Employment Uncovered, launched by global employment platform Employment Hero, reveals what the past year at work really looked like for people across the UK. The new research explores how people worked, rested and managed pressures throughout 2025. 

Based on aggregated insights from over 100,000 employee records within small businesses and a national survey of 1,000 UK workers, it captures a year defined by pressure, burnout and uncertainty, but also shows a resilient nation finding ways to stay positive.

Workers are taking holidays – but not switching off

On average, UK workers have taken 19 days of annual leave so far* in 2025. December – driven largely by people booking time off around the holidays – saw the highest volume of leave taken, with workers typically securing those days months in advance.

Long weekends are still a firm favourite, with Fridays 20% more likely to be booked off, followed by Mondays. In fact, the Thursday before Good Friday was the most popular day outside the festive season* showing how people were keen to maximise on days off in and around public holidays.

Despite this, a more worrying trend sits beneath the surface: when people did take time off, it wasn’t always a real break. A quarter didn’t use all their allocated leave in 2025 and 44% felt pressured to keep working during their time off. This pressure is heaviest on younger workers, with 52% of 18-34s feeling unable to disconnect, compared with 36% of those aged 45+.

December has become ‘Survival Season’

While December sees increased leave and has historically been viewed as a wind-down month ahead of festivities, Employment Hero’s data reveals it has now been dubbed ‘Survival Season’ – the most stressful time of the year for UK workers – followed by January.

Burnout pushing workers to ‘sickies’

When annual leave doesn’t feel like a real break, workers turn elsewhere. Between January and October, employees took 7 sick days on average, rising steadily with age – from 7 days for 18-24s to 14 days for over-55s. London, often viewed as the country’s most fast-paced working hub, tops the table for the highest number of sick days taken.

The data points to a surprising shift: ‘sickies’ are becoming a survival tactic.

• 28% of UK workers admit they took at least one sick day when they weren’t physically unwell
• 17% took more than one
• Full-timers are more than twice as likely to take a sickie as part-timers (34% vs 13%)

When asked why, burnout topped the list. Nearly half (49%) said they took a sick day because they felt mentally or emotionally exhausted, while 39% said they felt overwhelmed and needed a break. Younger workers are driving this trend, whereas older workers are far more likely to use sick days for life admin or personal errands. Meanwhile, 14% have used a sick day to attend a social event and nearly one in ten (9%) stretched it into a long weekend.

The data suggests that UK workers are increasingly turning to sick days as a way to truly switch off.

Enjoying work despite the pressure 

Despite the strain, nearly 7 in 10 (69%) workers say they actually enjoyed their job this year. Self-employed and freelance workers were the happiest of all, with 83% saying they enjoyed their work in 2025. Londoners also saw a notable lift in mood, with enjoyment up 14% vs 2024.

When asked what work means to them – nearly half (48%) said that work is a key part of their identity, while four in ten (40%) workers said they would carry on working even if they won the lottery.

Commenting on the findings, Kevin Fitzgerald, UK Managing Director at Employment Hero, said:

“2025 has been one of the toughest years workers have faced in a long time. People are juggling higher costs, fewer opportunities and intense pressure to stay switched on – and our data shows the toll that’s taking. When nearly half the workforce feels the need to check emails on annual leave or use sick days as an excuse to actually switch off, it’s clear something needs to change.

But this research also reveals something I think is uniquely British: even in a difficult year, most people still enjoyed their jobs. They showed up, worked hard and found pride in what they do. Employment Uncovered is about recognising that resilience – and helping businesses support their teams better in 2026.”