Drivers & Capacity
External empirical finding · Contextual · 2026
More HR leaders selected burnout-related talent loss, low engagement, and decreased productivity as leading workforce challenges
Among HR leaders surveyed by Mercer, 44% named loss of talent due to burnout or long-term sick leave as a top workforce challenge in 2026, up from 16% in 2024. Low engagement affecting productivity rose from 14% to 43%, and decreased productivity rose from 19% to 43%.
Research basis
Global online workforce survey with a prior-edition comparison. 1,650 HR leaders within a survey of 11,825 respondents across 16 geographies and 16 industries; 2026 data fielded September to October 2025.
What it supports
A substantial increase in the share of surveyed HR leaders selecting burnout-related talent loss, low engagement, and decreased productivity among their leading workforce challenges.
Boundary
That employee burnout, disengagement, sickness absence, or productivity changed by the same amounts, or that any one factor caused another.
BOL relevance
Provides a current organizational-risk signal for investigating whether work demands, capacity conditions, and operating practices are contributing to workforce strain.
Source class
Consulting or industry research
Role in BOL
Contextual
Population context
Employed adults
Evidence basis
Self-reported
Result and methodology checked 26 July 2026.