 31% (55+) saying they felt this isolation, highlighting the significant impact of mental health and burnout on productivity, especially for younger employees (under 35 years old). This group are 63% more likely to suffer from depression compared to older employees and [15%] more likely to suffer from burnout.

The insights come as the UK continues to grapple with a severe productivity crisis. Vitality data from Britain’s Healthiest Workplace shows that, over the past decade, productivity loss has doubled, with health-related issues contributing significantly to this decline. The data also reveals that lost productivity has more than doubled over the past decade, increasing from 22.2 lost days in 2014 to approximately 50 lost days in 2022 and 2023.

In 2023 alone, health-related productivity losses cost the UK economy a staggering £138 billion.

Businesses can benefit from embracing flexible working

With the UK government proposing plans to make flexible working the default for employees in the UK, the benefits of these arrangements for both employees and businesses are evident. While younger employees recognise the benefits of office-based work as part of a flexible working provision, the data found strong demand for flexible working across all age groups, with 73% of employees believing that all employers should offer such options, and , with 61% believing they would be more productive if they had greater control over their working hours.

Despite speculation as to remote working links to productivity, this research found that people self-reported themselves as more productive when at home. Despite this, 41% of managers and senior staff perceived their colleagues to be less productive or available, suggesting people assumed others were less productive when they couldn’t see them.  This disconnect underscores the importance of fostering a culture of trust and collaboration within flexible working practices.

To succeed in the era of flexible working, it is clear that no one size fits all. Businesses need to understand the needs of their workforce to create targeted and effective workplace policies that better look at a range of things including employee health and wellbeing given the intrinsic relationship between the two. Those who do could reap benefits that significantly boost their organisation’s productivity.

 Neville Koopowitz, CEO of Vitality, said: “Our research lays bare the undeniable link between health and productivity in the UK—and the stakes couldn’t be higher for the economy and businesses.

“The data points to the complexity of the challenges facing UK employers, but what is clear is that the prioritisation of employee wellbeing is key to unlocking productivity and driving economic success. 

“There is no one-size-fits-all approach. Businesses need to take the time to truly understand their workforce and adapt to the evolving needs of employees; whether that’s through targeted health strategies, access to mental health support, or working flexibility. By embedding employee health and wellbeing into the fabric of workplace policies, individuals, businesses and the wider economy stand to gain significantly.”

* Research conducted for Vitality’s Britain’s Healthiest Workplace from Opinium in October 2024